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How can
you look stylish when it's 88 degrees and humid and
you're heading for the office?
For
Melissa Bohlig
, a press specialist at Roepke Public Relations in
Minneapolis
, the answer is short and sweet: shorts.
Bohlig
wears Bermudas or looser shorts that hit her at
mid-thigh at least a couple times a week. On a recent
Friday, nearly her entire office donned them. Bohlig
said the look is de rigueur for her job, which requires
her to meet with editors at fashion magazines such as
Harper's Bazaar.
"In
the media scene, shorts are contagious," she said.
"In (a recent episode of
MTV's
) 'The City,' all the editors (from
Elle magazine
) were in shorts."
But
Bohlig may have a leg up on many professionals.
While
shorts first hit runways a few years ago, every length
from hot pants to Bermudas was part of spring and summer
collections from Michael Kors,
Charlotte Ronson
,
Derek Lam
,
Stella McCartney
and
Carolina Herrera
. Stylish shorts have proven very popular among working
women in
New York City
, where stores have been stocking up. According to
Women's Wear Daily
, "Retailers report they're experiencing
double-digit increases in the shorts category."
And some
designers have clearly decided that it's a look with
staying power.
Phillip Lim
is showing shorts as part of his fall collections,
layered over hosiery.
"Shorts
are iconic of a trend of taking something casual and
dressing it up," said
Gregg Andrews
, the
Chicago
-based fashion director of
Nordstrom
. He favors a tailored look for the office, paired with
a tailored blouse, jacket and flats, wedges or kitten
heels.
What
about the boss?
But while
they're taking over the runways and finding favor on the
East Coast
, shorts are not being embraced by corporate
Minnesota
.
According
to representatives of
Minnesota
-based Target, Carlson Companies and HealthPartners,
shorts are not considered acceptable attire.
Target,
for example, requires business formal or red and khaki
Monday through Thursday and business casual on Friday,
which doesn't include shorts.
"Shorts
aren't allowed anytime in headquarters," said
Erika Svingen
, a company spokeswoman, who added that team members are
encouraged to incorporate their personal style into
their working wardrobes.
The
policy is similar at HealthPartners in
Minneapolis
. "As much as I would love to wear shorts in the
office, they are not part of the dress code at
HealthPartners," said spokeswoman
Amy von Walter
, via e-mail. "Given that our organization includes
patient-care areas, our policy tends to be fairly
conservative."
Smaller
companies in creative fields seem less restrained.
Shorts
are permissible at Roepke, but they must have at least a
9-inch inseam and be worn with flat shoes or a wedge
heel, said owner
Katherine Roepke
. And Bohlig said she wears shorts on days when she's
primarily in the office. She has worn them to a client
meeting only once, with the design firm
Duffy & Partners
. "The client is casual, very creative — and they
wear shorts," she said.
Kara Kurth
is a designer at Redstamp.com, a stationery e-tailer,
where even "pajamas or workout clothes" are
acceptable, said founder
Erin Newkirk
. And Kurth, who owns four pairs of office-appropriate
shorts, said she thinks being allowed to wear shorts
gives her an edge. "I really like it, because if
I'm inspired, my work will be, too," she said.
It seems
likely that dressed-up shorts will become a staple of
office attire, at least in some cities and some
industries. But even
Nordstrom's
Andrews recognizes that the trend has legs — and
limits. "You'd want your art director in
shorts," he said, "but probably not your
attorney."
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