Where are the formal shorts?

The seasons change and bring new weather, but society and businessmen's perverted sense of humor has us all wearing black pants and long sleeve shirts to work and formal occasions, even possibly requiring a long thick jacket to top it all off. When will the madness end?

I always wondered why there were no summer formal outfits for men. Women at least get to wear thinner dresses, why can't men wear shorts and short sleeved formal attire? Every morning when I look in my wardrobe for something to wear I debate heatedly with myself: do I go formal today and make a good impression, or do I go casual and work relaxed? If I could do both during summer I would, well most of the time at least even though I resent superficial formality like this in the first place. Instead we all have to crank up the A/C even higher during summer because everyone is wearing too much clothing. Talk about a custom that goes beyond common sense and logical analysis.

I remember last summer in Hong Kong meeting with a couple of important people for lunch. It was already over 100 and humid, and yet there I was strolling down the black asphalted street in a suit, sweating rivers down my pant legs, I'm sure someone must have thought I just couldn't hold it any longer and decided to relieve myself on the way to somewhere important. I always had to remember to have a box of tissues at hand to wipe sweat off as to avoid arriving looking like I just ran a marathon, and yet every time by the time I got to my destination some part of me, usually my back, was covered in sweat and I had to make sure to hide that fact for the rest of the meeting.

If anyone has some money and wants to start a line of formal summer business attire then let me know, I have plenty of ideas. With the right marketing and design, it could be the new hit of the future. Save money, buy shorts! Want your employees more productive during those summer days, let them wear short sleeve!

Sometimes customs are just crazy, and yet we have to go along with them to fit in - like buying gifts at Christmas and for your friends' birthdays, or political correctness, or the pledge of allegiance. At least we can call them out and try to spread the word. Word.