Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials on July 31, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Are some work clothes too casual, even for August?
Thanks to my HarperCollins editor Matt Inman for pointing out this article: “Shorts Crack the Code” in today’s New York Times.
Is it okay for men to wear shorts to work?
Obviously, the answer varies widely depending on your workplace. I’m sure there are lots of guys in shorts at web 2.0 companies and high fashion labels. And I’m sure a man showing up in shorts to an investment bank would be laughed right out of the building.
Frankly, that’s how I think it should be, for both men and women. Know your audience and “dress for success” in a way that makes sense in your industry. If you’re not totally sure what is approrpriate, I’d probably err on the side of caution and go with “big boy pants” (as my mom used to call them when my brother was little).
Guys, would you wear shorts to work? Women, what would you think if a man showed up in your workplace with his calves on display? Share your thoughts!
p.s. As for the mention of Anderson Cooper in the article, I think he is gorgeous and should wear whatever he wants…
I totally agree with innovative views upon many fields of our existence, but then again, some things are better left as they are. By this I mean certain style principles not to be crossed over along with the fashion history. Wearing a suit as you go to office is as appropriate as wearing custom shirts as you go shopping.
I think the Guy looks cool. who cares what a guy wear except whean wearing shorts past the kness and the boxers hanging out from the top. that is a disgusting look.
I will wear shorts, even in winter. I’ve seen guys wearing shorts in freezing cold temperatures, so I’ve decided to try it myself, and I didn’t even feel the cold. I’ve got moderately hairy legs, and it was just like wearing shorts on a cool day in fall.
Ok, after reading this, I feel that I must put in my two cents. Call me old-fashioned, but I feel that shorts, or even jeans for that matter, have no place in the office at all. It’s crazy where I work, people wear jeans and shorts every chance they get, but not me. They will even pay for the “privilege” to wear them every day. I can’t take it anymore…
Here is a wilder idea….(that probably wont ever happen)….since women can wear whatever they want. Do you think that this would look better if this was a skirt on this man of the same length? Now I know this sounds crazy but personally I hate shorts…even on women. I think they look ridiculous for exactly the reason shown in this photo unless they are fitted. Regardless of your opinion on that these shorts dont fit this guy right anyway and they are tappered which makes matters even worse.
There will always be people who should not wear certain things but there is something about the idea of cutoff pants (shorts) thats just silly unless you are riding a bike or running so definetly never to the office.
My workplace is quite casual. Nobody wears shorts but only a few wear slacks etc despite working in an office. In fact if I did I would look better dressed than most of the people there.
“Dress for the job you want and not for the one you have”…..true but its also true that “when in Rome…..”
@Allen – thanks for the comment. I agree that the most important thing is making sure your work clothing is safe and appropriate. Most of us wish that shorts fit those criteria in our workplaces!
Lindsey
When the trends change or the ice is broken toward something different there will be those who scream no or poke fun.
As for guys wearing shorts, so what? Like any other attire, wear what fits the body’s shape and form and looks good. Wear what is safe doing the work and confortable. Don’t run around looking stupid. There is a big difference between business crisp, backyard frumpy dumpy or the Pee Wee Herman look.
Yeah, I wear shorts alot year long. I even like the old cut-offs. Bucking the old (comtemporary) standards is fine. Respect the what, when, and where. Don’t be stupid with any thing you wear.
It is me again. I love to wear shorts from April to October or whenever it is warm enough. Like back in November 1995, the Monday before Thanksgiving, it was 68 degrees, and I was wearing shorts. I would rather wear shorts than long pants, this is why I HATE winter.
This is a great post.keep on blogging.
@KAF – Thanks for your perspective. I’m not sure we’ll ever see shorts in conversative corporate offices, but in many other places shorts make sense. Especially in hot climates — I was just in Las Vegas in August and it was 103!
- Lindsey
I think it is about time that men start being able to wear shorts to any work they do. I love shorts and wish I could wear them to my job. I think congress should do away with all dress codes for all work places. I like to see men & women in nice shorts. However, as long as people don’t start wearing torn, ripped jeans that could be considered indecent, (ie—ripped down the front or the back). But someone dressed in nice shorts at work looks good & comfortable in hot, sticky weather. I used to work at Pizza Hut and there drivers could not wear shorts, but look at Dominoes & Papa Johns, they can wear shorts.
@Kat, @Kim, @Shawn – Thank you for all of your comments. Who knew a post on shorts would bring up so many issues?! Hope you’ll keep visiting the blog and posting — I appreciate your thoughts.
