A Men’s Guide to Business Casual Work Style for Summer

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It can be difficult to follow the office dress code at the height of summer. However, you don’t have to sacrifice propriety or luxury just because it’s gotten hot. Certain colors can keep you cool; certain fabrics can walk the line between formal and informal. Even your favorite slim-fit tee can be worked into a business casual wardrobe with the right overall look.

If you need to look good in business casual no matter the temperature, consider this your guide to styling summer menswear.

What Is Business Casual?

Men’s fashion can be measured on a scale of shorts to suits, with one end being the most casual and the other end being the most formal. Business casual is a look that sits squarely in the middle: It’s more polished than jeans and sneakers but more relaxed than full suits and ties.

So what does a business casual outfit actually look like? While every workplace will have different standards, here are a few staples:

  • Collared shirts
  • Button-down shirts
  • Professional-looking slacks or chinos
  • Blazer or sports coat
  • Dress shoes

Essential Menswear Pieces for Summer

If you’re ready to start building a summer work wardrobe, here are just a few staple pieces that can serve as the foundation for all kinds of fits.

Short-sleeved polos

Polo shirts are a great way to upgrade your usual t-shirts while still remaining more casual than button-downs or collared shirts. They’re also suitable for various occasions: You can wear them everywhere, from the office to the golf course.

Light-colored pants

You’ll want to stick with dress pants for your business casual look. Don’t dress too easygoing, like jeans or joggers. However, feel free to experiment with lighter fare than your usual blacks and navy blues. Summer is a time for color. You can find all sorts of chinos in light pastels.

Button-down shirts

Button-down shirts are quintessential to business casual. They’ll keep you looking sharp without requiring you to haul out the entire suit. What’s more, button-down shirts can continue serving you into the winter by becoming layering pieces under sweaters and blazers.

Blazers

Blazers are usually the first thing that you’ll want to ditch when the temperature rises. However, you can enjoy some relief from the heat when you shop for summertime blazers made from light, breathable fabrics like linen and cotton. You can also opt for brighter colors that will deflect the sun’s rays rather than absorb them. How about finding a new statement piece in a colorful blazer?

Loafers

Loafers and other slip-ons can be acceptable alternatives to dress shoes. You can also shop for casual dress shoes like chukkas, derby shoes and desert boots. These will give you a certain flair without looking too formal. Just make sure to match your sock color appropriately.

Ties

Ties are usually considered too formal for business casual. However, they can still work when incorporated into a more casual outfit and not worn with a full suit. You can also play around with skinny or patterned ties to add a more modern, fashionable twist to a menswear classic.

Accessories

The trick to accessorizing in the summertime is to find pieces that won’t weigh you down. For example, your usual luxury watch might get slippery with sweat as it sits heavily on your wrist all day. Switch it out with a chained pocket watch instead. You’ll look dapper, and you’ll stay cool to boot.

Colors To Wear

You’ve probably heard that dark colors absorb more heat than light ones. It’s true, which is why summer fashion tends to be bright.

Classic options include white, beige, cream and light gray. These neutrals can be paired with almost anything, and they’re especially useful as staple colors when building a professional wardrobe.

To get a little more fun, extend your palette into the pastels: lavender, coral, mauve, pistachio, baby blue, pale yellow and others. You can find almost any color in a gentle, sun-deflecting shade.

Do you like to make a statement when you walk into a room? Go bold with something like pine green or royal purple. A bright short-sleeved henley can be paired with darker slacks to balance its overall color composition and give you a pop of personality without overwhelming the eye.

Best Summer Fabrics

Some fabrics are better suited to the heat than others. Tweed, for example, is a heavy wintertime material that would leave you sweating buckets under a summer sun. Better alternatives are as follows:

  • Linen: Linen is a highly breathable fabric with large fibers and an open weave that won’t trap body heat.
  • Cotton: Cotton is known as a four-season fabric because its versatility allows it to be woven into everything from corduroy to herringbone, making it wearable in some form or another in all temperatures.
  • Rayon: Another breathable fabric, rayon won’t make you sweat as much as other fabrics, and it’ll quickly dry when sweat is inevitable.
  • Silk: Silk is a soft and lightweight material that will drape over your frame rather than cling to it, reducing heat and friction.
  • Wool: Though you might think of it as a winter fabric, wool is actually a great choice for summer sports coats. It has moisture-wicking properties that will keep sweat away from your skin.

The Best Fits for Men’s Business Casual in the Summer

It’s entirely possible to create a light and comfortable summertime wardrobe that still conforms to the standards of professionalism. Whether you’re interviewing, going into the office or simply upgrading your everyday look, business casual is a style that you can customize for any weather.