NPR’s A Martinez talks to American fashion designer Thom Browne, who weighs in on whether shorts are appropriate for the office.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Shorts – is it ever OK to wear them at the office? Not the home office – we all do that – the office office. As dress codes ease and temperatures rise, some people might find themselves thinking, oh, maybe I could, so I called up fashion designer Thom Browne. He’s redefined tailoring with his playful takes on suits. He’s also chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and I started by asking him why some people find shorts in the workplace so controversial.
MARTÍNEZ: Shorts – is it ever OK to wear them at the office? Not the home office – we all do that – the office office. As dress codes ease and temperatures rise, some people might find themselves thinking, oh, maybe I could, so I called up fashion designer Thom Browne. He’s redefined tailoring with his playful takes on suits. He’s also chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and I started by asking him why some people find shorts in the workplace so controversial.
THOM BROWNE: I think they understand the idea of shorts, and they understand the idea of tailoring, but they sometimes don’t understand them together – and I think, simple as that, you know, it’s kind of what my last 20 years has been.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, you are known for your signature gray suits, but also for shorts, so what is it about shorts that you love so much?
MARTÍNEZ: Now, you are known for your signature gray suits, but also for shorts, so what is it about shorts that you love so much?
BROWNE: I mean, I just love them because I just like the comfort of them, but I also like the idea of almost driving people crazy because…
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
BROWNE: …They don’t really understand what they’re seeing, and so there’s a little bit of that in it, as well.
MARTÍNEZ: So I’m going to ask you a big, broad question, Thom. Are shorts OK to wear in the office?
MARTÍNEZ: So I’m going to ask you a big, broad question, Thom. Are shorts OK to wear in the office?
BROWNE: If it’s appropriate in your line of work, then I think you should, but I think, you know – I think there might be situations or certain offices that it is not, so I think you have to kind of be respectful to where you are.
MARTÍNEZ: I’ll tell you something that happened to me a long time ago. So this is 1999, a long time ago. I’m the host of a baseball program, and we would do the show live from the dugout. Now, it was a 100-degree day, and I decided to show up in shorts. Now, the shorts were very nice khaki shorts. I wore a polo shirt on top, very nice shoes. I thought I looked pretty good, but I got so much grief for the rest of the baseball season because I was wearing shorts to work, technically.
MARTÍNEZ: I’ll tell you something that happened to me a long time ago. So this is 1999, a long time ago. I’m the host of a baseball program, and we would do the show live from the dugout. Now, it was a 100-degree day, and I decided to show up in shorts. Now, the shorts were very nice khaki shorts. I wore a polo shirt on top, very nice shoes. I thought I looked pretty good, but I got so much grief for the rest of the baseball season because I was wearing shorts to work, technically.
BROWNE: So that situation, I would say 100% you should be able to wear shorts.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWNE: I’m talking more, you know, the traditional law offices, banks. You know, I think there would be situations that – you know, I don’t work in one of those offices, but I know my brothers do, and I can’t imagine them wearing shorts.
MARTÍNEZ: So if someone wants to, someone wants to wear shorts at work – say it’s an office – what makes for a great pair of work-appropriate shorts? I mean, what should people be looking out for, and what should they be thinking about wearing?
MARTÍNEZ: So if someone wants to, someone wants to wear shorts at work – say it’s an office – what makes for a great pair of work-appropriate shorts? I mean, what should people be looking out for, and what should they be thinking about wearing?
BROWNE: Well, I think, to work, I mean, I do feel like it should almost be a tailored suit, a short suit – but that’s how I design them, and it does transcend the shorts into a more, I guess, quote, “suit world,” as opposed to a more casual fabrication in the shorts.
MARTÍNEZ: So if the pair of shorts that you want to wear to work are the same shorts you can wear to the gym (laughter), you should not wear those shorts.
MARTÍNEZ: So if the pair of shorts that you want to wear to work are the same shorts you can wear to the gym (laughter), you should not wear those shorts.
BROWNE: Yeah, no, those wouldn’t be the shorts I would advise wearing to work.
MARTÍNEZ: So if someone wants to do this, but they’re apprehensive, they’re worried, they’re concerned, they just have a little bit of fear because of society’s rules – what would you tell them? What would you tell someone that wants to try shorts at work but is really, really worried about it?
MARTÍNEZ: So if someone wants to do this, but they’re apprehensive, they’re worried, they’re concerned, they just have a little bit of fear because of society’s rules – what would you tell them? What would you tell someone that wants to try shorts at work but is really, really worried about it?
BROWNE: I have to say, if you’re worried about it and you’re going to look self-conscious, don’t do it. You know, you have to be able to, you know, know yourself and almost be true to your own sense of style, and the one thing about, I think, personal style is just in the confidence in being true to yourself. And so if you are nervous and you’re going to look nervous, then I would advise not doing it. But I don’t think you should be nervous.
MARTÍNEZ: That’s American fashion designer Thom Browne. Thank you very much.
MARTÍNEZ: That’s American fashion designer Thom Browne. Thank you very much.
BROWNE: Thank you so much.
(SOUNDBITE OF MENAHAN STREET BAND’S “THE TRAITOR”)
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
