Workers Discuss How Office Dress Codes Leave Men Sweltering During The Summer

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Sep 8, 2023 8:00 PM EDT

I never envy people who have a business professional dress code. I'm over here sitting pretty, wearing the same kinds of clothes I wore in college to the office, and loving it. I am intrigued by the challenge of putting together a cute outfit that fits within a very stringent dress code, but I'm glad that's not a challenge I'm currently tackling. 

There's something so sad about a man in a full suit and tie in a dank hot train station at 8:30 a.m. Sure, he might've chosen this life and his very serious career, but that doesn't mean he should have to sweat off 20 pounds before even getting into the office. He never looks like Don Draper; he always looks like Niles Crane, with a suit tailored so poorly it could only come from a mid-90s sitcom. Workers of Reddit came together to discuss the biased nature of office dress codes, and it's easy to agree with these guys takes. 

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  • 01
    Human body - r/antiwork u/mpchooligan • 1d Sexist dress codes leaving men to fry in hot weather
    via u/mpchooligan
  • 02
    Font - I hate this policy in my office. Its ok for women to wear a skirt or a dress, but men aren't allowed to wear shorts. Even in this hot weather we're having. We aren't even client facing and these days you can definitely buy shorts that look smart casual enough to wear to the office. The skirts I see ladies wearing to the office don't scream 'professional ' to me (in a traditional/conservative sense), so whats the issue with us guys getting our legs out? Is it that the male dominated manage
    via u/mpchooligan
  • 03
    Font - RedshiftSinger · 1d ● At a place I used to work, the corporate overlords tried to enforce a no-shorts dress code. They said anyone coming to work in shorts would be sent home. - The entire staff protested by coming to work in shorts, calling the bluff ― they had to decide whether to double down and send everyone home, effectively closing the doors, or accept everyone wearing shorts. They ended up caving and allowing shorts. Reply 1.8k
    via u/RedshiftSinger
  • 04
    Font - TimeGood2965 - 1d See just proves it's mostly people power tripping. Employees have all the power in the sense if you do it all in mass, they can't stop you. ... 809
    via u/TimeGood2965
  • 05
    Font - islandchild89 • 1d Have you tried a kilt? Be brave ... Reply 2.3k
    via u/islandchild89
  • 06
    Font - Much Development7084 • 1d A dress code in a non-public facing office is just plain stupid. It's also an unnecessary employee expense. Not to mention uncomfortable. That's just one of many reason's I left the corporate culture a long time ago. ... Reply 654
    via u/MuchDevelopment7084
  • 07
    Font - Cannabis_CatSlave • 23h Last time I worked at a place with such an archaic dress code I went shopping at value village and showed up in 70s finest businessware. Wide lapels and groovy print jackets and trousers. ... 160B
    via u/Cannabis_CatSlave
  • 08
    Font - iankel1984. 1d I worked with a guy who made the same argument. Came into work in a body con black dress with criss cross front massive hairy chest sticking out. Walked into our office (union rep in our office) says "this might become a union issue" and went about his work. Got sent home early, absolute legend Reply ... 116
    via u/iankel1984
  • 09
    Font - Alia_Explores99 • 1d Sexist dress codes leave everyone uncomfy in all weather ... Reply 684
    via u/Alia_Explores99
  • 10
    Font - Child Of1970 • 1d For now working to live, never living to work Unfortunately some places still have ancient dress codes which are very sexist. I once worked at a place where women were not allowed to wear trousers, and there was a specified length to a skirt which was not "full length". Meaning they were to be just above the knee. Even the poor woman recovering from surgery with horrible bandages could not wear loose trousers and cover them up. Men had to wear full length trousers and a
    via u/ChildOf1970
  • 11
    Font - Edit: For the other commenters saying, "just wear a skirt", places with such stupid and ancient/ repressive dress-codes have them written so men cannot wear skirts. Their codes explicitly say, full length trousers. Edit 2: To make it even more clear. Their dress codes are already wrong, and nobody should be forced to wear a skirt to prove they are wrong. Men not being allowed to wear shorts is a gendered policy in the first place. Wearing a skirt in that situation is just performance art.
    via u/ChildOf1970
  • 12
    Font - 00 alexanderpas • 1d and there was a specified length to skirt which was not "full length". Note to anyone facing this: This is considered institutionalized s harrasment. ... 304
    via u/alexanderpas
  • 13
    Font - ItsSpaghetti Lee2112 • 22h Dress codes need to die out with every other tradition that needs to die out as the older generation dies out. At most, I can understand safety related codes and requiring them to be clean. And whatever niche examples there could be, like clowns. Anything else just reeks of don't look poor. Reply 42
    via u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112
  • 14
    Font - O M Freshness518 • 23h at work A side effect of these types of policies also is that the guys are sweating it out in their suits and wanting to turn down the AC to compensate, but the ladies in thin little sundresses are now freezing and turn the heat back up. A never ending battle. Reply ... 104
    via u/Freshness518
  • 15
    Font - Rabbit Luvr • 19h Every office job I've ever had froze me out. I had to keep blankets and a thick jacket at my desk. One place didn't allow sneakers; so I kept big fuzzy slippers that I'd wear at my desk. Another place, I wore a Snuggie. I looked so "unprofessional," but whatever. ... 438 +
    via u/RabbitLuvr
  • 16
    Font - Chromium_Stardust. 1d Men's fashion hasn't really evolved, so that's a problem too. Women have many options and will still be considered "professional" even if the outfit is not strictly conservative. The dress code policies are just as bad as the lack of options for men. Reply ... 66
    via u/Chromium_Stardust
  • 17
    Font - mpchooligan OP • 1d That is why I'm not upset when it comes to the death of the suit (well, the death of the commonality of it). To me it just symbolises rigidity, lack of choice and lack of comfort 49
    via u/mpchooligan
  • 18
    Font - sarilysims . 1d I fully believe dress codes should apply to all genders equally. You let women wear skirts, let men wear them too. Dress codes are exclusionary to non-binary people as well. ... Reply 54
    via u/sarilysims

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shorts dresses boss antiwork dress code men jobs professional suits toxic-workplace job Professional At Work work workplace clothes women toxic-work-environment
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