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Lighten
Up for Summer Comfort and Business Smarts
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*A
monthly column devoted to helping women and men
be their best and most confident in any situation.
Topics include dress, body language, attitude and
etiquette.
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Victoria Seitz, PhD
Image Expert |
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Memorial weekend is the time when most of us kick off the summer
season. However, for business, special considerations have to
be made to accommodate the hotter climate and humidity. This is
not the time to wear your sleeveless lycra top, short skirt and
sandals. Nor is it time to wear your short sleeved shirts without
a tie or jacket. Depending on the type of profession you are in,
where you live and the corporate culture, accommodating the hotter
weather can be a breeze. Here are some guideline that will get
you through while keeping your professionalism intact.
- Avoid synthetics such as 100 percent lycra and polyester.
These fabrics don't breathe and you will feel that you have
to literally peel off your clothes in the evening.
- Consider lighter colors rather than black and navy
that absorb heat. Try, mauve, beige, kakhi, cadet blue, and
camel colors.
- Men's shirts should remain long sleeved but it is
cooler to roll them up a couple of time when working in your
office than a short sleeve shirt.
- Some companies may have a policy that men do not have
to wear jackets during the summer so make sure that your tie,
shirt and pants are in tip-top shape.
- Avoid white in pants, skirts and jackets. Rather pursue
a winter or creamy white for these pieces.
- For men's shirts, keep to lighter colors as well as
for pants for day time and wear the dark suit for special evening
occasions.
- Women might consider wearing city shorts with a blazer
but still, stockings are a must.
- Consider tropical weight wools with lycra for easy
movement and comfort. Most people find it hard to consider wool
in the summer but it can be made into very lightweight fabrics.
I have found great lightweight suits at LandsEnd that were even
light weight than some of the tropical weight wools I had. You
can now find LandsEnd clothing at Sears or www.landsend.com.
- As I get older I hate wearing things such as belts
around my waist so consider short-sleeve knit mock turtlenecks
to go under blazers.
- If your company has a business casual policy, consider
mock turtlenecks or polo styled shirts under a blazer. That
is a great comfortable style for work.
- Blended fabrics with polyester are not bad. Wool blended
with lycra or polyester is comfortable as well as 80 percent
cotton 20 percent polyester shirts. Just as long as the natural
fiber makes up the majority of the fabric.
- Sleeveless tops for women are not appropriate for
work when worn solo, have your jacket with you when outside
your office and in meetings. Jackets with short sleeves can
be very comfortable as well.
- Avoid pastels in business attire and go for muted
tones such as cadet-blue, aqua, mauve, and golden yellow.
- Please no sandals, white shoes or boat shoes for work.
Wear those on your time.
- Be sure to accessorize for impact and create options
for your summer wardrobe such as scarves, belts, jewelry as
well as ties belts and hosiery for men. Ladies you don't need
to change your bag. One bag that goes with everything summer,
winter, spring or fall is the right choice. Men in Europe also
carry small purses for money and other documents. This is better
than sitting on your wallet all day which cuts off circulation
in the back end.
- Finally, remember it is business as usual, although
many of you will be taking some time off. So enjoy and be successful
this summer!
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Victoria
Seitz, PhD is a professor of Marketing at California State
University, San Bernardino and is author of Your Executive
Image, AdamsMedia, Inc, 2000 and Power Dressing, DonJon
Publishing, 1991. In addition to teaching, Dr. Seitz was a fashion
coordinator for Burdines, Florida and in retail management for
Saks Fifth Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Clients of Dr. Seitz have included
Abbott Laboratories, Northern Telecom, Texas Instruments, Yellow
Freight Systems, Sally Beauty Company, the United States Armed
Forces, Travellife magazine, YWCA and Accountants Overload, in
addition to law firms, hotels, newspapers, universities, banks,
credit unions, national and local community and professional organizations
nationwide.
To learn more about Dr. Seitz please visit her website at www.cbpa.csusb.edu/vseitz.
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