Summer finally decided to arrive in Chicago. With highs in the 90s and 1,000,000% humidity, getting dressed for work in the morning was all sorts of fun. Which is probably a good thing for the three of you that read our blog. Why? Because it gives us content. Welcome to our guide for how to dress professionally for hot weather, because nothing says "Trust me, I'm a professional!" more than sweat stains and melting makeup. Here's what we have found that works for us:
We find this dress to be perfect for hot weather because the ponte fabric is breathable, comfortable, machine washable, and maintains its shape even when we're gross and sweaty. It also doesn't get droopy or stick to us like other fabrics tend to do in hot humid weather. It also doesn't wrinkle and good quality fabric looks like suiting fabric. For these reasons, ponte is our go-to fabric in this type of weather, particularly if we have meetings and need to look our best. For more casual days at the office, we're big fans of full skirts, especially those made of light cotton with a cotton lining. Why? They are breeze and usually machine washable. Katie 1's favorite is a super old Banana Republic purchase, but there is a 99% chance she will be purchasing this beauty from Lands' End next time they have a good coupon code. Or this little number we spotted at lunch.
While not quite as comfortable as a breezy full skirt and a little more prone to wrinkling than ponte, a good cotton pencil skirt is another one of our hot weather workwear necessities. We've personally found this J.Crew Factory cotton pencil skirt to be a solid purchase.
Finally, if you absolutely need to wear a suit, cotton suiting can be another good option for hot days. J.Crew and J.Crew Factory usually have a pretty good selection. The Brooks Brothers outlet used to be as well. We can really only offer a tepid recommendation of cotton suiting. Why? First of all, it wrinkles terribly. Second, sometimes a cheap polyester lining can make the suit feel hotter than your warmest winter wool suit, thus defeating the purpose of a cotton suit. Also, why isn't' there a line of suiting (cotton, tropical wool, whatever) that has a dri-fit or other sweat wicking lining? Seriously, if you can make super thin work out clothing out of it, why can't you use the same fabric to line suits? Clothing designers- please take this idea and run with it. We only ask that you give us first dibs.
Other thoughts on dressing for hot weather: Layers. Katie 1 tends to run hot so the difference between the temperature outside and the temperature inside her office doesn't really affect her in the same way that it affects Katie 2. However, if your office temperate is more Arctic than Equatorial, layers are a must- so pack a blazer or cardigan in your bag and put it on when you get to the office. Also, giving credit where credit is due, most corporate fashion bloggers do offer excellent advice on nice warm desk sweaters and scarves. While the temperature differences may not bother Katie 1 as much as others, neither of us have thigh gaps and our biggest hot weather issue is chafing. Katie 1 swears by biker short shapers and slip shorts. Others swear by Body Glide, and Katie 2 (#lazyshopper) swears that a little extra deodorant there does the trick. Finally, because we are fairly makeup inept, we tend to keep our makeup lighter on days when we know it's going to be super hot and humid. Elizabeth will opine on how to keep your makeup from melting off your face.
(PS: Love the dress above? Check back later for an entire post dedicated to Katie 1's love of Lands' End.)
Make-up: (Elizabeth's realm)
I feel as though the above pretty well covers it in terms of clothes. In one word: lighter. Lighter fabrics, lighter colors, and (GASP!!) lighter make-up. Now if I wasn't a make-up addict (what can I say, it makes me happy), then lighter make-up would mean spot concealing, mascara, and a lipgloss. If that does it for you, stop reading. However, I am NOT that kind of girl. I instead swap out foundation for a BB cream that still has a fair amount of coverage (Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer or It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream).
Because I have oily/combination skin, I use an oil controlling moisturizer (I recommend this or this) and primer year round, but in hot summer months this is something you want to add to your routine to keep everything a tad more matte, even if you aren't normally an oil slick. I also set my make-up with a bit of translucent powder, which helps keep your make-up from sliding around your face. Light layers are the way to go. You don't want to use too much product or you will get cakey. Generally, if you are going to work then you are only concerned about your commute and maybe lunch. If you are going to be in extreme heat for longer, then you probably want to think about waterproof products.
