Q: I work in a traditional corporate office and during the summer, the heat and long walk to the office make many of my work clothes and heels unbearable. Do you have any suggestions for stylish, feminine, corporate work-wear that is still comfortable and beats the heat? Also, on a side note, is it okay not to wear pantyhose with skirts? And, are there any fun nail polish colors for summer that won’t make you “that girl” in an old-school office?
A: To beat the heat, dresses and skirts are definitely the way to go. Stash your work pants away (don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to wear them during the next never-ending NYC winter!) and opt for dresses in breathable fabrics such as linen and cotton. Some suggestions include the linen-canvas Attache Dress by J. Crew and the spurge-worthy Aris Dress by Milly, both of which are available in fun summer colors like aqua, coral, and lemon yellow. Shirt dresses, like BCBG’s Eyelet Shirt Dress and the Callie Dress by Banana Republic, are also cute and summery while still falling within the boundaries of appropriate work attire. (Another great choice? The uber-adorable Easy Tee Dress by Rebecca Taylor.) Pattern-wise, thin stripes, dots, and tiny prints are perfectly acceptable, but steer clear of splashy florals and other large-scale designs that scream, “I should be on a beach right now!”
Depending on just how conservative your workplace is—and how cold they set the air conditioning—most dresses pair easily with a colorful cardigan or summer-weight blazer. (Plus, come evening, you can take off the sweater and swap your work shoes for sandals or stilettos, and you’re ready for a night on the town!) And if dresses aren’t your thing, you can also try a classic white skirt (like the Francis Skirt by Club Monaco) and a breezy silk blouse, or flip the two and go for a white top (such as Nanette Lepore’s Cholula Top) paired with a fun, summer-colored skirt, like Trina Turk’s Ashton Skirt in Watermelon.
Lucky for you, the comfortable, work-friendly summer shoe possibilities are endless. Try an office-appropriate espadrille wedge (like Drewel by Aldo or Upland by Kors Michael Kors) or a fun pair of ballerina flats. You can also stash a pair of heels in your office, but remember that you do not want be that woman who wears sneakers with her skirt, so opt for a stylish sandal for the walk to work instead. (Just remember that flip-flops are for weekends at the pool and should never, ever come anywhere near the office!) Pantyhose have largely fallen out of fashion in the past few years, so unless your workplace is overwhelmingly conservative, it’s absolutely fine to ditch them in favor of smooth, bare legs.
When it comes to nail polish, some summer colors—turquoise, bright orange, kelly green—are obviously off limits in an old-school office, and although it’s a hot trend this season, staying away from neon polish is probably a good idea as well. (If you’re wearing closed-toed shoes, though, you can always rock a neon pedicure and nobody will be any the wiser!) But just because you can’t go crazy with color doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your nails. Summery pinks, pastels, and corals are all workplace-friendly. Try Essie’s Cute as Button, Zoya’s Lara and Shelby (both from their 2012 summer collection) and the sparkly-but-subtle Pedal Faster Suzi by OPI. And, even though you’re not getting married, the candy-colored pastels from Essie’s new wedding collection are all worth considering as well. Check out Who Is The Boss, a stunning grey-blue shade that screams “summertime fun” but won’t have your boss seeing red.
Rebecca Frey is a costume designer, wardrobe stylist, and personal shopper. She has worked on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, and Conan, and is also the owner of Seek New York, a NYC-based company that provides a friendly, low-pressure approach to style and offers personalized shopping tours with licensed NYC guides. Every Tuesday, she answers your most pressing shopping-related quandaries. Need Becky’s help? Email your questions to emily@askanewyorker.com.
