The spreading casualisation of the office might have transformed our working wardrobes, but there are still style lines that we should not cross, pretty much all of which can be seen in the average office during a heatwave. So how do you navigate workwear on a 30 degree day?
Wear lightweight fabrics, carry a folding fan on the tube, and remember that once you get to the office, you’ll be treated to the air-conditioning that work from home-ers can only dream of, the temperature set by a man who wears a full suit every day of the year and likes things < brisk >. As for the rest, here are the answers to your burning questions.
How short is too short?
Currently under discussion amongst Gen Z and millennial staffers, with Gen Z firmly on the side of the short short. Paul Mescal, who pairs his with a blue shirt, loafers and socks for ‘best’, is the man who launched a thousand bare legs, all lime-biking to an office near you. And who can blame them?
But what’s good for a powerhouse actor is not, unfortunately, good for a day of meetings with the MD. If you’re going to wear shorts (and truly, they’re not much cooler than trousers, which I wore out for a day of meetings yesterday) they should be tailored, in a not-too-flimsy fabric that won’t wilt by the end of the day. As for length, the rule of thumbs is that if any part of your bare leg touches the ergonomic office chair (or worse, the upholstered tube seat: have you forgotten last year’s bed bugs already?) then they’re too short. The same rule applies to women, with the addition that skirts need to be long enough that any wafting breeze won’t flash the coffee hut barista making your morning flat white.
Sleeves or no sleeves?
When it comes to bare arms, design is more important than coverage: right now the high street is full of button through women’s waistcoats, which are completely sleeveless but definitely office appropriate.
But take away that tailoring context, and a cotton vest with the same amount of coverage wouldn’t be formal enough. Ribbed stretch cotton vests might be fashionable, but they also still transport some of us older ones back to forgetting out gym kits at school, and running laps in vest and knickers. They’re under-things, in short, even if you bought yours from Prada for £720 (truly. It’s 100 per cent cotton). Men can’t pull these off as workwear either, as proven on a friend’s zoom meeting yesterday. If you are Pedro Pascal, however, disregard this, and wear your sleeveless t-shirt as often as you want.
If your office allows for T-shirts, then make it a plain one, Sunspel if you can afford it, in white or black (grey is a practical joke played on the sweaty), no slogans or logos or vintage band merch.
What’s ok on Zoom?
Not the aforementioned white vests, certainly. If you’re riding out the heatwave in your back garden, good for you: take the laptop inside for any Zooms, though, and keep a pressed shirt to hand to chuck over your bizarre at-home-workwear (written by a woman who is currently working from home with no audience, bar the scaffolders over the road, and is therefore wearing crocs, gym shorts and a sports bra). Just be careful what’s in the frame: a colleague’s short shorts were noted when she stood up during a call.
Are open toe shoes allowed?
Nothing that makes a sound as you walk should be heard slapping along the corridors of an office building. Flip flops are doubly wrong because of the rubber, but leather and suede sandals are ok, so long as you’ve cut your toenails. Look for smarter shapes that show a bit less foot, like fisherman sandals.
Only the all leather Birkenstocks pass muster, not the ones with the pale insole so easily marked by sweaty feet. Socks and loafers look good too. And preferably not a boat shoe, though if your office is in the west of london, you can probably disregard this one.
What about fabrics?
When it comes to cotton, linen and silk, lightweight often means sheer, and men aren’t exempt from this one. If I can see dark chest hair, or - and I’m sorry to go there - the shape of a nipple, you need a thicker fabric or a darker colour. For women, bright white bras under white shirts can be the most visible - look for a shade closer to your skin tone, or - counterintuitively - dark reds work well. Summer lace is a spectrum, running from prim and a bit old fashioned to risque, depending on the size of the holes, so exercise caution or add a slip underneath.
Can I just wear my holiday wardrobe?
This is clearly the go-to for some, hence the Magnum PI Hawaiian shirts that you’ll see popping up in Creative Marketing team meetings. Avoid at all costs. Linen only looks truly office appropriate in black, white, navy or brown, and any ‘fun’ holiday pieces will read badly under the cold light of a fluoro strip. For women, this means midi dresses with multicoloured embroidery, or tassels,or those little mirrored circles are all nos. Would you wear it for a beachside taverna dinner? Then don’t wear it to the company-wide town hall, even if they are putting on a buffet lunch.
