When Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, urged employers to relax office dress codes during the recent British heat wave, it was a small sign not only that bare shins have the backing of the unions but that, since men's wear designers are ready and waiting, we might see shorts in the boardroom.
For Louis Vuitton, Comme des Garçons, Giorgio Armani and others, the city short – crisp, dark, trim and tailored – is this season's staple for men. For men's wear designer Thom Browne, known for his offbeat trouser lengths, it's music to the ears: his summer mission statement is pivoted on the charm of a well-tailored suit – twinned with shorts rather than trousers. But, for all Browne's passion and the TUC's call for practicality, can shorts really be worn with confidence in the office?
“Shorts have to make a huge leap, image-wise, especially in any client-facing workplace,” says Lee Hamilton, formal wear buyer for John Lewis. The British department store, however, has seen sales of city shorts shoot up in June by 130 per cent, compared with the same month last year. “Even my company now has a day when you can wear shorts,” says Hamilton. “[But] sales reflect the desire to dress more smartly, rather than the idea they are now acceptable in the boardroom.”