35 Summer Outfits You Can Actually Wear to Work (2024)

FAQs

What should I wear to work in hot weather? ›

Flowy dresses, loose tops, and wide-leg pants are great options for maintaining airflow. Light Colors: Light-colored clothing reflects sunlight, helping to keep you cooler than dark colours that absorb heat. Choose pastels or neutral shades like white, beige, light blue, or soft pink to minimize heat absorption.

Clothing should be clean - no torn, dirty or excessively wrinkled items. Clothing with offensive or distracting words or pictures would remain out of the workplace. Overly revealing apparel exposing too much skin or undergarments is also inappropriate in the workplace.

"Business Casual" attire means:

Dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans. Appropriate shoes and socks, including dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or work boots.

Consider Neutrals

Lighter neutrals such as white, tan, taupe, or pale gray will help you look summery but still sophisticated. If you still want to wear darker colors, try swapping out standard dark tones like black and gray for a navy to lighten your wardrobe a little.

Often when you're off to work, outerwear is a must. If not to cover bare shoulders, then for the purpose of carrying your travelcard in the pocket. But for obvious reasons, leather and wool are big no-nos in the sweltering heat. Linen blazers, lightweight trenches and silky duster jackets are your new best friends.

Classic pieces are going to be your best friend. Start adding button down shirts, shirt dresses, blazers, chic flats or loafers or classic white sneakers to your closet. It's time to phase out of distressed pieces and short hemlines. Just above the knee hemlines should be the shortest you go.

Get the 1930s Look – our top 3 tips to get you started

gloves, silk scarves, a faux fur (or a real vintage one) are the making of any 30s outfit. Fashion was fussy, with plenty of frills, buttons, gathers and bows. So accessorise a-plenty.

The employer wants to know you'll come to work and do your job. Like it or not, if your outfit screams for attention, the hiring manager is likely to think that you will too.

A sundress is usually light colored, or in a bold pattern, with narrow spaghetti straps and shaped with either an empire waist or drapey skirt. The relaxed style makes it not recommended for business. If you must wear a sundress to the office, I suggest putting a cardigan over it.

Skirts and Dresses

Knee-length or longer lengths are professional choices for the office. No sundresses or skintight dresses. You can experiment with colors and accessories while maintaining a professional look. Adding a blazer, cardigan, or belt can give your outfit a business casual look.

Can you wear shorts to the office in summer? ›

Airy Knee-Length Shorts

There's no reason why wearing shorts to the office should mean showing more leg than you're comfortable with. These loose and breezy, knee-length shorts are proof that summer dressing is all about layers. For summer, add a plain T-shirt and sandles, and in autumn, add a light jacket and boots.

You can wear a lightweight dress during the summer no matter what type of office you work in, but you'll need to ensure that your chosen style fits in with the dress code first. To help you to curate the perfect summer ensemble to suit your workplace, we've created a guide on how to wear a summer dress to work.

Fitted silhouettes and three-quarter sleeves are your best bet for a conservative business look. Avoid dresses and skirts that are too tight or too short. Look for ones that hit right at or just above the knee. When wearing a sleeveless dress, add a jacket or blazer to ensure you look pulled together and professional.

If you ask someone what the dress code at their office is, they'll generally give you one of four dress codes: business professional, business casual, smart casual or casual.