This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Are short-sleeved suits appropriate for young women in professional jobs — or are they horribly frumpy and tacky? Reader C wonders.
What are your thoughts on short-sleeved suits? Appropriate or tacky? To provide some context, I am an attorney in my late 20s in Kansas City, and I work for a non-profit which is generally business casual, erring on the side of casual. I also never have to appear in court. I’m looking for a summer suit for any big meetings and/or conferences that may pop up, and last summer it was blazing hot for months. Is a short-sleeved suit (probably khaki, white, or navy) ever appropriate in these settings? Or would I just look like an idiot? If I get one, I’d make sure it was fairly plain styling. If not short-sleeved, does 3/4 length work as a compromise? I am lacking in work attire role models in my office so advice would be much appreciated!
{related: summer work clothes: how to look professional when it’s hot out}
Short-Sleeved Suits for Work We’ve Loved: A Look Back
Difficult question. My gut reaction here is: when you say “short sleeved suit,” I think of something like the picture above — horribly frumpy. But that said, I have recommended short-sleeved suits at least four times here on Corporette (pictured below):
(Awww, remember the puff sleeve trend of 2008?)
I also fondly remember wearing a cap-sleeved blazer that I got from Anthropologie years ago (Nanette Lepore, I believe) — I normally wore it in the fall and spring on top of long-sleeved tees and turtlenecks with a pencil skirt; I remember it so fondly because I happened to be wearing it when my husband proposed. I can’t find a picture of it or me in in it that really displays the jacket, but it was similar to the purplish one above in cut.
(Update: I just found a picture of me in it!) So: never say never.
{related: 5 tips to stay cool on your commute on really hot days}
Update: Short-Sleeved Suits We Love
We’ll update this space if we find any short-sleeved suits we love! I wouldn’t say we love them, but as of 2023 Theory has an option… but know your office!
Should She Buy a Short-Sleeved Suit for Hot Weather?
But here — where Reader C almost never wears suits — I’d say she should instead spend her money on a seasonless wool suit (with both pants and a skirt) from the likes of Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J.Crew, or Theory if she can afford it — and carry her suit jacket with her to meetings in the hot Kansas summers, only putting it on once she’s inside the inevitably air-conditioned building or meeting.
This is because a) these meetings will inevitably be air conditioned and you’ll be freezing in there, b) even if they are hot, for my $.02 you’ll look far more professional even if you’re just sitting in the meeting with your suit jacket hung neatly on a chair, and c) how crazy hot do your elbows really get that you need a short-sleeved suit?
If you have a lot of outdoor meetings in the summer that necessitate wearing suits I might look for a long-sleeved version in a lighter fabric like cotton or linen, but I think for Reader C’s purposes, seasonless wool would give her a lot more bang for her buck.
{related: what to wear to work in summer}
Other Options for Looking Professional in Hot Weather
These are some of our latest favorites!
Lightweight Blazers
Hunting for lightweight blazers in linen and other fabrics? As of 2023, J.Crew’s Parke blazer is available in linen, as is this super affordable Quince blazer. Along related lines (all machine washable!), check out Uniqlo’s Airsense jacket (lightweight and stretchy), Madewell’s Drapeweave line (lightweight and drapey) and Brooks Brothers’ Soft Icons line (lightweight and drapey).
White Blazers for Summer
White blazers are a classic for summer!
April 2023 Update: These are some of our latest favorite white blazers...
Lightweight Summer Pants
Lightweight Suits
Hunting for travel-friendly suits for women or lightweight suits? As of 2023, some of our favorites include these brands/lines: 1) M.M.LaFleur, 2) Ministry of Supply, 3) Paul Smith, and 4) Talbots. (Not pictured: Eddie Bauer and Suitably! Brooks Brothers also occasionally has suiting in their BrooksCool line, and Uniqlo occasionally has Airism suiting. ) You may also want to check out our roundup of washable suits for women!
What do you think, readers — is this a regional thing? Do you often see short-sleeved suits at summer meetings and networking events? If you only have a few suits in your closet, should one of them be a short-sleeved one?
{related: the best work dresses}
This post was originally written in 2013, but updated as indicated.