Shorts for business?

May 12th, 2008

The Square Mile is a deeply conservative place.  Black or navy suits, chalk stripes and oxford knot ties abound – a charcoal grey suit will raise eyebrows here, and sock choice is generally limited to boring black and normal navy (even if they are a silk cashmere mix that costs more than the average person’s mortgage a pair!).  Hooray Henrys were considered a monstrous development by the rest of the finance world, and while their manners were technicolour, their dress sense never went wilder then red braces, giving some idea just how tightly reined in the business community can be.  But recession can drive some unexpected changes, even in the stuffy City.  And this year, the couturiers have the City in their sights.

Yes, it’s raised hemline time – usually a sign of economic boom, while long skirts denote recession, but its not the ladies who are wearing the shorts – nope, it’s the men!  In 1961, Hardy Amies produced the first shorts suit for men, after a holiday in Australia. Did it catch on? No, not exactly.

But this year, designers from Balenciaga to Thom Browne are all reviving the idea, and the Hardy Amies house is honouring its deceased founder by putting out a 2008 version.

Shorts suit courtesy Balenciaga

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Entry Filed under: mens clothing, dress code, uniform, Fashion history