Do you struggle to stay smart in the sweltering heat? While the sun is welcome, the summer can be the most challenging season to dress for, throwing up style conundrums on keeping cool and avoiding looking like a crumpled, sweaty mess.
Summer dressing should be a cinch. It’s when we’re supposed to shed the autumn and winter layers. Still, it can be wrought with style insecurities, particularly if navigating dress codes and office wear.
Fabrics
When the mercury starts rising, the temptation is there to strip down, which, let’s face it, won’t go down well in the office. Unclothed doesn’t mean you’ll feel any cooler; opt for temperature-regulating and breezy fabrics to beat the heat. “Choose breathable and lightweight fabrics like cotton, linen, or seersucker. These materials allow air to circulate and keep you cool while maintaining a polished appearance,” says Steven Murphy, co-founder at Fresh Cuts Clothing in Castle Market in Dublin.
If you want to look particularly pulled-together, say no-no to head-to-toe linen. Summer’s fabric saviour, there’s no denying the cooling abilities of linen, but the downside is lots of wrinkles. If you are okay with a dishevelled-meets-smart approach, mix one linen piece with a dressier item that will add finesse. Another way of incorporating linen without the crumples is to opt for a linen blend; a cotton/linen mix is a wise choice.
Silhouette
Consider wafty looser-cut clothing, bringing much-needed ventilation and relief from the heat. But oversized and baggy might look sloppy, not sharp. Instead, move away from skinnier silhouettes that cling and are tight to the body and choose more straight fits and garments with subtle volume. More relaxed fits allow air to circulate, cooling you down and preventing the fabric from sticking to the skin when you feel extra sweaty.
Shorts
Shorts can be office appropriate if you have a more relaxed clothing policy. But before you break out the legs, consider a few things. Length is significant; they should hit on or just above the knee. Treat them the same as their full-legged friends, aka trousers, and make sure the fit, fabrication and what you pair them with are professional if you intend to wear them to work. “Opt for tailored shorts in a chino fabric and choose neutral colours like beige, navy or khaki for a sophisticated look,” says Murphy. Don’t do a blazer and shorts, though. Instead, opt for a crisp shirt that will elevate a pair of shorts. “Pair them with a button-up shirt or a polo shirt for a smart/casual ensemble.”
Colours
Lighter colours are favoured during the warmer months as they evade and resist the heat. Think white, blue, grey and paler shades in general. But with a lighter colour comes the risk of more visible sweat patches, with blue and grey particular culprits. White is usually a safe option, as are prints, like a patterned shirt, that will stylishly help disguise sweat stains. When embracing colour and ditching fail-safe navy or black for the warmer months, earthy tones like khaki, olive green, mustard yellow and tan are innovative alternatives that still look summery.
Attention to detail
It can be hard to add some flair in the summer when clothing options are more straightforward and lack depth and layers. But it’s still possible. Adopting interesting textures is one way of finessing your look. Seersucker is a stylish alternative to basic cotton and adds flair to shirting. Silk is an underrated fabric for summer. It has similar properties to linen in terms of breathability and cooling the skin, but it brings luxuriousness to a jacket or shirt. If looking for a light layer, consider suede. It comes in interesting colourways, mixing well with more delicate, breezy fabrics like linen or cotton, and is lightweight and heat regulating.
Footwear
Unfortunately, no one shoe does it all. Summer throws up different occasions, from formal to work to holidays, so you need a few other footwear options in your arsenal. Loafers or derbies rendered in suede will tick the dressed-up box. A sleek trainer, driving shoe or espadrille will swiftly switch from office to weekend wear, and a stylish, sturdy leather sandal will work from the city to the beach.
