For tonight’s post in this series, I am putting together work outfits that are conservative enough for the office while still weather appropriate for the hot and humid summer months.
It can be really frustrating to get dressed for work in the summer time, especially if you have to wear a suit to work. Between the sweltering temperatures outdoors and the frigid, “meat locker cold” conditions at the office, it is challenging to find something to wear that will keep you cool during the inevitable temperature changes that a work day brings. While a long commute on public transportation can transform you into a sweaty puddle, your arctic office will quickly freeze the puddle and leave you shivering all in the span of a hour. Oh, and let’s not forget just how difficult it can be to keep your clothing in decent condition after a day of sweating and layering.
Here are some work outfit ideas that can keep you cool and stylish.
Work Outfits For Monday Morning
What am I going to wear to work tomorrow? Look 1 by bridgetteraes
I am starting tonight’s series with a summer suit. Someone from my Facebook Page requested this because her office dress code requires she wear a suit and she finds it particularly difficult in the summer months. While she is busy running around most of the day, her biggest issue is staying cool and neat for presentations. I totally empathize with this because my husband, who works in real estate and would sweat in Antarctica, is required to wear a suit to work everyday and must look presentable when showing multi-million dollar properties.
There are a few solutions for those of you who have to wear a suit to work in this heat. My first suggestion is to wear a short sleeved suit, like this one by Tahari. While most suits can be worn year round, it’s not a bad idea to have a few summer styles that work exclusively on the hottest days.
My other suit suggestion on hot days would be to choose a layering piece, like a sleeveless blouse or lightweight top that can be worn underneath the suit and, if needed, can also work without the jacket. While a camisole or simple tank can’t be worn without a jacket, a more polished blouse can stand alone. When the jacket is needed to dress up the look, you can simply throw it on.
Finally, a pair of novel shoes and some colorful accessories immediately add visual interest to any suit without the unnecessary addition of extra layers.
Look #2
What am I going to wear to work tomorrow? Look 2 by bridgetteraes
I want to use this post to talk about linen – the fabric we all want to wear in the summer yet avoid like the plague because of how easily it wrinkles. I wish this weren’t true because this dress, by J. Crew, is just too adorable for words, especially when color blocked with a pair of turquoise slingbacks and white handbag. Is linen totally out of the question for the workplace? Well, not necessarily.
To avoid looking like a sack of potatoes in your linen outfit by day’s end, there are a few things you can do. The first is the wrinkle test. When you spot something made of linen at the store, take a fistful of the fabric in your hand and squeeze the fabric for about 5-10 seconds so you can allow the fabric to warm up using your own body heat. Upon releasing the fabric look at how wrinkled the fabric is. If the garment is a wrinkled mess, it is a surefire indicator of what it will look like on your body after you’ve worn it all day.
Linen blend fabrics, particularly blends like linen and viscose, are a great alternative to pure linen when it comes to workplace attire. Viscose is naturally a drapier fabric and will help prevent wrinkling, but the wrinkle test is still suggested. Silk and linen and silk and nylon are other blend alternatives that may keep the wrinkles away. 100% linen fabrics usually wrinkle the worst and should often be avoided for work, despite the fact that it is a very cool fabric. The bottom line is that pure linen is usually better worn in casual pieces.
Look #3
What am I going to wear to work tomorrow? Look 3 by bridgetteraes
Another request I received on my Facebook page was regarding how to style a basic pair of work pants and button front shirt. Although I have addressed this look before in the series, I want to revisit it because it such a classic staple for a business-casual environment and it has an unnerving tendency to become really boring, really fast. During the summer months, nobody wants to overdress this look with too many layers because it is so darn hot outside. A cardigan is out, unless it is one that permanently hangs on the back of your office chair. If a jacket isn’t required in your workplace, surely no one is going to wear one when it is hotter than hot outside. So, what can be done to make a basic pair of pants and shirt more interesting? The key is to add accessories that make a statement while keeping you cool.
Imagine these pants from Kohl’s and this shirt from J.Crew with a plain pair of black shoes, a black handbag and a simple strand of pearls. While it is fine, it’s also a boring, coma-inducing look. By simply swapping out the black shoes with a fun pair of mint peep-toes, going with a navy handbag (navy and mint work beautifully together) and choosing a more interesting necklace, the outfit remains heat friendly while looking a lot more interesting.
