Through the window, it looks pretty terrific. Bright sun, blue skies. another beautiful summer day. But with just one tiny toe across the threshold, things begin to happen. Bad things begin to happen. Little droplets form on your forehead. Wafts of oven air hit you head-on, sending trickles all the way to your waist. Your crisp blouse clings like cellophane.
Outsmarting the heat-which means avoiding it when you can and getting ready for it when you can`t-is not easy. But with some extra attention to style and fabric when you`re picking selections from your closet, keeping cool in high temperatures is certainly possible.
”The secret to summer dressing is the ability to layer,” says Hope Rudnick, director of corporate services at Henri Bendel. Many women need to wear suits or jackets to work. Substituting a short-sleeved or cap-sleeved lightweight shell or tee for the higher-necked, long-sleeved blouse is a cooler alternative. The small sleeve will allow a woman in a conservative office to remove her jacket without feeling as if she`s at the beach.
Necklines that fall at or just below the collarbone can go to work without any trouble, Rudnick says. Shorter, less-voluminous skirts or walking shorts will ease the heat, as well.
Dresses are perhaps the most unencumbered way to endure the elements and still look appropriate for the office. And this season, they`re taking all kinds of shapes. There are sheaths, A-lines, short dropped waists, and cool sleeveless chemises.
”If the clothes are well-groomed,” says Geri Savidge, director of publicity for Ann Taylor, ”then the individual feels well-groomed. The clean lines we`re seeing in dresses make you feel cooler.”
The idea, then, is to pare down, to minimize cuffs, collars, pockets and belts. Uncluttered, low-maintenance styles that skim the body feel best and hold up best when the mercury soars.
The ”less is more” approach to wilt-free dressing makes sense, as well, when it comes to fabric. Because natural fibers ”breathe”-or permit air to pass through-the best choice is 100 percent cotton, linen and silk. Although linen is a classic, it tends to rumple the second you look at it. Linen synthetic blends keep their shape longer and add no additional weight.
Washable silk, a less-costly and less wrinkly take on the real thing, and rayon lend themselves to the fluid fashion that are rampant this summer.
”We`re selling a lot of chiffons and crepes in looser shapes that are not real confining,” says Bonnie Paul, owner of Degage, at 2246 N. Clark St. ”And we`re also suggesting interesting soft shirts as an alternative to the heavy constructed jacket.”
The summer color palate is a mix of pale shades, bright prints and whites. ”There is a lot less black,” says Rudnick. ”It absorbs the heat and I think it`s psychologically hotter to wear black. But if you must, split it up with a white blouse or lighten it up with ivory accessories.”
But not too many. Again, the secret to high-temp adornment is to leave much more in your drawer than you put on. ”Go with one statement piece, like a long corded necklace or great earrings,” suggests Joannah Kornak, special events/visual manager for I. Magnin. Or trade an armful of chunky bracelets for one eye-catching cuff or icy acrylic bangle.
The more you wear, the heavier and hotter you feel. So if you are carrying a briefcase, opt for a small bag that can drape over your shoulder. Choose light-colored, ultrasheer stockings in natural or off-white ”to get the weight off,” says Rudnick.
As for shoes, feel free to go a bit strappier when you need a light-colored shoe. White is an option, but bone or fleshtone feet instead.
The same concepts of clean lines and light fabrics can carry through the weekend. Flowing cotton or rayon dresses, breezy walking shorts and cotton tees can take you to an afternoon picnic, Sunday brunch or the latest flick.
But for those a.m. ”L” stop waits, when the air is heavy and the steam is hot, even those sheer hose are going to make their presence known. In cases such as these, you`ve got to think cook to be cool. So picture yourself trekking on a Canadian glacier. . .and toss that linen jacket over your arm.
