How to dress for work in hot weather

Stay informed with free updates

Simply sign up to the Style myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.

What do I wear in this heat when a T-shirt won’t cut it?

There has never been a better time to strip down, sartorially and, well . . . out of sheer necessity, it seems. And sure, maybe a totally transparent mesh dress or itty-bitty tee might work on holiday, but what about that 10am meeting you traversed the city for? 

There are a few trends in the ether that we can use to our advantage throughout this preternaturally hot, dry summer. Pyjama dressing brings us crisp poplin nightgowns. Not quite office material, but its infiltration into the fashion zeitgeist last summer (still going strong) has given us a slew of crisp cotton siblings — tanks with broderie anglaise or ruffled detail. These easy white tops are fantastic summer base layers that both keep you cool and sit pleasantly away from the body on a commute. Posse’s square-neck Cecilia top would look perfect tucked into a slim linen skirt ($199, possethelabel.com), and both Rue Sophie’s Giulietta Pintuck top (£111, ruesophie.com) and Dissh’s Flynn top (£130, dissh.com) will give your waist a bit of reprieve while resting airily untucked over a tailored cropped pant. 

The sleeveless-ness of these cotton shells makes layering an open-weave cardigan easy once the A/C hits — no fussing with bulbous sleeves. To keep the look elevated, choose a gauzy cardigan in a neutral shade such as Toteme’s fine-knit cardigan in grey (£370, int.toteme.com) or Max Mara’s cropped beige cardigan (£250, mytheresa.com), which gives the more casual tops an air of seriousness. No need to let the whole office know you are counting down to the vacation.

While we are on the subject of neutrals, macramé and crochet are getting a makeover in shapes to be worn beyond the beach. Loosely knitted skirts seem to be everywhere and stay pleasantly wrinkle-free. For the wrinkle- (ie linen) averse crowd, a summery knit might be the solution. I like to recommend a lined and midi-length hem in this category to ensure no one is questioning your outfit’s use case. Emporio Sirenuse’s Mulia skirt (€1,590, emporiosirenuse.com) and ALC’s Lana skirt (£430, alcltd.com) both do the trick. 

Pair either with a black sleeveless button-down from Margaret Howell (£275, margarethowell.co.uk) — perfect for hiding sweat — or Flore Flore’s Esmé tank (£74, flore-flore.com) in navy and Sandro’s ivory, boxy linen-blend blazer (£264, uk.sandro-paris.com), worn unbuttoned, to give the appearance of staying cool, even if you’re trying to remind yourself to hydrate.

I’d hate to tell you that you have to stick to neutrals all summer, though. Vibrant colours in matching sets can look more polished than a mix-and-match palette in lighter layers. Consider Ulla Johnson’s matching lace-trimmed Kadene top (£750, ullajohnson.com) and Omila skirt (£1,280, ullajohnson.com) in a bright yellow that somehow manages to be both conservative and cool in linen. Broken apart, the top easily pairs with white pants and the skirt with a short-sleeve knit.

Arket’s linen-blend tank (£67, arket.com) and skirt set (£87, arket.com) in a reddish rust is another option. It’s crinkled because, against all odds, that look is trending this season. Which means that you can ease up on your linen and . . . let it live. A breezy white linen button-down tucked into any of your favourite work skirts instantly relaxes an outfit. Wash, hang dry and skip the steam. You’re welcome!

If planning to tuck in, I recommend sizing up, maybe even taking a men’s style such as Theory’s Irving shirt and rolling the sleeves to get the blousy benefits while retaining a waistline (£99, uk.theory.com). For untucked options, look for something cropped that hits just below your waistband, such as TWP’s Next Ex shirt in linen (£435, farfetch.com).

But ideally, when the temperature makes any form of touch a hazard, there’s nothing quite like a white cotton dress that sits away from the body. I look to a niche group of designers known for their ability to make tent-like silhouettes radiate chic. I’m talking about the Italian designer Daniela Gregis (£1,590, moukimou.com), whose forgiving cotton dresses come twisted and writhed into little balls (great for travel!) and Casey Casey (£766, caseycasey.eu), a brand known for cool, papery cotton dresses with enormous gathered skirts, both carried at Mouki Mou at 29 Chiltern Street in London. There are also plenty of options that gently hug the waist for a more traditionally flattering take. La Ligne’s Wilhelmina dress (£219, lalignenyc.com) comes to mind, as does Staud’s Meryl dress (£455, staud.clothing).

Whatever your silhouette of choice, light colours that deflect the sun, natural fibres to keep your body cool and a meditation on wrinkle acceptance will be all you need to get yourself comfortably to September. Until then, long live linen! 

Follow us on Instagram and sign up for Fashion Matters, your weekly newsletter about the fashion industry