Heatwaves push men to ditch suits for shorts from Tokyo to London

Scorching summer temperatures have achieved what decades of casual Fridays could not: men wearing shorts to the office. From Tokyo to London, the traditional business dress code is yielding to the heat.

Japan's capital has been at the forefront. Tokyo's long-running "Cool Biz" campaign, which encourages office workers to ditch ties and jackets, was expanded this year to include shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers for metropolitan government staff.

As heatwaves swept across Europe, workers in other countries followed suit, sometimes with official encouragement and sometimes without.

Retailers are seeing a surge in demand for lighter, breathable clothing. British department store John Lewis reported that linen shorts and suits are selling rapidly, with menswear buyer Martha Hibberd noting that "the lines between 'commuter' and 'holiday' style are blurring." Marks and Spencer saw a 183% jump in men's linen trouser sales in June-July compared to the same period last year.

H&M, one of Europe's largest fashion retailers, is bringing in lighter clothes and delaying autumn collections. "It looks like we're not going back when it comes to climate change," said Andreas Lowenstam, H&M's head of menswear design. Hugo Boss has expanded its tailored shorts range, including a €229 pair from its collaboration with David Beckham.

The trend is visible in business hubs from London's Canary Wharf to Frankfurt's streets, but there are limits. Norway's largest bank, DNB, allows shorts and skirts, though spokesperson Vidar Korsberg Dalsbo clarified they mean "smarter garments with some length rather than a ballerina skirt or a cheeky pair of 1970s-style soccer shorts."

At Swiss Re, Switzerland head Gianfranco Lot sent staff an email with cooling tips, including a reminder that "shorts are for weekends."

Some workers are pushing back against such restrictions. Germany's largest union, IG Metall, and services union Verdi both said dress codes should be relaxed during high temperatures. "Summers are getting hotter, heat waves are becoming more frequent, and the strain on workers is noticeably increasing," said Moriz Tiedemann, an occupational health expert at IG Metall.

In Warsaw, a bus driver named Darek protested his mandatory long polyester trousers by wearing a skirt to work. A petition by his colleague asking the city's transport authority to allow shorts during hot weather has gathered over 400 signatures.