The cold mornings, accompanied with jackets, hot chocolate are well behind us now and are sorely missed by some.
In its place, enter heat waves and summer wear.
Whilst many of us can already plan what to wear in the winter it’s the summer that seems to present a more substantial problem.
The need to remain good in good shape and looking and feeling healthy can be stressed but more pertinent is the need for you to wear the right clothing that matches the season.
Image is always an important factor.
Whilst getting up and labouring on what to wear for an afternoon spent at home or at Riverwalk or Game City mall, it’s the task of picking out an outfit that is appropriate for work that can be bamboozling.
Office policy is different in every company so it would be prudent to check what is deemed as appropriate before picking your summer attire every morning.
So what is deemed as appropriate? Short or three-quarter length sleeves on a blouse, loose-fitting long-flowing skirts, and basic pumps are more appropriate. Lighter weight fabrics help too.
Of course, the heavier the fabric the hotter you will be but it is important to strike a good balance. Many new fabrics also resist staining. This is a significant breakthrough, especially since light summertime colours make stains more visible. This will help reduce on cleaning. There may be some offices that allow a dress down look; always check out the specific office policy before dressing down. ?
Men also like to wear clothing that makes them cooler. A business suit can be very warm on the body. What can be done to feel cool in the heat? Often lighter colours make you feel cooler, too. In the hot humid summers of the southern states you often see men in light blue seersucker suits, tan poplin suits, and off-white linen suits. ?
I would like to believe that it’s not common practice to see businessmen without socks on, because once you get home and take off your shoes this may cause nasal problems for your room mate. Loose woven shirt fabrics keep the air flowing about the body for a cooling effect.
If your shirt was designed to be worn inside your pants, then by all means tuck it in your pants and wear a belt if you have belt loops.
It is still important to wear a long sleeve shirt to maintain a professional look when you wear a tie. If you start to feel warm it is best to roll-up your sleeves. This will make you look like a hard worker. If you are able to wear a short sleeve shirt to the office, please do not wear a tie with it.
You will see stores selling this look but opt for wearing only a long sleeve shirt with a tie and hold onto your credibility. The more skin you show the less professional you are likely to appear.
It’s so unfortunate the fashion industry has an iron grip on what we wear today. The problem lies in the fact that some designs have an ambiguity about them as to when they should be donned. Most often, the clothing is for a runway, high fashion, resorts, dating and night clubbing, but not a serious office setting, so bare this in mind when dressing this summer.
