Summer Formal
It’s officially summertime. And for many of us, this means long hours in a hot office, along with uncomfortable commutes, for the foreseeable future. While you must always uphold your standards when it comes to dressing for business, formality expectations are slightly lowered during the high summer months. A significant part of the workforce will be away, external meetings are less frequent, and let’s face it: we all tend to work a lot less when the sun is shining. A style fact that everyone should keep in mind is that it’s much better to underdress slightly in order to maintain a fresh, comfortable look than to sweat profusely, appear red-faced and suffer from heat-related inconveniences just because you insist on wearing your three-piece wool suit during the summer. With this in mind, below we offer a few tweaks you could potentially make to your office attire over the coming months. They will help you keep your cool and look smart at work, and if you play it right, might even lift your spirits, with a subtle hint of resort wear giving you the feeling of dressing for holiday…
1) Summer Colour
A simple colour change goes a long way in summer. This does not necessarily mean swapping your dark flannel suit for a white linen one, but rather choosing a colour scheme that will better complement your tan, reflect daylight and, yes, keep you cooler. Put away the black, charcoal and pinstripe suits and consider replacing them with light grey, petrol blue or tan versions. Although colour alone doesn’t seem like a life-changing choice, this alteration will also allow you to adopt a whole new set of warm-weather-friendly shirts and accessories. If you work in jeans, during this time of the year you might be able to consider a lighter wash, or white/coloured pair. Just make sure they’re not ripped and that the wash is kept as consistent as possible throughout. The same rules apply if you’re more of a chino guy.
Lookbook Inspiration
2) Materials
This may seem obvious, but adapting your material choice for specific times of the year will improve your overall look. After all, you don’t forget to wear a jumper on a cold day, so why insist on warm clothes and thick fabrics during the summer season? Ditch wool and other heavyweight materials for lightweight cottons, linens, silk and mixtures thereof. This applies to all clothes, including suits, knitwear, trousers and shirts. Just make sure that the fabric isn’t transparent/sheer and it doesn’t crease too easily. Wrinkled linen is a great look for off-duty hours, when you want to appear effortless and nonchalant, but those same values don’t come across well in the office. If you have a long day ahead, think about how that particular fabric will look after just one hour of your hectic routine. Of course, regular readers will already understand the importance of seasonal fabrics, but do you also know how to choose denim that is lighter (12 Oz or lower in weight), or t-shirts in finer cottons, such as Egyptian, pima and Sea Island? The difference it can make to your overall comfort levels is huge. Since we’re talking materials, let’s make sure to cover everything: consider your underwear. Natural fabrics that allow your private parts to breathe will spare you the hassle of heat rashes and sweating in even less desirable places. Sorry to bring this up, but we couldn’t ignore it. During summer, go for 100 per cent cotton briefs/boxers/trunks to ensure you keep your cool everywhere.
Key Pieces
- He By Mango Slim-fit Tailored Cotton Shirt
- United Colors Of Benetton Cotton Stretch Suit Jacket
- Topman Light Grey Skinny Suit
- Asos Crew Neck Jumper In Cotton
- Reiss Darcy Slim Silk Knitted Tie Royal Blue
- Aquascutum Silk Micro Print Pocket Square green
- T.m.lewin Grey Green Club Stripe Tie
- Limited Edition Pure Cotton Chambray Textured Tie
- Asos Smart Leather Look Holdall
- He By Mango Canvas Tote Bag
- Daniel Wellington Nottingham Gold Canvas Strap Watch
- Paul Smith Woven-leather Wrap Bracelet
- Miansai Anchor Rope Bracelet
- Comme Des Garcons Zipped Leather Pouch
- Falke Airport Wool And Cotton-blend Socks
- Asos Classic Glasses With Clear Lens
- Thom Browne D-frame Matte-acetate Glasses
4) Summer Styling Tips
After making the adjustments above, it all boils down to how you dress on a daily basis, so take a look at some of the key summer styling techniques below:
Go Sockless
If you choose to go sockless, make sure your trousers are short enough (or rolled up) to show off a bit of ankle. This rule applies to EVERY type of legwear, from suit trousers to jeans:
Undo An Extra Button
The general rule for a tie-less shirt at work is undoing the first button only, and no more than that. If you have a nice tan, and it’s a really hot day, you can get away with a second undone button. It will help you keep cool and is acceptable from the start of July to the end of August:
Try A Pair Of Trainers
This will work if you traditionally go to work in chinos/jeans and your office dress code is slightly more relaxed. You know the trainers you’d usually only wear for the commute? Well, they will look OK in the office during high summer, especially if they’re minimal white/grey/black leather versions:
Try Alternative Neck Wear
Silk, cotton or linen scarves can complement this summer business aesthetic and even replace your tie for an external meeting, for example. Make sure you wear them in an individual way, and you don’t look like you’re trying too hard. They needn’t be expensive, since you’ll probably be wiping off sweat with them anyway:
Lose An Accessory Or Two
This is another great warm weather styling tip: the fewer items of clothing and accessories you have on, the more relaxed and summery you’ll appear. We already recommended losing the socks. But why not lose the belt, the tie or even the blazer (consider replacing with a waistcoat) on the hottest days of the year?
Final Word
So, there you have it, a few tips on how to look cool in the summer. What can you get away with in the office? Any other ideas we missed? Let us know in the comments section below…