Beat The Heat In Style – Summer Dressing When You Still Have To Work

By Brian Maynor

 

Summer may be in full swing, but not every day can be a vacation.

As the thermometer rises it gets harder to pull together professional looks that are also comfortable. While most of your time may be spent in air-conditioning, every office, restaurant and car are different and temperatures can widely vary. Here are the keys to relax your professional style that will help keep you cool, literally and figuratively:

 

1.    Bare arms. Short-sleeve shirts and dresses get a bad wrap from a professional standpoint, but this time of year they should be a wardrobe staple. The trick is to understand where your sleeve should end and that partly depends on your arms. The general rules are no bare shoulders in professional settings but the line is divided on sleeveless. Some creative or causal offices allow sleeveless tops and dresses for ladies, but if you are in doubt opt for at least a cap sleeve. Regardless of how much arm you show, a short sleeve will always look more polished than a rolled-up one.

2.    Show some ankle. While shorts and mini-skirts are not appropriate office attire, hemlines do get shorter this time of year and that goes for guys too. Whether you hem your pants to break at your ankle or just switch out your trouser socks for no-show socks, showing some ankle is an easy way to adopt a summer style with any pant. This subtle style trick works best with tailored, slim-leg pants. Short wide-leg pants will make you look a little off-balanced.

3.    Lighten up your neutrals. If black and navy are your usual go-to neutrals, swap them out for greys and lighter blues. Even khaki can be too heavy in one hundred degree weather, but stone chalk and white are great alternatives. If you change nothing else, the lighter colors will instantly lift the weight of your look while still complementing any other color.

4.    Low-profile shoes. Heel height isn’t something we often associate with temperature, but it has an impact. Just like sleeker shoes look cooler than chunky shoes, flats and loafers read better in the heat than heels and lace-ups.

 

While you may wish you were on vacation every day where swimsuits and tank-tops are all you need, life doesn’t work that way. Fortunately dressing professionally doesn’t mean you have to bake in the heat.

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

 

 

Click here or on the images below to learn more about the outfit.

 

 

 

I am always curious to hear from you and what you see in the workplace. Send your questions, comments and pet peeves to [email protected]. Also find each of these storyborads at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.

 

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.

 

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