Last, blotting is your friend, but blotting papers are not necessary. Pull apart a napkin and press a single layer to the greasy areas of your face. The key is not to wipe or slide it around, because it will move your make-up. The one-ply TP in the office bathroom also works fine- just try not to be seen when using it.
Clothing: (The realm of the Katies)
We're big fans of light, breathable fabrics on really hot days. Think cottons, light poly/rayon blends, ponte. We're particularly fond of cotton blend pencil skirts, full skirts, and ponte dresses. Cotton suiting is also worth a mention. For example, today Katie 1 wore this color block ponte sheath dress.
While not quite as comfortable as a breezy full skirt and a little more prone to wrinkling than ponte, a good cotton pencil skirt is another one of our hot weather workwear necessities. We've personally found this J.Crew Factory cotton pencil skirt to be a solid purchase.
Finally, if you absolutely need to wear a suit, cotton suiting can be another good option for hot days. J.Crew and J.Crew Factory usually have a pretty good selection. The Brooks Brothers outlet used to be as well. We can really only offer a tepid recommendation of cotton suiting. Why? First of all, it wrinkles terribly. Second, sometimes a cheap polyester lining can make the suit feel hotter than your warmest winter wool suit, thus defeating the purpose of a cotton suit. Also, why isn't' there a line of suiting (cotton, tropical wool, whatever) that has a dri-fit or other sweat wicking lining? Seriously, if you can make super thin work out clothing out of it, why can't you use the same fabric to line suits? Clothing designers- please take this idea and run with it. We only ask that you give us first dibs.
Other thoughts on dressing for hot weather: Layers. Katie 1 tends to run hot so the difference between the temperature outside and the temperature inside her office doesn't really affect her in the same way that it affects Katie 2. However, if your office temperate is more Arctic than Equatorial, layers are a must- so pack a blazer or cardigan in your bag and put it on when you get to the office. Also, giving credit where credit is due, most corporate fashion bloggers do offer excellent advice on nice warm desk sweaters and scarves. While the temperature differences may not bother Katie 1 as much as others, neither of us have thigh gaps and our biggest hot weather issue is chafing. Katie 1 swears by biker short shapers and slip shorts. Others swear by Body Glide, and Katie 2 (#lazyshopper) swears that a little extra deodorant there does the trick. Finally, because we are fairly makeup inept, we tend to keep our makeup lighter on days when we know it's going to be super hot and humid. Elizabeth will opine on how to keep your makeup from melting off your face.
(PS: Love the dress above? Check back later for an entire post dedicated to Katie 1's love of Lands' End.)
Make-up: (Elizabeth's realm)
I feel as though the above pretty well covers it in terms of clothes. In one word: lighter. Lighter fabrics, lighter colors, and (GASP!!) lighter make-up. Now if I wasn't a make-up addict (what can I say, it makes me happy), then lighter make-up would mean spot concealing, mascara, and a lipgloss. If that does it for you, stop reading. However, I am NOT that kind of girl. I instead swap out foundation for a BB cream that still has a fair amount of coverage (Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer or It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream).
Because I have oily/combination skin, I use an oil controlling moisturizer (I recommend this or this) and primer year round, but in hot summer months this is something you want to add to your routine to keep everything a tad more matte, even if you aren't normally an oil slick. I also set my make-up with a bit of translucent powder, which helps keep your make-up from sliding around your face. Light layers are the way to go. You don't want to use too much product or you will get cakey. Generally, if you are going to work then you are only concerned about your commute and maybe lunch. If you are going to be in extreme heat for longer, then you probably want to think about waterproof products.
Last, blotting is your friend, but blotting papers are not necessary. Pull apart a napkin and press a single layer to the greasy areas of your face. The key is not to wipe or slide it around, because it will move your make-up. The one-ply TP in the office bathroom also works fine- just try not to be seen when using it.
Love the lands end dress. Bought mine on lunch! Imagine my delight to see it on sale
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