THE HOT WEATHER isn’t going away. 

In fact, as Met Éireann warned us earlier today, it’s only going to get hotter. 

The current spell is the third period of hot weather we’ve experienced since late May. 

And while some of us may be working from home in shorts (and a lucky few are off sitting on the beach) many of us still have to make our way to the office each day, having made wardrobe choices based on the usual four-seasons-in-day weather we normally experience in Ireland. 

For those of us who work in more corporate or formal offices, dressing for the heat can be a nightmare.

The last thing anyone wants to wear in 30 degree weather is a full suit. 

So in work settings where these dress codes and cultures are in place, what are people supposed to do?

Most corporate offices enforce some kind of dress code for both men and women. Many civil servants also have strict rules, including those that work in Leinster House.

While things aren’t so stringent here at The Journal’s own offices, us reporters need to make sure to dress formally enough so that we don’t look out of place in a courtroom or at a political press conference. 

Then, of course, there’s the evergreen debate of whether it is ever appropriate for men to wear shorts to an office. 

So should we all just suffer and sweat in silence? 

Stylist Cathy O’Connor (@Cathyocstylist on Instagram) told us it’s all about wearing clothes made of “lightweight and ideally natural fabric – as natural a fabric as you can afford”.

She explained: “With so much clothing now being essentially plastic, that is designed to just pump the heat through your body.”

Stylist and colour analysis specialist Jules Boylan (@styled_byjules__ on Instagram) concurred, recommending people seek out fabrics like linen and cotton that offer the breathability not found in others. 

Light linen dresses like these are formal in structure but also breathable in the heat Alamy Alamy

For staff who need to be more formal in their workwear, O’Connor and Boylan have a few staples for our wardrobes.

For women, they recommend light linen trousers, shirts, collared dresses and anything with a bit of structure but that also keeps with light fabrics – meaning you can ensure you keep that formal look but don’t melt in the heat.

For men, it’s worth investing in a lighter suit, if you’re required to wear one. People can try a linen suit in a darker fabric to maintain formality while also staying cool.

Items like structured lightweight trousers are also good options for men.

Structured, lightweight linen trousers are good summeroffice wear for both men and women Alamy Alamy

O’Connor said we need to consider that what we wear to the office “gives a sense of your role, your purpose, a sense of formality, a sense of respect for yourself and for the client and for the environment that you’re in”.

Using lighter fabrics can maintain all of this image while giving us some relief from the heat. 

Boylan said, though some of the standards in dress codes are “so outdated”, it is possible to dress for the heat, look formal and feel like you looks good.

“You want the shape, the silhouette to suit you, it’s flowy, breathable, and also you want to look nice. You want to feel good, it’s hard enough when you’re sweaty.”

The great shorts debate

As for whether you can ever get away with shorts in an office, the jury is still out on that one.

There are some offices where shorts are never going to be met with anything but a disapproving look from your peers (and possibly even a strongly-worded DM from a boss).

But for workers who think their own situation may be something of a grey area, Boylan reckons it’s possible to get away with them if they’re tailored and you make sure there’s “not a cargo short in sight”.

O’Connor is less sure if shorts will ever be office appropriate and thinks we still associate them “with being on holidays”.

“I think what people may notice about you most if you are going into meetings is less about who you are, but the fact that you’re wearing shorts.”

Sorry shorts campaigners, but O’Connor is “not sure that Ireland is quite ready for the man in shorts”.

The debate continues.