As merchandising reps, you live all over the country and encounter all kinds of weather—but summer offers more than its share of flaming-hot days for everyone. Your traditional neat, business casual wear as outlined by Teresa always serves as the underpinning of choices, but there are options to remain more comfortable in the heat. So NO to shorts. YES to cotton or denim pants. Say NO to thin see-through tops or crop tops, YES to a cotton button-ups. Sleeveless tops are rarely considered a part of business casual wear.
Theme parks and warehouses offer the biggest challenges to staying both cool and fit. Sunscreen, water bottles, and hats are daily staples. It might be handy to keep a small tub in your car to hold things to pick up items after you park. A light backpack is your friend. Look for zippered pouches and an appropriate pocket for a water bottle.
Adopt a Summer Palette
Just like your grandmothers never wore white after Labor Day, there are some tried and true color schemes which can help you stay and look fresh in 2025. What do you notice about this color palette?
I hope you picked up on the muted tones. Cream, taupe, beige and country blue form your baseline with black, brown and khaki as accessorizing tones to add.
You don’t have to adopt this palette, but shy away from bright colors and too many dark accents. A few mix and match pieces can serve you well, both at work and in your personal life. If you have a vacation coming up, what you wear for work may become the basis of a carry on to save on luggage fees. If this is a new concept for you, try it on for size and get used to it. You will begin to see yourself in a new way, and others will as well.
Dress in Breathable Layers
Summer natural fabrics include cotton, poplin, linen and silk. A lightweight jacket or sweater is helpful to carry in case you find yourself in some AC or a sudden rainstorm. Steer away from thin, see-through tops which fill a lot of the popular clothes racks. Remember, you are a professional—dress like one!
Invest In a Moisture Wicking Piece
These are pricey, but one goes a long way. I ordered a navy blue pair of navy capris from 32 Degrees and upon receiving them, hastily bought a second pair in navy and a third in black. I am less a fan of the trendy athletic shirts, but guys seem to love them. I had to do a little investigating to figure out what moisture wicking meant when I first saw it mentioned, and found the scientific concept is sound.
I chose to invest in pants because I hate the inevitable wrinkles in linen and denim gets just downright hot when you are working in the heat. Tights are not a part of business casual wear. A professional does not dress to accentuate the figure, but to put the focus on skill sets over body. Take yourself seriously and others will as well.
Dresses Seldom Stand Alone
Flowy dresses are cool, but you will do a lot of bending over and lifting. To remain professional, you may need to layer a pair of Bermudas under the dress. A sundress often requires a t-shirt to keep both the neckline and the sleeves modest.
The most important thing to consider is your responsibility to your company. Midwest Merchandising is represented by each of you, and your appearance can either make this a professional company or one our vendors would rather not have around. When you dress appropriately it protects your paycheck as well. Not a light consideration.
