Summer is knocking on the door, and people’s thoughts turn to days on the beach and nights in the backyard grilling with family and friends.
While you already know how to dress to do things with the kids on the weekends, you still have to dress for the office during the week. No one wants to be stuck wearing clothes that make you sweat at work, but there are so many do’s and don’ts to fashion in the office during the summer that you’re not quite sure where to turn. Here are a few tips to make sure you are dressing well for summer in an office.
Do Choose Lighter Fabrics
The last thing you want is to wear the heavy fabrics of fall and winter into the office. You can dress in lighter materials such as cotton. Even if you wear plus size or petite clothing, these fabrics will allow you to dress beautifully, still be cool, and in compliance with your company’s dress code when it comes to summer wear. There are plenty of trendy, Boho plus-size options for lighter fabrics that are office-friendly out there.
Don’t Choose Clothing That Is Too Light
While there’s plenty of advice out there on how to dress to work in an office, summer dressing is another beast. When you’re choosing your lighter fabrics, try not to choose ones that are too thin. While thin, lightweight dresses are great for summer wear, if you can see through the material, it’s certainly not going to be compliant with company regulations and dress codes. The last thing you want is to get in trouble for wearing an inappropriate dress to work when you’re just trying to stay cool.
Do Treat Your Feet
While there are certain shoes with no place in an office setting, there are plenty of choices to treat your feet with comfort for the summer months. For example, crocs aren’t proper for office wear, but a pair of strappy, low-heeled shoes can be. You don’t want to wear heavy shoes, with closed toes or heavy boots that will make your feet sweat, for example.
Do treat your feet by wearing lightweight sandals that are appropriate for office wear yet still hit the summer heat.
Don’t Show Too Much Skin
Deciding how much skin you can show in an office setting can be tricky. You don’t want to be covered entirely from head to toe, as you’ll be hot, uncomfortable, and miserable. However, you don’t want to go backless with your legs showing because that’s not proper office attire.
If you’re going to wear dresses, make sure they are knee-length; the same holds for shorts. Keep your bust and your back covered as well.
Do Carry a Cardigan
The only exception to the rule of not wearing sundresses and spaghetti straps to the office is if you carry a cardigan with you to work. Another plus of carrying a cardigan with you is even though it’s hot outside, it could be cold inside the office, meaning you need something to cover your arms with anyway. The great thing about a cardigan is you can put it on when you’re inside the office and take it off when you get back outside in the sweltering heat of summer so that you can be comfortable.
These are just a few of the do’s and don’ts of dressing for the office during the hot summer months. While you don’t want to dress in heavy, stifling clothing, you don’t want to dress too casually either. The tips above will help you do the right thing and still be cool in the steaming summer heat.