HEATWAVES PUSH OFFICE CULTURE TOWARD SHORTS AND LIGHTER WORKWEAR

Scorching summer heat is changing office culture in ways that years of casual-Friday policies never fully achieved: men are increasingly wearing shorts, linen and lighter clothing to work. Reuters reported Monday that heatwaves from Tokyo to London have pushed workers, retailers and some employers to reconsider long-standing assumptions about professional dress. The shift is partly about fashion, but it is also about health, productivity and adaptation to hotter cities. What once looked like a seasonal exception is becoming a workplace climate issue.

In Japan, the Tokyo metropolitan government expanded its long-running Cool Biz campaign by encouraging staff to go beyond no ties and no jackets, including ditching long trousers and trying T-shirts and sneakers. The policy reflects a practical response to extreme heat, humidity and the energy burden of cooling workplaces. Japan’s approach is notable because it comes from government rather than fashion marketers. It treats clothing as part of climate adaptation, placing employee comfort and public-sector example above rigid dress traditions.

The change has spread across European business districts. Reuters found signs of the trend from London’s Canary Wharf to Frankfurt, where workers are navigating heatwaves while still trying to look office-appropriate. Major retailers said lighter men’s clothing has sold strongly in Britain. John Lewis said the lines between commuter and holiday style are blurring, while Marks and Spencer reported a sharp rise in sales of men’s linen trousers during June and July compared with the same period a year earlier. The market is responding faster than many workplace handbooks.

The appeal of lighter workwear is straightforward. Long trousers, lined suits and heavy fabrics can become uncomfortable or unsafe during high temperatures, particularly for commuters using crowded trains, buses or bikes before reaching air-conditioned offices. Workers may arrive overheated, dehydrated or unable to concentrate. As heatwaves become more frequent, employers face a choice: enforce old dress codes and risk discomfort, or adapt clothing expectations to maintain productivity and health. In many offices, the practical argument is beginning to outweigh tradition.

Retailers and designers are moving to meet that demand. H&M, one of Europe’s largest fashion retailers, told Reuters it was bringing in lighter clothes and delaying autumn lines to later in the year. Hugo Boss has expanded tailored shorts, including higher-end options that try to preserve a formal silhouette while reducing heat. The trend suggests that the boundary between businesswear and resortwear is being renegotiated rather than erased. Workers still want clothing that reads as professional, but they want fabrics and cuts suited to a hotter climate.

Some employers are drawing lines. Swiss Re’s Switzerland head reminded staff that shorts are for weekends while also offering tips on staying cool, Reuters reported. Norway’s DNB has taken a more flexible approach, saying staff can wear shorts and skirts while still favouring smarter garments over extreme casualwear. These examples show that workplace culture is not moving uniformly. Finance, law, insurance and client-facing roles may adopt lighter clothing more slowly than technology, creative industries or public offices. The debate is less about whether standards remain than about what standards now mean.

Unions are pushing the health argument. Germany’s IG Metall and Verdi told Reuters that dress codes should be relaxed or waived when temperatures rise. That position frames clothing as an occupational safety issue rather than a perk. Heat stress can impair judgment, worsen medical conditions and increase the risk of illness, particularly for older workers or people with health vulnerabilities. While office workers generally face lower heat exposure than outdoor labourers, commuting and poorly cooled buildings can still create risks. A strict dress code can become a preventable source of strain.

The cultural resistance is real. Shorts have long been associated in many workplaces with leisure, youth or informality. Men’s business dress in particular has been slower to adapt than women’s clothing, partly because suits and long trousers remain strong symbols of authority. That symbolism is now colliding with environmental conditions. A worker who wears shorts during a heatwave may be making a practical decision, but in a conservative office it can still be read as a challenge to hierarchy or seriousness. Climate change is therefore turning dress codes into cultural negotiations.

Public transport and city infrastructure also influence the shift. A worker who travels through overheated stations, walks across exposed streets and enters an office only after a long commute experiences heat differently from someone who moves directly from car to air conditioning. Employers that demand formal clothing may need to consider the entire working day, not only the time spent at a desk. As hybrid work changes office expectations, clothing rules that once reinforced corporate identity may feel less relevant than flexibility and comfort.

The office shorts trend is not a trivial fashion story. It is one visible sign of how climate pressure is reshaping everyday institutions, from government workplaces to banks and retailers. Employers will still debate what is appropriate, and many will try to preserve professional appearance through tailored shorts, linen suits and lighter fabrics. But the direction is clear: as summers get hotter, office culture is adapting from the body outward. Fact-check date: August 24, 2026. Article type: Feature. Sources: Reuters.