- Lindsey
As a guy, I can’t imagine wearing shorts to work unless I was running in on my day off to grab something. Taking a quick inventory of all of the office settings I’ve visited over the years, I can’t imagine where that would fit in. Possibly khaki shorts and a golf shirt (even though I’ve never played golf), but that would only be once in a blue moon.
And to Kim’s comment…is there really an underground movement of men wearing support pantyhose under their trousers? And, if so, why hasn’t Anderson Cooper broke the story?
Wearing support pantyhose is great for leg health, improving circulation, and reduction of leg pain, swelling,and discomfort. There is nothing gay about wearing pantyhose; and it is time that men should be able to wear clothing that will make them more comfortable and healthy without having people think they are strange or labeling them as gay.
My doctor advised me to wear support pantyhose to address poor circulation in the legs, extreme blood pooling in the lower legs, and swelling and pain of my legs and feet. What a difference and improvement.
And yes because of the heat, I wear them with shorts all the time. Nobody seems to notice or care. But even if they did, it wouldn’t matter because wearing support pantyhose really improves my leg health and reduces my leg and feet swelling and pain.
There are a lot of men secretly wearing support pantyhose under their jeans and trousers as if they are ashamed of what they are doing, even though wearing them is good for their leg health. No wonder some people will label this as strange.
When more men who are already wearing support pantyhose, begin doing so openly these garmets will be fully accepted as male clothing, and will even be more readily available in the men’s departments. Who knows when they are sold in the men’s department, women just may start wearing them again.
As a cross dresser on M*A*S*H said, ” If you are thin, you can wear anything”.
Here’s another common philosophy: ” If you are good looking ( gorgeous), you can wear anything or say anything or be anything you want. Life is about being gorgeous, and you’ve been given the right to break all the rules because of your looks.”
I do not like to see men’s big hairy ugly feet anywhere other than at the beach or in my bed.
I know someone who works in a very large corporate law firm. His boss requires the attorneys to wear jeans (as he does) to work unless they are going to court, and then its suits. Its a sign of respect.
Another thought. In California, you can neither be over or under dressed, unless you are nude, for any occasion. I saw David Hockney wearing shorts at the LA Opera.
As a person who employs others, dress professionally at your interview. Do not wear a tight, boob spilling, roll revealing, knit top. I will not hire you if I can’t get past your lack of respect for professionalism.
@ Zanade – Agree about black shoes with shorts — NOT a good look! Thanks for the comment-
- Lindsey
Ok..
I want to really say “It’s about time they start showing some skin in the workplace!”
But seriously Gen Y is taking over and it is a new day in Corporate America! I had interned with UBS and the financial advisors wore tee shirts and shorts, of course they had a suit in the office but it was cool to see them look so casual oppose to being suited up.
I must reject the pic above though.. I don’t want to see men wearing dress shorts with black shoes eww..
But I know some fashionable men who can pull it off so that being said lets all have fun men and women.
@ Erika – Thanks for the comment. So far no guys have admitted to wearing them…hmmm…
@ AMLitt — No way — take a photo next time you see a man in shorts. Hilarious!
Oh my goodness, that picture is ridiculous! I guess I’m old-fashioned but shorts at work is a bad idea. Guys just need to tough it out or wear some khakis. As for women, at least there are skirts and capri length pants, but shorts are just too casual.
I saw this in the Times yesterday, and then saw a guy in the EXACT same shortie-short cutoff slacks look outside our office this morning. Clearly a man on the cutting edge of PeeWee Herman impersonation.
@ Diane K. Danielson – I LOVE the image of men itching their hairy legs through pantyhose — hilarious!
So if you wear shorts (men or women) are we back to the big pantyhose debate we had over at http://womensdish.typepad.com/the_womens_dish/2008/06/does-she-or-doe.html? I’m sure requiring men to wear pantyhose would be the end of male shorts wearing.
Diane K. Danielson
@ Anita Bruzzese – I couldn’t agree more! I chose to post the photo of the “Our Gang” style guy, but there was another photo of a hot guy. For some reason, I thought the hot guy’s shorts were more work appropriate…
- Lindsey
@ Michael Henreckson – Totally agree. This wouldn’t fly in the majority of corporate cultures.
Well, if they show up looking anything like the guy in the photo here, I think they should finish their ensemble wearing a beanie cap with a propeller on top. Now, THAT’S something to get you noticed.
Wearing shorts to work in a white-collar environment doesn’t make much sense to me at all. There just isn’t a dressy way for guys to do shorts.