
A LinkedIn poll of 7,000+ votes finds 55% say shorts are not office-appropriate, while Adam Mosseri and some journalists test the dress code.
A LinkedIn poll run by Business Insider found 55% of more than 7,000 respondents consider shorts inappropriate for the office. Another 20% said shorts were acceptable, and 25% said it depends.
The poll followed a test by 10 Business Insider journalists who wore shorts to the company's New York headquarters. Editor in Chief Jamie Heller said she would never wear shorts to work. "I work better in business attire," she said. "The one time I wore black jeans to the office, on Christmas Eve, I immediately regretted it."
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he is "pro" shorts in the workplace, with caveats. "Not all shorts are created equal," he said. He added that not everyone can "pull them off."
Business Insider writer Dan DeFrancesco declined to participate. "I like wearing shorts as much as the next guy, but we live in a society with rules," he said. "Imagine being on a deadline, and you look over and catch a glimpse of my hairy man thighs. It's a lose-lose situation."
Commenters on the poll proposed a shorts hierarchy. Chino shorts were seen as acceptable; basketball shorts were not. Some argued that skirts are already office-appropriate, so tailored shorts should get the same treatment. One reader suggested a 90-degree rule: when the temperature tops 90 degrees Fahrenheit, shorts are fair game.
The poll closed Friday afternoon with 55% opposed, 20% in favor, and 25% undecided. Business Insider reporter Dan DeFrancesco, who wrote the article, said he felt "woefully underdressed" wearing shorts in the office and plans not to repeat the experiment.
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