From Tokyo to London, heatwaves send men to work in shorts

WARSAW/LONDON: Scorching summer temperatures have done what decades of dress-down Fridays have failed to do — get men to the office in shorts.Japan’s capital led the way. This year the metropolitan govt’s long-standing no-tie, no-jacket “Cool Biz” campaign took a step further by encouraging its staff to ditch long trousers, and even try T-shirts and sneakers.As heatwaves mounted across Europe, other workers followed in Tokyo’s wake, sometimes with the encouragement of authorities and management, sometimes without.Major retailers said linen shorts and suits were flying off the shelves in Britain, as men opted for breathable fabrics more commonly associated with Mediterranean climes. “The lines between ‘commuter’ and ‘holiday’ style are blurring,” Martha Hibberd, menswear buyer at British department store John Lewis, said.Marks and Spencer said sales of men’s linen trousers in June to July jumped 183% compared with the same period a year ago.