How to Dress Professionally When Things Heat Up
In the summer, when I go to court, I relish that I am a lady lawyer - sorry, guys. I look around at all the male attorneys in suits and know they will be a hot, sweaty mess at the end of their day. And I have to thank some trail-blazing women attorneys in Virginia who broke the glass ceilings by wearing pants, dresses, and mixed suiting options, making it acceptable for women attorneys today to have a lot of leeway in what we wear. The standard used to be skirt suit, heels, and pantyhose. The pandemic has also made things a bit more casual, even for attorneys, especially on non-court days - although I tend always to be a bit dressier because I feel more comfortable being overdressed than underdressed. All of this has made dressing professionally a bit of a dilemma, especially when it is hot outside, but inside, the air-conditioning is so cold. So what do you wear when things heat up outside yet still need to look professional?
My go-to for in court or important meetings is the structured dress, sometimes with a blazer. I love a dress with a lot of built-in structure and lining. I often meander into Sara Campbell in Old Town as they tend to have very tailored and professional pieces that I can wear into court. I like pieces with side ruching or a structured neck that are lined. I am very short-waisted, so I tend to need pieces with a defined waist.
True confession: I actually own a ton of St. John. I always used to think of it as an old lady brand, but if you are discerning, they have some great pieces - dresses, jackets, tops - that have really flattering, classic lines and lovely, breathable fabric. Other favorite brands are Ellie Tahari, DKNY, and Hugo Boss. Finding Hugo Boss’ women’s line can be tough, but their pieces fit me so well. In the past few years, I have also turned to consignment shops, especially high-end ones like Mint Condition, as it has been so hard to find dress clothes in regular stores. I recently bought a cute Kate Spade short-sleeved orange sweater that is warm enough for my office, but I don’t die outside from Mint Condition.
Most of my suits are Theory because I can buy the full four pieces - pants, skirt, dress, and jacket - in basic colors like black, gray, and blue. I am not a huge suit person, but they are a necessary evil, and I like the mix-and-match options when I can buy all the pieces. I once saw an older woman attorney in court with a fantastic white fitted suit. It was Armani, and I immediately set out to find a fitted white suit. It looked so great on her. Plus, white works so well as separates too. Who doesn’t love a good white jacket in the summer?
The Shoe Hive has a great selection of blazer and jacket options that pair really well with a silk skirt or pencil skirt, my other go-to pieces for court days. Their Veronica Beard and Smythe selections have great lines that are really slimming. Speaking of fitted, white jackets, I love this one.
I usually either push up or roll up the sleeves on my jackets as I like the look of jackets with a fun contrasting lining. If I wear a blazer, I can sneak a silk or other light fabric tank on underneath instead of a button-up shirt; but a light button-up shirt can be fun, as then I can knot it after work for a more casual vibe. That means when I get out the courthouse door into the soupy humid air, I can pull off the jacket and look more fashionable and transition into a dinner or happy hour, too. My co-workers often joke that I leave our work social events for other social events, which is true (on occasion). I love Old Town and meeting new people, so I love going to all the events around town.
On my non-court or meeting days, I loosen things up a bit and have more fun. I will wear a more casual dress, or wide-leg slacks and a cute short sleeve top. The days I wear sandals or white jeans are great, and usually mean I am spending most of the day in my office and have no meetings with clients. But this casual-fun option means I can walk to meet a friend for lunch at Momo Sushi, St. Elmo’s, or Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House and still look good! My office is in Old Town North, and I am lucky to be able to walk to good lunch options! But our air conditioning is on full blast, so I always have a blazer or go the Michelle Obama route with a cardigan sweater (thanks, Girl, that sweater game really helped us all out) because when I step back into the office, I freeze. If you can’t tell, I am a bit of a blazer addict. I wear them with pants, dresses, skirts, jeans, anything really. They create a nice silhouette and can make a dress dressier, more work-oriented, or punch up a more casual look. I have a fun flower blazer that I relish each year when I start wearing it regularly again in the summer.
