From Tokyo to London, heatwaves send men to work in shorts
Japan’s capital led the way. This year the metropolitan govt’s long-standing no-tie, no-jacket “Cool Biz” campaign took a step further by encouraging its staff to ditch long trousers, and even try T-shirts and sneakers. As heatwaves mounted across Europe, other workers followed in Tokyo’s wake, sometimes with the encouragement of authorities and management, sometimes without.
Scorching summer temperatures have forced men across Europe to ditch traditional long trousers and shorts for the office, a trend previously influenced by Japan's "Cool Biz" campaign in Tokyo. In Japan's capital, the city government encouraged staff to ditch ties and jackets, even encouraging T-shirts and sneakers. As the heatwaves intensified across Europe, men across major European cities followed suit, sometimes with management's encouragement and sometimes without.
Retailers in Britain reported a surge in sales of breathable fabrics like linen shorts and suits. Martha Hibberd, menswear buyer at British department store John Lewis, noted the blurring of the lines between 'commuter' and 'holiday' styles. Marks and Spencer saw a 183% jump in sales of men's linen trousers from June to July compared to the same period a year ago. H&M, one of Europe's biggest fashion retailers, began offering lighter clothes and delayed release of autumnal lines.
Brands like Hugo Boss and H&M responded to the trend by increasing their offerings of tailored shorts. H&M's head of menswear design, Andreas Lowenstam, said the trend suggests we may not be returning to pre-climate change norms. The trend was evident in Europe's business districts, from London's Canary Wharf to Frankfurt's streets. However, there were some constraints, particularly in Norway's largest bank, DNB, where staff were encouraged to wear 'smarter garments' rather than short skirts or 1970s-style soccer shorts.
Switzerland's Swiss Re insurance group even provided tips to staff on how to stay cool, reminding them that "shorts are for weekends". In Germany, the country's biggest union, IG Metall, and services sector union Verdi suggested dress codes should be relaxed or waived during hot weather as summers became hotter and heatwaves more frequent. Some workers, like a bus driver in Warsaw, took matters into their own hands, turning up to work in a skirt in a protest against the standard uniform of long polyester trousers.
Even in Warsaw, a petition was launched asking the transport authority ZTM to allow drivers to wear shorts during hot weather, which garnered over 400 signatures.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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