How to dress for summer when you’re working in an icy air-conditioned office
City commutes in the summertime can be vile, ramping up temperatures already at heatwave highs to practically inhumane levels, particularly for Londoners who travel on the Underground. How best to navigate a journey that will leave you melting in a pool of perspiration, when the destination is an office with the air-conditioning set to Arctic?
The usual mode of operation is to leave a cardigan, or shawl, on your office chair to slip on once you arrive at an icy office. You could also surreptitiously battle with your colleagues each day to turn the temperature up. But surely there is a chicer way?
While it seems counterintuitive to cover up in hot weather, smaller garments can leave you stickier and hotter. Crop tops and mini shorts are wildly inappropriate for (most) jobs so leave them for Gen Z to wear at the beach. Instead, echo the style of French fashion icon Inès de la Fressange who chooses oversized men’s shirts in pale blue cotton poplin as her summer staple. The fabric can waft coolly around your body and the allure of a crisp buttoned up shirt is also in keeping with the perceived professionalism around tailored items.
Shirts are a workwear essential for good reason. Leave anything that clings at home. Looser items of clothing allow air to circulate between skin and body, which keeps you cool when it’s hot but also provides insulation when it’s chillier. If you want a side of science with your style, Uniqlo’s Airism technology promises “comfort conditioning” that adapts to any weather condition (or any temperature on public transport).
Choosing pieces that do double duty is also a clever way to plan an outfit that needs to span temperatures. “Look for pieces with functionality, whether that’s a dress with a zipper that you can have more open when you are hot and zip up when you are cold,” advises Virginia Seymour, the managing director of Aligne.
Seymour is also a shirt fan. “I love a great shirt as an alternative to the office cardi. You can wear it open, buttoned, sleeves down, sleeves rolled … A shirt provides endless options for styling and is the perfect extra layer on a hot day.” Try it open as a shacket, worn over a cotton tank top that is tucked into wide leg linen trousers for a figuratively and literal way to stay cool on the commute but not shivering in the office.
The fabrics you pick are also key to styling your summertime outfits successfully. Thandi Maqubela, a legal director known for her fashion-conscious style choices, warns to “stay away from silk as it will just stick to the body”. However luxurious, silk’s insulating properties are not the most beneficial on a boiling hot day. It’s not a coincidence that silk long johns are a country house staple come mid-winter. Polyester, a plastic-based fibre, will also leave you sweating. Instead, look to cotton, bamboo or linen, all natural fibres that will help regulate your body temperature and keep you cool.
Online designer destination Net-a-Porter has seen a 350 per cent increase in searches for linen blazers in the last three months. The flax-based fibre is often more sustainably grown than conventional cotton and is a perennial summer favourite, despite its propensity to crease. “Tod’s linen blazer borrows from traditional tailoring while having a summer sensibility,” says Libby Page, the company’s market director. “I’ll be pairing it with Loulou Studio’s pin tucked cotton and silk-blend midi skirt for a breezy yet effortlessly elegant look that doesn’t feel overly girly.”
Another key look to consider is a shorts suit. “A linen shorts suit with a light blazer is great,” suggests Page. “The fabric is breathable and you can style it over a simple tank for the commute.” If your office dress code forbids any shoulders, cleavage, midriff or toes being on show, the trend for longer length shorts could be your saviour. Page shares that “In the last three months, we have seen a 103 per cent increase in searches for Bermuda shorts.” More elegant – and realistic – than the trend for tiny sports-knicker shorts kickstarted by Miu Miu, the new shorts offer modest coverage, while the wider leg silhouette allows any available breeze to cool sticky thighs.
Judging how much you can push a draconian dress code in summer needs a little consideration. Maqubela believes, “the clothes we wear are valid tools of self-expression, particularly in the professional context. [Dress codes] have relaxed over the years, so perhaps people are more open to a less “staid” way of dressing in the office, which can only be a good thing. Ultimately one needs to get a sense of the office environment they’re in – a tech firm might approach things differently to a magic circle law firm.”
Workwear often comes in slick, tailored shapes and Aligne has made tailored staples viral hits over the past few seasons thanks to combining updated silhouettes with pops of unexpected colour. While their longline waistcoats are seen on all the coolest influencers, they also make a brilliant base for a versatile workwear look that suits a boiling commute and a freezing office.
Seymour suggests a classic styling tip to balance varied temperatures. “With English weather being what it is … it’s always about the third piece. Summer is no different.” The third piece is a styling trick that allows you to transform a base outfit with one extra item.
“The waistcoat trend works really well for this,” Seymour continues. “You can pair a waistcoat with a skirt or trouser for your commute and add the matching blazer in the office.” Particularly on-trend is the combination of long poplin skirt and waistcoat. “The waistcoat trend is not going away and will take you into autumn while the skirts are light, airy and easy for hot days, but look put together.” Isn’t that everyone’s ultimate goal, whatever the temperature of the office air-con?
Get the look
Long waistcoat, £119, Aligne; Linen skirt, £95, Rise & Fall
Tod’s Linen blazer, £1,320, Net-a-Porter; Loulou Studio cotton and silk blend skirt, £297, Net-a-Porter
