How to Dress for Work in the Dog Days of Summer

As temperatures go up, clothes tend to come off, so to speak. With steamy weather comes a change in the typical office attire. Do you know what types of clothes are appropriate for you to wear to work when the weather gets hot?Many offices relax their dress codes for the warmer weather but that doesn't mean that anything goes fashion wise. While you want to be comfortable and stay cool, you should still be the picture of professionalism. All offices vary on what is and isn't appropriate, however, logo T-shirts, torn-up jeans, tank tops, flip-flops and shorts should never enter the office for any reason if you are an employee.Men should be able to get away with wearing light-weight chinos and a short-sleeved polo shirt. Women, however, have a little more of a challenge getting dressed for summer. But, dressing for the office in the summertime doesn't have to be difficult. One major thing to keep in mind is that while you want to be comfortable, you don't want to look like the office slut. Although many experts say that capris and sleeveless shirts shouldn't be worn to the office, some exceptions should be made. Both types of garments can be office appropriate if you wear them in the proper fabrics and cuts. As long as your capris fall below your knee (about halfway down your calves) and is made of a khaki material, it is okay to wear to work. Stay away from denim and any fabric that is skin tight. If your sleeveless shirt is made of cotton, doesn't show cleavage and has a collar (think of a polo shirt minus the sleeves), it is completely fine to wear to the office.How casual you can be at work depends greatly on whether or not you deal with the public. If you work directly with clients, you should always be dressed professionally and look put together.

If you don't directly work with the public, then you can be a little more relaxed with your summer attire. If you work in the financial or legal fields, you should put more emphasis on looking sleek and sophisticated than being comfortable. That may mean wearing suits even in ninety degree weather.If you have any questions about what exactly you should wear, you can always contact your Human Resources representative about what is and isn't approved clothes for work. Or you can just look around at your co-workers' outfits to see how they handle lighter attire.

By Samantha Beck