Summer!

Summer is here for a lot of people in the country. For people in San Francisco, Summer poked its head out and decided to snooze for another couple of months.
Nonetheless, San Francisco does have its hot days, and so it is time to talk about dressing for work in the summer.

Dressing for work during the hot weather is pretty challenging, you can't pull out your shorts and t-shirts like you would on a weekend. There are keys for dressing in the summer, and it's not as hard as people might think.

So let's get some ideas going:

Layers will be your best friend in the summer. It may be 90 degrees outside, but it's probably about 68 in your office. The best things to do in this case would be to layer onto sleeveless dresses and camisoles. The key for wearing dresses to work is to watch the length. Don't go too short, just above the knee is probably the shortest that would be appropriate for work. (But keep your own work guidelines in mind, maybe your work is laid back about length, though I doubt any workplace will be okay with a mini dress/skirt.)

Look for dresses or skirts in lightweight materials such as silk, cotton, linen (but beware linen really wrinkles when sitting at a desk all day), or summer-weight wool and cotton blends. Layering can make a dress that seems too "summer-y" into a work dress by putting on a cardigan or a blazer.

This navy dress is comfortable, a good soft lightweight material. It can be worn for the weekend. (A sleeveless cotton shift dress or wrap dress are other wonderful staples that can function well for work) However, pair this with blazer or cardigan (no exposed straps of any kind at work) and you've got something you can wear to work with some flats or heels. I know I've shown plenty of blazers, but here's one more! This blazer is a light weight cotton voile which is light enough to wear without sweltering in the summer. I like looking for a good 3/4 sleeve length, or something that will easily fold up.

Summer is also a great time to find a wonderful staple that can usually only be pulled off in the summer months. A white blazer, I found mine at Ann Taylor Loft on sale. I'm sure if you look around you'll come upon a nice one as well. Make sure it's in a nice light weight fabric and that it isn't dry clean only (unless you don't mind the upkeep, white is notorious for finding dirt).

There are plenty of places to look for a white blazer, each brand seems to make one of them, it's almost as common as a jean jacket. Recently I've taken to looking on eBay for things before I looking in store. Sometimes, it's a pretty good place to start. Some people worry about second hand clothing, but not everything on eBay is pre-worn. NWT (New with tags) is pretty common on eBay and you can find some really good brands at a much cheaper price.

I like to use eBay a lot especially for small things like belts, which is another thing you'll need this Summer, belts to help with the layering. If you're layering cardigans over pretty free flowing dresses you'll need some cinching in the waist in order to define your shape.



Capris are your for work shorts alternative (Loft has a lot of them on sale). You still get a little bit of a breeze while wearing them but remember not to go too casual. Be sure to purchase the more dressy versions of capris, cargoes will never be work appropriate. Pair them with structured work pieces and work appropriate shoes in order to make them more work friendly, otherwise you end up looking like you're heading for the beach.

Another thing to keep in mind for Summer is that clothing gets a lot thinner, which can usually mean that your clothes are now see through. So be sure to test your clothing out in some bright lights before going to work, you don't to get there and realize you can see through your top. Camisoles, I like nude, are your best friend in this situation. (Layering!)

Also remember that with summer comes fun colors and patterns, which you should not be afraid of, but don't let it take over your work outfit. If you have a fun printed dress remember to pair with a solid cover up, if it's a printed skirt, pair it with a solid top.

In order to not have to go out and buy all new things, remember that your fall/spring pieces can be mixed into your summer wardrobe, remember to add some pops of color, pair cardigans with dresses or skirts, and watch those necklines, but most of all have fun with it. Remember to pair some colorful accessories to add to that summer fun. Etsy is a great place to find some wonderful original work. Forever 21 is great for finding really affordable options!