Breaking the (dress) code

By Jennifer Quinn
BBC News Online Magazine

Bare shoulders, exposed tummies, unpedicured toes. There's a lot of things that shouldn't be seen in the office, and those are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Summer throws our sense of what's appropriate for work - and sometimes our common sense - out the window.

What not to wear - unless you're Britney (and maybe not then)

It's hot and the last place you want to be is the office. But it's first thing in the morning, and the next place you have to be is, of course, the office.

Scanning the wardrobe, you choose something pretty and summery, a floral dress and skimpy sandals - an outfit that might work perfectly on a terrace after work, but probably isn't great for your staid City job.

You risk it anyway. And that is, of course, the day you get called in to talk to the big boss.

"I think people forget that there's a difference between home and the office, a weekend and weekday," says Tamsin Doe, fashion director for InStyle magazine.

"People, in the summer weather, forget that there are still dress codes at work."

It's hard to be a woman

Women generally struggle more than men with the eternal what-to-wear question, but the summer is bad for both sexes. For everyone, the dress code at the office is shaped by the industry in which they work.

The music or fashion industries require a different sartorial style than the financial or legal world.

Uhh, no

But no matter the job or the office, there are some rules that should never be broken, says Richard Gray, of Harvey Nicols in London.

"Sleeveless tops," he says. "If you're 14 and you've got stick insect arms, then they're great. But if, like 90% of the women in this country, the tops of your arms aren't your best feature, then stay away.

"The skirt above the knee?" Mr Gray continues. "It gets the wrong reaction from the male side of the office. And the female side of the office don't like it either."

But all too often, the worst of all sins can be spotted by looking down: flimsy sandals with unpedicured tootsies.

"If you're going to wear sandals, please - please! - get a pedicure," Mr Gray says, adding that advice also goes for men who choose to bare their toes. "There is no excuse."

Men struggle, too

Both Ms Doe and Mr Gray agree that simply because it's warm - or, this being Britain, it's sometimes warm and frequently raining - dress codes shouldn't be put away with winter coats.

"Office dress is a minefield at any time of the year, but more so in the summer," Mr Gray says.

"Just because it's summer doesn't mean that you leave your jacket at home. There will be that important meeting with the CEO, and if you don't have a jacket, you'll look a mess."

Diamond sandals are slightly OTT - but nice toes

"The thing people should say to themselves in the morning is that we should all be dressing for our next job," Ms Doe adds. "Think, 'Is this what my boss will be wearing?' And that should guide them."

Ms Doe's no-no's for the summertime office include hipster trousers - "You can wear hipsters if the shirt goes into them" - a bare stomach, and inappropriately flimsy or low-cut tops.

The problem, Mr Gray believes, is that summer here is too short for the British public to really get to grips with how to dress appropriately for the season.

"I think as a nation, we have no concept of summertime dress," he says. "You get two weeks in August where the sun is out. But we are getting better."