So long to shorts? In Silicon Valley, tech workers are showing less leg

Silicon Valley tech workers are increasingly avoiding shorts in the office, a shift that reflects broader changes in workplace dress codes and the industry’s evolving culture. A recent Bloomberg poll found that nearly half of traders, portfolio managers and strategists in finance still consider shorts acceptable for work, but the tech sector’s trend is moving toward more polished, business‑casual attire.

The change was highlighted during a conference call on which AI data analyst Edwin Zee observed a colleague wearing shorts. “He was sitting at a table, and the way he was positioned, the table covered up all of his shorts. But you could see his bare legs sticking out,” Zee said. “So it looked like he had no pants on.” The observation illustrates how the casual “scruffy tech genius” image—shorts and flip‑flops—has faded in favor of straight‑leg chinos, corduroys, and shirts.

Zee noted that he has seen “a lot less shorts in the office lately” and that the shift toward a more dressed‑up look has been gradual. William Dunn, who manages a technical support team for a software company in San Francisco, added that he only wore shorts before the pandemic and only when it was exceptionally hot. James Brown, chief product officer at a B2B software and financial technology company, said, “You go back 10 to 15 years ago, there was this vibe of engineering‑driven tech companies where people were super, super casual in shorts and T‑shirts. But I’ve seen a rising of the tide since then of how people look.”

Style consultant Victoria Hitchcock, who advises tech‑sector clients, says shorts are “verboten” in the workplace, whether they are high‑end or inexpensive. “I don’t think anything above the knee is appropriate, really,” Hitchcock said. She attributes the shift to the maturing industry, employees’ growing disposable incomes, and the influence of men’s style influencers such as Adam Gallagher and Tim Dessaint. “It’s finally catching up that you’ve got to dress the part,” Hitchcock added.

Menswear writer Derek Guy, based in San Francisco, speculates that the divergence in dress codes between the East Coast finance sector and West Coast tech may signal a convergence toward the middle. “Essentially, everyone’s moving to business casual—this very vanilla, bland uniform, which is a button‑up shirt and non‑jeans,” Guy said. He expressed concern that a uniform look could feel bland and prefers that people wear what they feel comfortable in. Guy also noted that a lack of clear dress standards could lead to chaotic office attire reminiscent of a 2009 episode of *The Office*.

Despite the trend, a small number of tech employees still support wearing shorts in the workplace. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said in an interview on the men’s fashion and lifestyle podcast *Throwing Fits* that he is “pro” of shorts but that they must be pulled off correctly and that not all shorts are created equal.

The shift in dress code reflects a broader trend toward “power casual” in the tech industry, where employees are expected to maintain a professional appearance while retaining some personal style. As the industry continues to mature and as social media amplifies fashion trends, the debate over shorts in the office is likely to continue. NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews.