Summer Work Wear Guidelines for Women Over 50

“Roll out those lazy, hazy, excessively hot days of summer….”  I realize I edited the song lyrics just a bit…but summer here is hot, hot, hot.  When trying to look my professional best, it is a challenge.  Here are my personal thoughts on work wear for women over fifty…

This is a typical work wear look for me right now…try to focus on the topic and not the leg lamp!  I am standing in my boss’s office!

Might I make just a few suggestions for those in the heat similar to South Texas:

1. Shoes… I do occasionally wear sandals to work.  But, usually it is on days I know to be more casual.  I just feel more professional in a closed toe shoe.  But, it is possible to find some which say SUMMER like these Kenneth Cole reaction shoes I found a couple of summers ago at Marshalls.   I wear a pointed toe flat often because they elongate my look.
2. Jackets and blouses… Again, I do not wear them every day, but when I have professional luncheons or meetings, I will make sure I have a jacket.  It does not need to be a suit for me, but a colorful jacket can still say summer and polished at the same time.  I love how I can streamline my look and appear slimmer with a jacket as well.  In the summer, I wear many sleeveless blouses under the jackets.  Sometimes inside the office, just at my desk, I might be confident enough to remove the jacket in the afternoon when it really heats up. 
3. Fabrics…Fabric choices are so important during the summer…they need to be lightweight and breathe! A standard professional suit is always a great choice unless it has wool in it.  We are experiencing more humidity this year, so fabrics are everything if I do not want to have my clothing sticking to me at the end of the day.  I do wear black (you know I love it) but the fabric choices are much lighter.
4.  Accessories…Scarves are just too hot this year.  If I am going to work inside most of the day, I might wear a lightweight scarf, but for the most part I wear a necklace, bracelets, and a fun purse.

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I have actually been shopping for more dresses, but they are tough for me.  I either have a problem with my legs or how they fit my body shape…I rarely look in the mirror and say, SCORE!  So, despite the warm sun, I wear pants most often and am thankful for the return of the ankle length pant.

Of course, always wear your confidence…most important to have if making your mark in the career world later in life; such as, I am doing.  

My top and necklace are from CHICOS!

18 Comments

  1. I work in a formal office (although thankfully much less formal than earlier times) and I wear outfits very similar to yours all summer. I know you will be thinking – Toronto – how hot can it be – BUT – in actual fact, we tend to have very hot and humid summers – this week it's been around 30C (90F) but with the humidity feeling more like 40C and I have a 40 minute commute on the subway (thank God trains have A/C but the stations do not) so it gets pretty hot and sticky.
    More and more women at my office are extolling the ease of wearing dresses but I haven't worn them in years due to weight and problems with shoes. However, I've lost weight and found a couple of companies that make nice looking shoes in my awkward size so I think I'm going to start with a couple of winter dresses that I can wear with tights and then see about more for next summer if I'm brave enough.
    Jackets are worn for meetings, but again nice cardigans are now deemed just as appropriate so that helps when battling the heat and they are at least a bit cheaper. Summer dressing is tough at the office – can't wait for Sept./Oct. Stay cool!

  2. I do love those shoes! They are so perfect with your jacket, and just an overall good look for summer. How do you keep your feet from sticking? I have a problem with bare feet in closed shoes because they are so uncomfortable and sticky. Your tips are great for summer. Like you, I tend to really lighten up with fabrics and accessories. Scarves are shelved for fall and winter, and even heavier necklaces can feel oppressive when it heats up. I have to dress up for work, we have no casual days here, but I do sit at my desk in my sleeveless tops until I have to go to a meeting, then the jacket comes out! Coral/orange is really your color! Those shoes….just fabulous!!

  3. Here is my secret for my closed toe shoes, Karen, It is called FOOT GLIDE https://www.bodyglide.com/shop/foot/ I put it on my hammer toes, the sides of my foot and my heels before I wear my shoes..it helps so much. I highly recommend. I just sold a heavy necklace at a consignment shop…even in the winter I do not want an excessively heavy necklace.

  4. Your look is beautiful and once you said something about the leg lamp I was distracted. 🙂 How fun! I don't need office wear these days but I do love the jacket idea and love the look on you–especially the bright pop of my favorite color. You rock the look!

  5. Great advice, Pam! I love your look, very polished. I totally agree about closed toe shoes vs sandals for a professional look. These are very cute ones.

  6. I wear a very similar uniform for work – a sleeveless blouse works so much better than a cotton tank or tee. I've ventured into culottes with a lovely grey pair form Theory, so far only for evenings, not work… but I may pluck up courage. They are so cool and comfortable! Love your shoes, especially the colour.
    Alice

  7. I wear the low-rise footlets in flat shoes. My delicate skin needs them. Summer passes quickly, but it gets very hot. It seems like a waste to buy summer clothes, but going sleeveless with a jacket stretches tops into three seasons. Staying covered with light clothing is preferable. It's cooler to me than sun on my skin. You look professional, which is hard to do in the heat. Things can get sloppy at this time of year.

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