Written by Joseph Sheehan in Tips & Advice on the 29th April 2014

If you hadn’t noticed already it’s getting closer and closer to summer which in turn means the weather’s getting warmer, so I’m sure you’re all starting to feel the uncomfortable consequences of this heat while at work? I know I am. 

At this current point it’s not so bad that it can’t be fixed by taking of your jacket or wearing a short sleeve shirt to the office, but what happens when it’s touching thirty degrees and there are no layers left to remove and you’re already wearing the lightest and most breathable material you own? The answer to this is shorts.

Now I’m not saying just turn up to work in shorts if you work in a law firm or a stockbrokers, you should always check with your boss if you’re unsure. 

But if you work in a place which has a smart casual dress code why not stroll into the office looking great and not sweating buckets? This doesn’t mean you can just grab those cargo shorts that you’ve had for the last 5 years. There are a few things you need to think about if you’re going to pull of this look and pull it off well.

Style Tips

- Make sure the shorts are fitted and tailored, but not skin tight (this will just be uncomfortable in the heat). 

- Make sure the material is smart and breathable such as cotton or linen (wool or jersey aren’t good ideas). 

- Rolling up the hems would not be acceptable in most business environments, its most likely that the current short shorts trend wouldn’t be either. 

- For the perfect look they should taper down nicely and sit just above the knee. 

- Make sure the rest of the outfit is simple as the shorts will be a major talking point.

There seems to be a lot of people that find it hard to make shorts look smart. One simple thing I always do is treat them just like you would trousers, after all they are just trousers with the lower part removed. Here's a very cool office friendly pair by Paul Smith Jeans from Coggles.com.  

But unlike trousers it’s probably not the best ideas to wear longer socks while trying to pull this look off. You're best to sticking to invisible socks, as they can’t be seen and it means you won’t have to go barefoot which can end in an empty path to walk down when people start to get a hint of your foot odor.

Also, just because you’re wearing shorts it doesn’t mean the rest of your look should be super casual. It’s a good idea to stick to the staples for office wear for the rest of your outfit such as; blazer’s, smart shoes, button down shirts etc. 

Do you think shorts are okay to wear in the office? Well the answer really depends on where you work and what type of environment it is, but if it’s okay to wear them, it can certainly be done and done very stylishly too.

Shorts in the office, really? This article discusses whether men can wear shorts in a business working environment, and we pick out some key smart shorts for the season.