Would you wear these ‘inappropriate’ items to the office?

With the warm weather persisting, a new study has identified the top items of clothing deemed ‘inappropriate’ for the office.

Topping the list were casual/gym shorts, flip flops, crocs, a t-shirt, trainers, miniskirt or dress and a vest, leaving workers with very little options during this week’s heatwave.

The study of 2,000 employees by Andrews Air Conditioning, found that 57% have had a debate with themselves about whether an item of clothing is suitable for the office or not.

Meanwhile, four in 10 have been spoken to by a manager or colleague about their workwear, and 21% have even been sent home due to their outfit choice.

Despite this, 64% agreed their office gets too hot in the summer, which has left over half struggling to maintain a cool temperature and still conform to dress standards.

Several items of clothing used more commonly in the colder months also made it into the list of inappropriate items, including jeans, a roll neck jumper, leggings, dungarees and a Christmas jumper.

Reflecting on the findings, a spokesperson for Andrews noted that during the summer months and working in an office can be a “tricky combo” as staff battle with themselves over what to wear.

“The poll shows some interesting results about what staff believe is and isn’t acceptable – from dungarees and trainers to flip flops and shorts,” they continued.

“And if you commute to work in cycling gear, many think it’s unprofessional to keep this on all day, as well as gym clothes being a no-go.

“If workplaces were less temperamental when it came to the temperature it would be a lot easier for staff to decide what garments to put on each day.”

77% added that they missed office attire when they worked from home, but just 34% continued to dress the same while working remotely.

While 58% try and dress smarter when they are meeting or interacting with clients or customers, 34% believe there shouldn’t be restrictions on what someone can wear.

With this in mind, 57% think that office clothing will be phased out of the workplace in the next five to 10 years, and 23% shared that this is already happening.

However, there are some body parts respondents believe shouldn’t be on display, as 45% agreed that shoulders should be covered up.

49% stated that open-toed shoes are a health and safety risk and 53% said they wated to avoid having to see a co-worker’s bare feet.

The spokesperson added: “Work can be stressful enough as it is without being confined to an overheated office all day.

“Different workplaces also have varying rules about what can and can’t be worn in order to look professional, which is more difficult than ever before after remote or hybrid working the past couple of years.”