Jennifer Varekamp, chair of the fashion design department at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, predicts that shorts will be the next wave of casual office attire.
Both rising temperatures and the pandemic have had a big influence on fashion, she says, changing what’s acceptable to wear across many professions. And, she says, shorts and suits have been trending for a while with designers like Thom Browne.
“I think, depending on the style, that these short suits can be just as formal [as regular suits],” she said. “If someone’s going to be more comfortable and it speaks to more of who they are, then I think, I think that that should be the way to go.”
New England is in the throes of yet another blistering heat wave, and what people wear to the office is being reconsidered as more workers have returned to the office in recent years. Still, in many workplaces, shorts are still not considered acceptable.
Kathy Robinson, president of CXO Directions, a business firm that focuses on careers, executive branding and leadership coaching, says that “as with everything, context matters.”
“I think that there are organizations that would absolutely welcome shorts,” she said. “The CEOs wearing shorts to the office, and it’s a casual family collaborative kind of place.”
Robinson believes the culture and brand of a company is what should really drive the question.
“It’s not necessarily role-specific, but it’s more the company has a brand reputation to uphold, and that’s how they like to see their employees participating in the reputation of the company,“ Robinson said. “And even if the employee never leaves the company’s floor, if they’re in person, then they’re still affecting the overall sort of like reputation and look and feel of the company.“
It’s still the case that in some office settings, such as traditional financial institutions or in a law firm or court house, wearing shorts is rarely permitted.
Matt Stanton, a Massachusetts native now working as a tech salesman in Austin, Texas said he believes wearing shorts into the office is a faux pas even for senior leadership workers.
“For me personally, I have only ever worn pants to the office because I don’t think that it’s appropriate and necessarily a good look in a business environment to wear shorts,” Stanton said. “So much of your brand in business is about networking, and I think sometimes shorts can give off a casual appearance.”
A historical perspective
Varekamp of MassArt says that in men’s fashion, shorts have come and gone, with knee-length pants being the norm in formal environments in the 1700s.
“In particular cultures, at particular moments in history, breeches (knickerbockers) were in the 18th century, the royal court, it meant everybody, men all wore breeches, and it was about showing off sort of their muscular calves,” she said.
The industrial revolution ushered in the suit as a set of armor and a symbol of respect and value, and any change to that happens slowly, she said.
“It can take a lot to move something into being fully accepted. I think we’re kind of in a process for that,” she said.
Rosemary Ledger, assistant professor of fashion merchandising at Lasell University in Newton, also pointed to Tom Browne as an iconic designer creating suits with shorts that can be fashionable on a man.
However, Ledger said that generally, unless you work outside, shorts are usually still considered too informal, and can affect an employee’s growth opportunities.
“If you’re in an office environment, probably your goal is a promotion, a raise — to grow in some way, “ she said. “And we know through fashion psychology research that the better you look, the more traditionally professional you look, the more likely you’re going to be given opportunities for growth, for that higher raise, whatever professional opportunity you’re looking for.”
Ledger notes that she sees students wearing athleisure, sweatpants and pajamas in the classroom. At the same time, there’s been pushback over air travel and passenger attire viewed as too casual or “sloppy.”
“We see the richest men on the planet usually in their athleisure or something,” she said. “But if you’re a salaried worker at a big corporation, unless you’re at a fashion corporation or unless you’re in a cool role where you have the knowledge and the style and the information to style these really fabulous designer looks correctly, play it safe and wear pants.”
Stanton, who is 27, still believes that shorts could be a deal-breaker for advancement.
“Wearing shorts shows a lack of seriousness and professionalism,” he said. “I tend to stay away. I’d say about 90% of the office that I’m in agrees in the sense that no one wears shorts.”
