Business clothing for women (Phoenix: live in, professionals, stats)

[Miranda2]

I will be attending business meetings in Phoenix and would like some advice on what Phoenix business ( mid level to upper management) women wear when its 100 degrees. For example, even though it's hot, do ladies wear dark colors and jackets? What are the latest trends? I have lived in hot cities where men and women wear winter clothes all year and demand that the AC is kept on 68.

[observer53]

You may see a dark colored skirt and a light colored blouse, (sometimes vice versa) but you won't see dark suits/jackets, and not many thermostats at 68. The drier air here makes that really unnecessary.

Wear what you would wear in warm weather to a business meeting, and you will be fine. I don't know that "the latest fashion" is required- at a business meeting here, you might see some variety of attire, and no one is going to look at you negatively if you are dressed in what is considered appropriate warm weather business attire anywhere in the country. If you think it might be chilly in the room (and sometimes it is, depending on the size of the room, the number of people, and other variables), a light sweater is a good thing to have handy, but you may not need it.

[redjan1225]

My employer does not have a rule about sleeveless shirts, so I have a couple nice, sleeveless blouses that are button-up or wraps and have collars. I can pair them with nice slacks and a jacket and no one knows the tops are sleeveless. Usually, my office is set at 68 degrees, so a jacket is necessary. When walking to or from my car in the full sun, I'll shed the jacket.

I think one thing people are tempted to do in the heat of summer is wear capris as a part of their professional business attire. There are a lot of dressy capri options, but until you know whether they are acceptable per the company dress policy, I'd steer clear of them. My company currently allows them but are revising the policies to ban them since they are difficult to make look professional.

Good luck!!

[Miranda2]

Originally Posted by redjan1225

My employer does not have a rule about sleeveless shirts, so I have a couple nice, sleeveless blouses that are button-up or wraps and have collars. I can pair them with nice slacks and a jacket and no one knows the tops are sleeveless. Usually, my office is set at 68 degrees, so a jacket is necessary. When walking to or from my car in the full sun, I'll shed the jacket.
I think one thing people are tempted to do in the heat of summer is wear capris as a part of their professional business attire. There are a lot of dressy capri options, but until you know whether they are acceptable per the company dress policy, I'd steer clear of them. My company currently allows them but are revising the policies to ban them since they are difficult to make look professional. Good luck!!

Thanks for your input. I'll stick with a soft knit jacket over a light colored sleeveless top. I know what you mean about capris, and I live in them 10 months a year. I worked at one large organization where the men were all allowed to wear Hawaiian shirts every day in the hot weather. The guys considered them "dress shirts"!

[Steel Ovaries]

Unfortunately, professionals dress down here much more than you see back East. It took me a long time to get used to it. That said, there is still a definite place for suits in Arizona. Are you travelling here to visit a satellite location of your employer? If so, I have noticed that the expected attire has alot to do with where your headquarters are. When I worked for companies that were based out of the East or Midwest, we were expected to dress very professionally even in 100 degree heat. For employers based out of Arizona or California, they seem to be much more lax. It also depends on your industry. Wear a sleeveless top or capris into a banking boardroom and you will be labeled as "that girl" for quite a while. Wear that to my husband's employers boardroom (a sound engineering company) and they couldn't care less.

Frankly, I would dress to the level of the meeting, not the level of the temperature. You stated mid to upper level, so if the men are going to be in suits then you should be as well. In business, women should always dress one step higher than the men. It sucks, but that's the truth. You can wear a summer suit made of a lighter material and color, but it should be a suit nonetheless. If you are going to forego hosiery (I would say that is generally accepted out here at just about every level, tanned and shaven gams, of course!) then you should wear a closed-toe shoe or a peep-toe with a full on pedicure. NO STRAPPY SANDALS! They are not appropriate for upper level meetings, despite the fact that you will see them. Remember: it is always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed!!

[Miranda2]

Im going to the "corporate offices" of a large technology corp. I agree with you on the CA casual style. Im from San Francisco , which is Wall Street west and people wear black, black and more black all year. We used to laugh at the valley and southern CA women who wore little floral print dresses and sandals! In this case, I will keep my jacket on and my purple metallic toenails hidden in closed toe pumps!