#literally though i had that Arc'teryx dress 2 halara dresses and one pair of shorts i could stand and i just cycled between those for like 3

[spurgie-cousin]

If we’re requesting outfit advice I’m in desperate need: I have a job this summer in a building with no air conditioning and the dress code is business casual. AKA none of my jean shorts allowed and jean shorts are the only shorts I own. I’ve been looking at linen shorts and those paperbag style shorts but I have no idea how to wear them without looking like I’m drowning in them AND also style them so that I look my age (30).

Also I’m a ginger so I feel like that limits my color options because a lot of colors straight up wash me out between my skin and my hair🙃

Oh I totally feel you on those shorts, they're such a crap shoot. The only time they've ever looked good on me is when I paired then with a bodysuit, which probably doesn't qualify as business casual lol otherwise though I'm kind of bottom heavy so they tend to look weird on me.

Are dresses an option? I used to work for a park and was constantly outdoors or in offices that had bad air conditioning, and I pretty much lived in these dresses I found from Arc'teryx and Halara that look business casual but are made of super lightweight breathable material. My dress code was super lax so I could show arms, so this Arc'teryx one (first pic, called Contenta Shift Dress) I got through REI's resale was my favorite (the best, coolest material I've ever worn on any garment) but Halara has similar material and way more options for sleeves and length (all the dresses besides the first one are from Halara):

Super breezy compared to normal dress material, totally saved my life. I'm also pale btw with kind of a red undertone in my hair, for me blues and greens tend to compliment my skin the most, like that green ^ would probably look great on a light skin tone!

Also along those lines, skirts with the right fabric can be way more airy than pants.

Other than that, I do recommend linen shorts but I don't have a reliable place to find them sadly, the couple I have found were sheer luck bc shorts in general are hit or miss when your butt and thighs are a size bigger than the rest of you lol. I did see Halara had some linen shorts while I was looking for those dresses that could possibly work for business casual? I haven't tried them though (I'm not a Halara ambassador I swear):

If anyone knows of any other brands that put an emphasis on breathable fabric or just any good ideas for hot weather work outfits, definitely leave them in the notes for anon!