There always will be dress-code rebels, the ones who wear itty-bitty spaghetti straps, halter tops and miniskirts this time of year, getting a double take from co-workers and perhaps a chat from the boss.

And now, can it be? Shorts. In the office.

Not the thigh-baring Daisy Dukes of last summer but dress shorts. Also called city shorts, the new silhouette falls just above the knee and is sleekly tailored like slacks. And they've refueled the debate on what is considered appropriate for the workplace.

"Employers are calling it the 'dress shorts phenomenon,' " said Joe Clees, a labor and employment attorney in Phoenix. "They're asking, 'Can this be prohibited?' It absolutely can be prohibited."

But as women look back upon a time when stockings and pumps were required and slacks were a no-no, some believe that dress shorts are simply the next stride in office wear.

Michelle DalMolin, 27, a senior accountant at Arizona State University, recently bought three pairs of city shorts. For work, she coordinates her black pinstripe pair with a blouse and dress shoes. Her manager and co-workers have never had any concerns.

"They're professional-looking but still trendy. And they're comfortable, considering where we live," DalMolin said.

Karen Lee, 26, a marketing analyst, noticed a few women in her Phoenix office wearing dress shorts in the spring. As the weather got warmer, others sported the trend at Wan Hai Lines, a shipping and transportation company. They draw the line at wearing dress shorts to meetings.

"Last summer, it was capris. This spring, it's gotten shorter, up to the knees. You can't wear pants anymore, it's so hot," Lee said.

The dress code

Dress codes in Arizona are generally more lax than in other cities. At Intel in Chandler, one of the state’s largest employers, managers stand by the age-old arm-length rule: Skirts or shorts should not fall above the fingers when arms are relaxed to the side. And when arms are extended above the head, no part of the midriff should show.

“When it’s 110 degrees outside, as long you look respectable, you should be fine,” said Intel spokeswoman Dawn Jones, 36. “Personally, I think the city shorts are really cute.”

Most employees don’t meet with outside clients on a regular basis, so shorts have generally been accepted, she added.

From June through September, female employees at the Arizona Department of Administration can wear sleeveless blouses, cotton knit dresses and chinos. The agency most recently gave the OK for capri pants. But on its written list of unacceptable attire: shorts of any kind.

Supervisors can make case-by-case decisions, but no one’s asked, DOA spokesman Alan Ecker said.

Still, shorts don’t project a professional image, according to Sandy Dumont, a Virginia-based image consultant. If you want to move up the corporate ladder, she advises, stick to skirts and slacks.

“I don’t care how comfortable they are,” Dumont said. “Some fads you don’t follow. When you dress for comfort, your clients pick that up. They think, ‘I didn’t matter that much, did I?”‘

And like last summer’s public outrage, when a champion women’s lacrosse team wore flip-flops to the White House, some say shorts don’t belong in the office, no matter what they’re called or how people wear them.

“Shorts just sort of say ‘casual.’ They’re a little inappropriate. Men wouldn’t be allowed to wear shorts, even on casual Friday,” said Sean Rayment, a senior consultant at Navigant Consulting in Phoenix.

Couture meets cubicle

This season, dress shorts are the new capris.

Designers showed the tailored silhouette on their spring runways, and fashion industry publication Women’s Wear Daily reported that city shorts are a major seller in the Southwest.

They are being pushed as the newest work-wear staple by retailers that women depend on for dressing for the office, such as New York & Company, Talbots and Ann Taylor.

Some customers still hesitate to purchase dress shorts, concerned that they won’t appear conservative enough for the office, said Sydney Harlow, manager at the Limited in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“If you’re allowed to wear skirts above the knee, why can’t you wear shorts? It seems a little unfair,” Harlow said.

Retailers also are hoping the more polished silhouette will spur a shorts revival. Shorts sales are down 7 percent from about two years ago, according to the NPD Group, a New York-based market research firm. At the same time, sales of women’s pants climbed 7 percent and sales of skirts were up 11 percent.

Who wears shorts?

Younger women, most often those in creative fields such as advertising or marketing, wear the look to the office, said Michelle Ahlmer, executive director of the Arizona Retailers Association.

“If you’re a lawyer, you’re not going to go to court in that,” Ahlmer said. “But for other sectors, I think it can work, especially if you pair it with a blazer or sweater set. I wouldn’t be surprised if it reached the same demographic as capris.”

So how can you know if dress shorts are appropriate for your workplace?

First, run the trend by human resources, said Katie Campana, director of community relations for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. If you get an OK, try wearing them one day and monitor reactions from co-workers.

“But not if you’re new,” she said.

Most women aren’t wearing them to corporate meetings, and in the end, everything comes down to where you work, said Pat Newquist, a Tempe, Ariz.-based image coach.

“If you’re an attorney, no. If you’re an interior designer, yes,” she said. “If you’re an accountant, I don’t know.”

Originally published July 9, 2006

Print this article     Email this to a friend     Subscribe Now