How to Dress for Success in Summer

Hi everyone – hope you’re enjoying this lovely summer weather!

As the temperatures rise the thought of wearing regular work suits becomes more and more of a drag. Whilst for men the only real option is to choose a suit made out of a very light cool wool, there are other options available for women.

One of this seasons hot work wear trends is the simple shift dress – the following is a favourite of mine picked up this year:

A shift dress is great as they tend not to cling to you, but all the same there are things to be aware of before moving into full summer mode:

1. Always wear good quality clothing – work wear is worth investing in as it will then last longer, not everyone will be wearing the same and the fabrics are more likely to stand the heat and not look like a crumpled mess in seconds.
2. A sleeveless shift dress is acceptable.
3. Watch the length – knee length is best for success! You might get away with shorter dresses if you are already well known in the office but this will not be dressing for success.
4. Avoid linen in the office – this is a lovely cool free-time fabric but leave it at home as it creases far to easily.
5. When it comes to accessories – less is more! Costume jewellery may be all the hype at present but if you really want to dress for success in the office limit your jewellery to a few “real” gold or silver pieces.
6. Stockings? These are debatable – if you have super white legs with grazes on them then they are a must all year through, but if you have a slight tan then it is OK to go into the office without stockings.
7. Dark colours – summer or not, darker colours always make a more professional impact. You can however lighten up an outfit by combining it with lighter shoes or a colourful bag. These often have the impact of lightening up the mood in a room and yet at the same time don’t make your outfit any less professional.
8. Leave your sandals at home! Yes it’s summer and your feet get hot but even the most pretty sandals are not a recipe for dressing for success.
9. The total look counts – be aware that different people notice different things so it is a total package you need to take care of when dressing for success – this includes hair and nails! Please NEVER ever tie your hair back with a rubber band or walk around with dirty nails!
10. Shirt and Skirt – another acceptable option for summer provided the shirt is tucked in. Of course there are options of simple silk tops that are worn over a skirt but these need to be long enough and work best on fuller shapes.

You may think this all sounds rather boring but truth of the matter is that to dress for success you do need to follow the strict rules – you don’t see high flying corporate men wearing funky clothing (unless they are a creative field).

Follow these 10 simple rules and I promise you’ll be dressed for success in the office!

Here a few perfect office dresses found online:

Ted Baker Ottoman midi dress £149

Ted Baker Double Breasted tux dress £159

Ted Baker Colour block peplum dress £179

DVF Hazeline fitted colour block dress $428

Wishing you all the best cultivating your corporate wardrobe!

Stay tuned for more to come by signing up for FunkyForty.com in pink box below.

Photo of me taken by blackrabbitphotographics.com

13 Persons think this post is funky