Staying cool while staying professional

Knowing Kansas weather and the spring season, oftentimes it can become difficult to know how to dress for the week, especially when you also need or want to look professional—whether for work, school, etc. Mornings typically start out chilly, then in the afternoon the sun could be shining down hard, so how do you dress for these days while staying professional-looking? 

The key is—as it always is—is layering. If you’re thinking that you will find yourself outside at all during the day and want to be prepared for how ever warm it may end up, first you need to start out with a light tank top, or else a short-sleeved shirt if you are not comfortable with tank tops. When it comes to your top, choose one that will not look too crazy or eye-popping, instead go with a plain, solid-colored shirt; you can choose essentially any color, though it is good to keep in mind to not have too many colors so as to not overwhelm your outfit. Therefore, I would stray away from super bright colors like hot pink, any neon colors, the typical yellow (any more faded yellows are fine, like mustard or butternut yellow). Prints are fine as well, though nothing crazy; a simple striped or possibly polka dotted shirt would work, though polka dots are often tacky-looking. If you do choose a print, do not add any other items to your outfit that also has a print, as this would take away the professionalism. 

Once you’ve got your top picked out, move on to the pants. Right now, professional pants are in the limelight instead skirts or dresses. With that said, if you don’t have any professional-like pants—and by professional pants this refers to pants other than typical, boring slacks—go out and get you a pair, because they will come in handy! Since slacks are out and other professional pants are in, let’s discuss what this constitutes. The key for these pants are skinny-fit, as these often look sleeker and more put together (and more fashionable, of course). Looking for skinny-fit pants like regular khakis or colored khakis are great options, or fabric pinstriped pants if you want to be really fancy. Other options are basically a mix of leggings and slacks—soft, comfortable, fashionable, and professional. 

After making your decision of top and bottoms, next is on to the additional layer. For these spring days, the best go-to option to add to your outfit is a lightweight cardigan. A cardigan is a great option because it is light enough to keep you cool outside in the afternoon sun while also warm enough for chilly mornings and looking professional all the while. It is a good idea to keep your cardigans neutral-colored because neutral-colored ones will match more outfits, which means to keep on-hand at least one cardigan of the following colors: white, grey, black, or tan. Other color that can often look nice with multiple outfits is olive green, as this color is exceptionally popular right now. 

To round out the entire outfit, step into some nice and springy shoes. The suggested shoe to pair with this spring professional outfit is any type of sandal or ballet flat.  

Keep your wardrobe fun, professional, nice, and springy this season while also staying cool in the sunny warmth! Don’t let the coming heat scare you away from still looking nice.