Hello all! With the end of this semester coming to a rapid close, it dawned on me that summer — and summer jobs — are approaching. Although summer should be dedicated to lounging in the sun, part of the season is almost always dedicated to working. What is the inevitable question associated with summertime work? “What will I wear?!?”
Here are some ideas on how to look cute (but professional) for whatever work you are doing this summer!
First of all, always remember to keep it classy. That means the higher hem lines, the lower heels, no cut- outs and avoiding t-shirts, sweats of any kind and distressed clothing. These are all awesome things to wear, but not necessarily work place appropriate. The best way to tell how dressy/casual you are expected to dress at the work place is to observe what your co-workers are wearing, and also to ask your boss flatout what he or she expects you to wear.
A really easy way to dress for work in the summer — without having to buy an entire new wardrobe — is to belt a cardigan over your sundress. This way, you aren’t showing too much skin, you won’t be cold inside, and you still look cute. Another way to do this would be to layer over your sundress. Just make sure your layers are neat and maybe throw a necklace on for that extra oomph.
I would also recommend wearing either flats or a low heel. Wearing very high heels to work isn’t really practical unless you can walk for a long time in heels or if your job mostly requires you to sit down. So try some cute new flats or a 1 to 2 inch heel.
Now, not all of us are dress people, and if you aren’t a fan of frills, that is perfectly fine. However, it can definitely be hard to find things to wear that look professional and aren’t boring. In this case, you have three major options: white jeans, dark wash jeans, or patterned/ plain dress pants. White jeans always class up an outfit and with heels (definitely acceptable if you are trying to dress up an outfit) and a nice top and jewelry, you will look just as nice as your adult co-workers. The same goes for regular jeans, but I would go for a darker wash and no distressing.
If jeans are not your cup of tea, try dress pants. It is easy to make a killer outfit with form fitting dress pants or cigarette pants. Just make sure that you also wear a nice top and shoes to keep the outfit professional. This can also be a fun time to experiment with patterned dress pants. I would recommend waiting a few weeks before pulling out the floral though and see if they would be appropriate in your specific work environment.
The best advice I can give you is to ask questions. Your boss will appreciate if you ask what is appropriate instead of showing up in your summer festival crop top and jean shorts. Also remember that there is a time and place for everything so you might not get to wear your new platforms to work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rock them throughout the rest of the season!