Long Live Summer Corporate Dressing
Linen, obviously, Whole30, and what I'm wearing this summer
The idea for this week’s installment came from a dear friend of mine since middle school. We were art girls at our tiny, Christian school—bonded by our shared dress code trauma and the hours of sweat and tears we poured into the yearbook. When she sent a veritable SOS, I had to respond. Art girls forever.
Let’s get one thing straight before we dive headfirst into dressing for the heat. I really don’t like summer. I love the symbolism of early exits from work and leisure at large, but I really can’t stand being hot. Summer is a dish best served at a distance from the AC, in my opinion. Most summers, I just grin and bear it in as little clothing as possible. Next week, I’ll break down how I plan for seasonal dressing. Riveting! But this week, the focus is on our corporate girlies.
Summers past, I’ve been working as a nanny, so my dress code was lax, to say the least. While I won’t be sweating it out with Azlin, aforementioned friend, in Bahrain, I will be commuting to an office in Manhattan a few days a week. Here are my favorite tips for curating a work wardrobe that feels bearable in the dog days of summer.
Pick a silhouette
The enemy of easy dressing is decision fatigue. My closet is a cornucopia of sleeves and feathers and ruffles, so I’m not the capsule wardrobe authority. But for the days when it gets over 90 degrees, I stick to dresses. It’s an easy way to not panic about a long ride on the subway or potential overheating. If the outing’s less formal, I’ll wear athletic shorts plus a blouse. That’s it. No skirts or pants or jumpsuits. If things are less blazing, or you have a higher heat tolerance, then use this tip as an excuse to create a work uniform for yourself. Look at the outfits you gravitate toward in your non-work life, for example, levis and a plain tee, and upgrade them, so, trousers and a silky short sleeve button up.
Pay attention to materials
You’ll want to stick to 100% cotton or 100% linen here. Silk can be nice, but only if it’s in black or late at night. What I’m saying is, you’ll want to make sure you’re not sweating through. If you’re new to linen, start with an easy pair of pants. Now is not the time for high-waisted, rigid denim. Think elastic waistbands and lots of room to breathe. Avoid your vintage pieces with rayon/polyester or any other outdated material.
Make rules for yourself
More rules! Listen, I love a system, as you’ll see next week. For summer, I like to stick to blue, black, and white. And the simplest way to make an outfit feel chic is to wear in monochromatically. I love the idea of investing in a 100% linen set you feel great in, and subbing in a plain tee, another button up, or pairing the top with a little skirt. Another rule/experiment is to lay out all the clothes you THINK you’ll wear to work. Over the course of two weeks, hang the pieces you actually wore back in your closet. Take a good, hard look at the rest of your “work staples” and consider if they really are working for you.
Archived Outfit
This week’s outfit feels a lot like last week’s. When I say I love a monochromatic look, I mean it! What I love about this ensemble from 1992 is the ease of the layers. Dressing for summer is always better when you embrace a looser silhouette. Save the bodysuits for winter. Mine are packed in a dustbag in my closet somewhere. Another fab point this look proves is that when you find basics you love, that fit you well, putting together an outfit becomes easy breezy. I’m not a choker girl, but having a signature piece of jewelry is a great way to feel like yourself, even when your focus is on wearing as little clothing as possible.
Throwing this $27 linen blazer over a sleeveless dress feel fun and very on-trend.
This set is in honor of Azlin: 100% cotton, unbearably cute together, easygoing.
These wide-legged $20 houndstooth pants are perfect for a simple blouse and sandals.
Another project! If you replace all the buttons on this top and skirt set, wear it with a simple black silk tank and loafers, you’ll be in my dream summer linen outfit.
Honorable Mentions
I’m doing Whole30 for the month of June! This is not an announcement for any reason other than I’m begging you to send tips and tricks. As a “vegan” who ate diner pancakes every Friday night after clubbing at age 18, this is a real evolution.
Here are recent purchases/gifts I’m really getting into for the summer. These shorts will get their own Long Live, but they’re really fab. I love an exercise dress for pilates at home, and can’t wait to try on this one on its way from Set Active. I’ve been wearing this necklace over pretty much everything. This swimsuit from Ookioh is making seem much more excited for summer than I actually am.
Thank you so much for reading. This week, I wrote about Tower 28’s SOS Spray, this almost exact topic, Terracycle x Murad, and AAPI brands to shop. See you next Thursday! x
Looking forward to next week. Hot girls (as in sweaty...) unite <3