Updated 17.27 | Published 17.21
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full screen If you work in an office, you should think about how you are perceived in your clothes, according to Ebba von Mecklenburg. Photo: Christine Olsson / TT
Summer is here, but it is still uncertain how hot it will be and how long it will last.
One thing is certain, however, that the age-old question is raised again: can you wear shorts at work?
– Yes, how fun is it to see bare legs?, says common sense and etiquette expert Ebba von Mecklenburg.
Imagine the following scenario: you are going to jump on your bike to get to work. It’s a hot summer day, and you know the sun will mercilessly roast you during the ride. What pants do you put on for the day?
– Your choice of clothing says a lot about you, and in some workplaces you should think about whether you dress respectfully, says Ebba von Mecklenburg.
According to her, the context of the workplace determines whether you can wear shorts or not. If you cycle to an office job with shorts on, you must change as soon as you arrive.
That’s where the limit is
The office is a serious workplace and therefore you should be dressed seriously, says Ebba von Mecklenburg.
– One piece of advice is to think about the context in which you wear the shorts. Will the people at the office think I’m on vacation or that you’re doing serious work?
But if you work outdoors, different things apply.
– You often see them on construction sites wearing shorts, I don’t think that’s strange. If it’s really hot outside, I don’t say anything about shorts.
However, Ebba von Mecklenburg emphasizes that shorts are mostly okay to wear in leisure time. But even there, different contexts apply. If you walk around town, you must wear shorts.
– It’s leisure clothes, it’s okay when it’s warm. But it’s not so nice to wear shorts in a “nice restaurant”, she says.
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full screen According to Ebba von Macklenburg, you should wear longer trousers in the office, both as a woman and as a man. Photo: Bertil Ericson / TT
Applies to everyone
Neither woman nor man, young or old, should wear shorts to the office.
– It simply does not fit. Yes, how fun is it to see bare legs?
– But I am completely convinced that there is a difference between younger and older people.
Even if as a young person you got used to wearing shorts at school, and are now going out into the working world, you should get used to wearing longer trousers in the office, says Ebba von Mecklenburg. Instead, she recommends wearing something longer, but airier, like linen pants.