Are you a working woman who finds it challenging to put together stylish office attire for the hot summer months? Summer clothing styles for women usually fall into the whimsical and skimpy category, and while those spaghetti strap tops and mini dresses worn by themselves are cute, most employers deem them inappropriate for the office. Here are a few fashion tips for the working woman on how to create stylish summer ensembles for the office while still keeping cool, and how to give sexy summer attire a professional edge!
Summer Colors
I’ve often found the best way to keep cool while still looking professional is to dress in head to toe summer colors. Dark colors absorb heat, so instead of wearing black slacks or a black skirt, opt for white or khaki instead. Ann Taylor Loft carries some beautiful slacks and skirts in white, khaki, and grays. Pretty pastel tops in colors such as pink, sky blue, yellow, and mint green look lovely with white and khaki, and can also be found online at Ann Taylor’s site. A favorite outfit that I like to wear at the office during the summer months is a pair of white slacks, a hot pink top and matching cardigan. Cardigan and shell sets are perfect for the summer months due to the fact that sometimes an air conditioned office can become a tad chilly, and a simple cardigan is a handy thing to have.
Sexy and Professional
Sexy summer tops can actually be worn in an office environment, providing that they are worn with a blazer and are not too low cut. For instance, if you happen to find a gorgeous tank top in a fetching color with ruffles on the front, a sharp blazer in white or cream is perfect for giving the top a professional edge. Express for Women sells some very pretty tops, as well as blazers in assorted colors and styles. Since the dress style for this season is super short, it might be a little difficult to pull off wearing a mini dress depending on the dress code of your workplace. Most offices allow a little leg to be shown, but be sure you dress the outfit up with a blazer. Also, instead of high heels, wear ballet flats with a mini dress. This, along with the blazer, provides a dignified contrast to the sexy length.
Bare Legs
Most offices nowadays no longer require women to wear pantyhose on a weekly basis (yay!) but, when you go bare legged at the workplace during the summer, be sure to follow these rules: 1.) Always have your toenails painted or pedicured. 2.) Make sure your legs are shaved without any trace of stubble. 3.) Make sure your legs and feet are moisturized at all times. If you happen to be fair skinned like I am, these rules are even more critical. Ivory skin is lovely, but it shows any and all blemishes more prominently, so be sure you take special care of your legs if you are to show them off.
Shoes and Accessories
Add a little summer whimsy to your polished professional look by accenting with fun, colorful jewelry. All the department stores around this time of year carry a dazzling array of fun, inexpensive costume jewelry in all colors of the rainbow. Big plastic hoops, bulky beads, glittery bangles, and big rings can add a fun edge to your elegant office look like nothing else. As for your shoes, strappy dress sandals are the must have shoe this year, and the fabulous thing about them is that they can look both casual and dressy depending on how you wear them. DSW has a huge selection of beautiful strappy dress sandals for reasonable prices.
Further Reading:
http://youlookfab.com/2008/09/05/office-appropriate-attire/
http://www.columbiabusinesstimes.com/705/2007/08/25/office-attire-should-reflect-professional-appearance-whatever-the-season/
