The Summer Appropriate Workwear Guide
Summer dressing is a joy everywhere but the office. Even if you work in a casual office, dressing for work during the warmer months is fraught with anxiety.
Finding something that ticks the box of appropriate, cool (literally) and still stylish without flashing all the flesh can feel near impossible. However, with the help of actual bosses and stylists to boot we’ve devised your ultimate summer appropriate workwear guide.
Follow our advice and you’ll never break a sweat over what to wear when the temperature soars again.
Summer dressing doesn’t have to have you breaking a sweat. [Photo: River Island/ Boohoo/ New Look/ Dune/ Zara]
First, we spoke to an actual boss, PR agency CEO, Miki Haynes-Sanger, about what she really thinks of what her staff wear to work in the hotter months.
Miki told us that above all she encourages her staff to express themselves at work, within reason.
“At Golden Goose PR, anything from Breton stripes to purple rinses go. Having said that, I’m lucky to work with people who know that ‘anything goes’ doesn’t quite extend to Madonna at Met Gala. At least, not for a client meeting - though after work, who’s business is it to complain?”
Maybe not QUITE office appropriate. [Photo: Rex]
In fact, Miki said that she’s against telling her staff what to wear:
“I was shocked to read about a PA being sent home for refusing to swap her flats for heels. No one should make you feel you have to contort your foot into such a painful contraption in order to do your job, the same way that no one should make you wear a low-cut top or demand your skirt splits to the thigh.”
However, she does prescribe a check list to make sure her staff toe the line of decency during the summer months.
“Here’s a checklist I try to answer ‘no’ to before I go to work, and most of the team are pretty good at following this too: 1. Can you see my underwear/ nipples/ bum cheeks? 2. Can I move/walk/bend down in this? (Without revealing the former). 3. Am I flashing ‘double-flesh’? [( a) bare legs and shoulders b) bare cleavage and legs c) bare midriff and legs?]. If the answer is yes, a jacket you keep on until evening could be an easy solution.”
This Boohoo shirt - a snip at just £16 - will pretty much go with everything in your summer wardrobe. [Photo: boohoo]
Next we spoke to stylist Sian O Donnell who agreed that dressing for work come summer is no breeze.
“Dressing for the office in summer months can be a minefield. Caught between not melting when 30°C outside (and 100°C on central line) and dressing appropriately for a meeting with the boss first thing. It’s a constant pull between being wanting to look presentable and not hyperventilating.”
We’re seriously lusting over this bag designed for M&S by Michael Van Der Ham (£39.50). [Photo: M&S]
So what should we be aiming for and where is doing the best workwear on the high street right now?
“For inspiration look towards Celine SS16- then get realistic and head to Zara whose collection this season is affordable with stand out key pieces that look straight off the catwalk. And if on a tighter budget, Boohoo.com has got the office blouse down to a tee that importantly, comes in at under a tenner,” she says.
We put to Sian three of the common summer workwear errors (we know we’ve been guilty of in the past) and asked her to find us a solution.
1. It’s summer – wear your flip flops!
Sian says: “Forget flip-flops. These should stay at the beach. Instead invest in a pair of backless slip-ons for that instant cool factor, plus they look great with both a skirt/dress and crop/ wide leg trousers.”
We’re in love with these metallic backless loafers - £70 from Dune. [Photo: Dune]
2. It’s summer – I’m wearing my shorts.
Sian says: “Ditch the shorts and replace with culottes. The loose shape and light weight fabric are bang on trend right now and styled with an off the shoulder ruffle blouse, is a smart way to keep chic in the most raging of temperatures.”
These Zara culottes (£39.99) will keep you cool when the mercury rises. [Photo: Zara]
3. ARGH - just cover everything up with a billowing maxi dress!
“Sack like maxi dresses are a no-no. Try a slip dress instead, just keep the lace and sheer proportion levels to a minimum and hemline to the knee. Pair with espadrilles for office-to-date night, whilst layer over your culottes when temperatures drop - this is the great British summertime after all!”
If you add one thing to your wardrobe this summer make it a slip dress - we love this one from New Look - a bargain at just £22.99. [Photo: New Look]
In summary, summer workwear is all about using your common sense, keeping things modest and remembering light grey is always a bad idea. Happy working!
Tried any of these suggestions? Tweet us your pics @YahooStyleUK.
