It’s been hot the last couple of weeks in London, at last!  And last week I was in New York – well if you think it’s hot here, New York was roasting!  Usually in offices the air con does it’s job, but certainly in New York it was struggling, and what happens there often follows here!

Yes, it is hard to keep cool!  Suits and jackets certainly don’t help, so what can we do?  For guys, when they remove their jacket at least they have a smart shirt and if necessary a tie; for women, it’s finding that balance between beach and boardroom.

A few golden rules can help, depending on your company’s dress code:

• Even if your legs are brown, you should still wear tights (unless you’re wearing trousers) – go for M&S 7 denier – they keep you cool and make your legs look fabulous.
• Always wear a sleeve.  It can be a very small sleeve, but seeing your underarm is not deemed to be very business like, even if you do epilate!
• Linen I love, but tends to look a bit too shabby-chic for the office after a hot journey in on the tube.
• Try and keep a grip on your hemline, two inches above the knee is quite enough.
• No-one likes flip flops more than me, but if you want to be smart, toes and heels should be covered.  Wear them too and from the office though!
• Beware white trousers, they are often very revealing – who wants their colleagues to know whether they go thong or brief?
• See through fabrics and bra straps on show, can be distracting in a meeting – don’t give anyone the excuse of losing concentration!

There are some lovely smart dresses around, go and pick one up in the sales.  Add a short cardigan or even a light jacket for important meetings.

Enjoy the sunshine!