If the title of this post was “What I Wish I Was Wearing This Week,” it would be all about bikinis, cutoffs, and sundresses.  But, the job that provides me with a paycheck insists those aren’t office-appropriate attire, so instead I rounded up 4 office-ready outfits that are summery enough to be comfortable in this Georgia heat, while still portraying the professional image that I attempt to maintain (note the word “attempt;” I realize I’m not always successful with that).

One of the problems with dressing during the summer Down South is that while it is hot and humid outside, most business places keep the air conditioner set on “just above freezing.”  This means that while you may arrive for work in a sleeveless blouse and sandals, by lunch time your toes are purple and you are shivering from the cold.  Stepping out into the heat at lunch time actually feels good.  That’s why I try to select outfits that I can pair with either a cardigan or blazer.  Each of the sleeveless blouses featured this week have an accompanying little cardigan that I can throw in my laptop bag and wear if I get cold.

Navy Blue Striped Ann Taylor Factory Petite Skirt with Sleeveless Navy Loft Outlet Blouse; Adrienne Vittadini Navy Wedge Pumps (from Off Broadway, no longer available):  I’m having a love affair with Ann Taylor and Loft skirts this summer, and lucky for me there is an outlet mall just down the road with both a Loft Outlet store and an Ann Taylor Factory store.  The prices at the outlets are awesome, making it easy to expand my work clothes wardrobe.  I have several pieces in my closet right now; the skirts fit so well and it’s so easy to change the look by just switching up which top I’m wearing.

Olive Green New York & Company 7th Avenue Crop with Navy Floral Shell; Nude Michael by Michael Shannon Wedge Sandals:  The 7^th Avenue Crops from NY & Company are great because they fit me like regular pants.  Most stores don’t carry the same selection in petites as regular sizes, so buying crops instead allows me to shop like a regular sized person!  Another bonus when it comes to shopping at NY & Co. is they have awesome sales and really good coupons.  AND, if they don’t have it in-store, they’ll order it for you and have it shipped to your house.  The Michael Shannon sandals are my absolute favorite work shoe this season.  I love them so much I have them in two colors (black and nude).  They are super comfortable, the leather upper is soft, and they go with everything.  I got them at a BOGO sale at Off Broadway Shoes earlier this season.  I wear these so much, I may need to go on and buy another pair in each color to stick away for next year.

Olive Green Mossimo Sleeveless Blouse with Ann Taylor Loft Petites Skirt:  I bought this skirt gently used from Poshmark (if you aren’t familiar with Poshmark, check out my blog post on this super cool social commerce tool for buying and selling used clothing and accessories).  This is just one of the great deals on Ann Taylor clothes I snagged using the Poshmark app.  The blouse was a steal at Target when I found it on the clearance rack for under $15!

White New York & Company 7th Avenue Crops with Floral Madison Stretch Shirt; black Michael by Michael Shannon Wedge Sandals:  Another pair of the 7^th Avenue Crops because as I mentioned above, they fit so well!  We all know that the “no white after Labor Day” rule went out the window years ago, but even so, I still like to get in as much white during the summer as possible; I think I wear a pair of white pants once a week right now!  The black and floral top, also from NY & Co looks perfect with the crisp white pants, and the best thing about their button down shirts is the fit:  a little bit of stretch makes them comfortable and a hidden snap in between the buttons on the bust ensures the girls won’t “peek” through!  I wore this with my favorite Michael Shannon wedge sandals, this time in black.

All of my necklaces come from Charming Charlie – their super-low prices mean you can buy all the trendy pieces you want without breaking the bank.  These pieces are 2 and 3 years old, so even though the prices are low, the pieces have still held up.

Next Week:  Blush & Burgundy