Feature
Summer Work Wardrobe: More is Less
Alison Leiby
Another misconception about summer dressing is proportion. While high temperatures might conjure images of tight dresses and fitted tube tops, loose clothing actually keeps you cooler. More fabric leads to less overheating in this case. A pair of loose, wide-legged trousers will actually keep you cooler than those fitted summer capris. Marc by Marc Jacobs, Alice + Olivia and Theory all have fantastic wide legged bottoms that are breezy and work appropriate. The idea is to have fabric that floats away from the body
instead of sitting very close to it.
Some offices, thankfully, have adopted more lenient dress codes in the summer or full time. If this is the case, then the possibilities extend beyond layering and proportion. Bermuda shorts, sleeveless blouses and sundresses may fall under the category of acceptable. Obviously check your company dress code before showing up in what you think are highly professional shorts or dresses.
Regardless of how bare your summer work wardrobe, the aspect that often makes an ensemble inappropriate for most people is undergarment exposure. True, your summer work top may be quite modest in comparison to the cleavage baring number reserved for summer nights. No matter how conservative the neckline, if your bra straps are peeking out then the outfit is inappropriate for work. Consider a great demi bra for squared or rounded necklines. If your office allows for sleeveless tops or dresses make sure that your bra straps stay put. Having one of those slip down and hang around your upper arm while you’re in a meeting doesn’t exactly scream ‘promotion’.
Bare cleavage, short skirts and exposed undergarments are seen not only as unprofessional, but also, by some women, as unethical. On one hand, skimpy summer work clothes attract much more male attention than your wardrobe’s winter counterpart. You cannot confuse the office environment with a cocktail lounge. Dressing in overly bare outfits may lead to inappropriate behavior at work from others.
But more than sexual advances, revealing summer apparel at work may increase the cattiness of an office. Just like high school girls talking about how short one girl’s skirt is, female co-workers can view provocative dressing as threatening. Even though you are not threatening to steal the captain of the football team, you may seem to threaten the meritocracy of the office. Merely dressing like you might sleep your way through management is enough to upset other staffers. No one wants to admit that women can be this judgmental, even in professional environments, but it happens. There is no reason to further strain already tense work relationships
by dressing provocatively.
In order to avoid pick-up lines at work, sneering cubicle mates or just simply overheating, consider what you put on in the morning should have the same professionalism as any other season’s work-wear. Layering can let you go from meetings to happy hour without forgoing modesty or style. Looser fitting clothes keep you cool without showing an inappropriate amount of skin. And no matter how revealing or conservative the outfit, make sure that all undergarments are concealed. By dressing to keep cool but still staying within your company dress code you can avoid overheating without overexposing.
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