Wearing Short Sleeve Shirt with a Tie

Maistro, Kampala, Uganda asks
Question: Is it OK to wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie?

Answer:

No, it’s not at all OK to wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie. Short sleeved shirts may look like dress shirts but they can’t be considered dress shirts. Short sleeve shirts are casual shirts no matter how they look, and they should be treated that way.

Even though it’s hard for me to find an appeal of short sleeve shirts at all, many men wear them in the offices in summer time. Still, short sleeve shirts are far from being formal enough to wear with a tie. Generally, short sleeved shirts project an image of lower class and shouldn’t be apparel of choice for the office or any more formal event.

Acceptable alternative for the short sleeve shirt at workplace is to roll up the sleeves of regular long sleeved shirt right before the elbows. This way you can still project a professional image with a bit of casualness.