The Heat is on; Keep it Professional

      ​It's already summer in the South, and as the temperature rises, professional clothing is getting skimpier. Women are losing their blouses and jackets, pants, and close-toed heels and instead opt for sleeveless or strappy tops, shorter skirts, and sandals.  Men tend to lose the jacket as well and wear sports shirts or short sleeve shirts exclusively. They sport their shirts untucked and even wear the dreaded flip-flop. You know you are guilty on some level.
     
     There are some industries that can handle a slight summer shift to more casual attire, especially as the season tends to be quieter, in terms of work and client load, but your selections must remain appropriate for your work environment.  If you work in the finance, accounting, consulting and law fields, or in a large corporation, you have to continue projecting your professional image year-round.  So, you must pay attention to your company's dress code.

    Inappropriate work clothes will distract from
      your professional purpose and message.

       Don’t frown as if this is a horrible thing!  As the consummate professional I know you are, you owe it to yourself to look your professional best all the time!  Consider the promotion or raise you want.  You also owe it to your company.  You want to be taken seriously.  Remember, you are dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. In fact, in a survey conducted by careerbuilder.com, 93% of executives admit they take in to account an employee's dress style when they are considered for a promotion. If you are a manager or in the C-suite, note how you want your company to be represented by your employees.  After all, I advise young professionals to emulate you!

       I’m not trying to stifle your style--I’m trying to bring out your professional style! Inappropriate work clothes will simply serve as a distraction and the focus will be on the state, quality and appropriateness of what you are wearing not the quality of your work and performance.  Coco Chanel said, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress, dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”  This applies, of course, to men and women.
​
      There are ways to look professional and feel comfortable throughout the summer months. The key lies in selecting the right fabrics for a professional summer wardrobe.  You can invest in a handful of key pieces in light fabrics and dress appropriately and comfortably all summer long.

​      For the summer, fabrics to consider are linen, lightweight cotton, and airy silks.  You will always feel cooler in natural fibers.  Seer sucker suits were once the staple of summer business attire for Southern men and are still available through J. Hilburn, Hugo Boss and Brooks Brothers, among others.  Linen jackets, twill pants, and lighter weight cotton shirts in pastel and neutral colors look appropriate and feel great.     

Here are some tips for dressing appropriately during the summer. 
​
Advice to women:                                 

• DON’T: Wear tops with spaghetti or any type of strap, halters, mid-riff tops, low cut tops, or see through tops. It sends the wrong message!
• DO: Wear short sleeve tops, capped sleeve or sleeveless tops.
• DON’T: Wear skirts or Bermuda shorts shorter than 2 inches above your knees.
• DO: Wear light-weight culottes and wide-leg pants.
• DO: Select natural, light fabrics like linen, cotton, and silk
• DO: Dress in separates, as they tend to feel more relaxed and give you a less formal appearance.
• DON’T: Select shoes that expose your foot too much. Wear strappy heels and sandals on your off-time. If you can wear your shoes to the gym, beach, pool, picnic, hiking or a nightclub--don’t wear them to work.

Advice to men:

• DO: Wear lighter colored suits in linen, twill, cotton and lightweight wool. Avoid looking rumpled.
• DO: Opt for lightweight cotton shirts and polo shirts (these must be worn only to work and be impeccable in fit and condition).
• DO:  Find a summer sports jacket in a neutral color that you can pair with any pants or shirt.
• DON’T: Get sloppy and simply untuck your shirt and roll up your sleeves.
• DON’T: Wear sandals, flip-flops, or any shoes that you wear to the gym, pool, beach or on a hike.
• DON’T: Wear shorts at the office. Hairy man-legs should be reserved for the outdoors.

The bottom line is, if you think it might be wrong for the office, it probably is. Don't compromise your professionalism with questionable attire.