We spent the whole time waiting for hot weather, then when it arrives, end up melting in a hot office. Here are top tips for staying cool in the office this summer…
We spend all winter complaining about the driving rain and heavy snow and then summer comes, and we remember that wearing a suit and tie to the office when it’s sweltering outside, is no joke either. Looking smart and professional when the temperature rises is a challenge, but it’s a challenge that you can meet without compromising your appearance, so chin up and start taking some evasive action. Here are our top tips for staying cool in the office this summer…
Choose Carefully The Materials Which You Wear
It’s vital that everything that you wear in summer is breathable and that means that you need to stick to natural fabrics as much as possible. The Americans, who work in far hotter conditions than we do in Britain, tend to wear undershirts, which if necessary, they can change at work without needing to change their shirt. This may seem to counter-intuitive but wearing an undershirt will ensure that you don’t arrive drenched in sweat even before you’ve reached the office. Uniqlo’s microfibre undershirts cool and deodorise you and are thin enough that they won’t show under your shirt. Linen shirts are by far the coolest material to wear because the structure of the material holds the shirt away from your body and allows air to circulate, however, linen shirts always have a crumpled appearance and don’t work so well with a tie. These will certainly help with staying cool in the office this summer!
Avoid non-crease shirts, which may be very convenient when you are in a rush in the morning, but are likely to have a high percentage of non-breathable synthetic material. Ditch those heavyweight polyester suits that you’ve been wearing all winter and go for a light suit in wool. Wool sounds like it should be warm, but light weave wool is by far your coolest option. For that Southern Gentleman look you could go for a seersucker suit, which like linen has a crumpled weave which prevents it from clinging to your body. For most of us though its appearance is just a touch too flamboyant for a British office. Suits without linings, linings are usually made from synthetic materials, are more expensive because of the greater level of finishing required, but they are oh so much cooler to wear. Go for a looser cut, with flaps in the jacket to allow the air to circulate.
Stay Cool On Your Journey To Work
Tubes, trains and city streets can be sweltering in the summer and arriving at the office soaking in sweat is an exhausting way to start the day. Carry your jacket, undo your tie and wear your sunglasses when you’re walking the streets. earing sunglasses will reduce the chance of getting a headache later in the day. Trendy brands like Ray-Ban enable you to customise the lenses in many of their classic styles, so that you can even have your prescription lenses fitted if you choose.
Watch What You Eat and Drink
Skip the teas and coffees. Hot drinks raise your body temperature and so does caffeine. Drink water, three litres a day should be your target, there are even apps to monitor your intake. Cutting your calorie intake lowers your core temperature too, so stick to those salads for lunch to help you with staying cool in the office this summer.
What do you think of our tips for staying cool in the office this summer? Let us know!
