Summer workwear - any idea how NOT to overheat while commuting yet not show too much flesh?

[edam]

I am about to start A Proper Job. My first for many years. In June. I will be commuting 30 miles a day, on train and tube, so I will get hot and sweaty. What the hell do I wear to the office? (Have been freelance working from home so I have a few work dresses to wear to occasional meetings, but do not have the wardrobe for five days a week.)

Oh, and I am fat with bingo wings so no cap sleeves or sleeveless... (and generous bosom so need a v-neck). I like Phase 8, if that helps, but they don't seem to do anything that doesn't crackle with man-made fibres that will not be good in commuter conditions.

Bonsoir, how did I know you would focus on that issue? Has already been dealt with further down the thread but even if I do lose weight, commuting makes you HOT. The tube is the first circle of hell in the summer and First Capital Connect the second.

I am quite excited/nervous about the new job, though. I get to be a Proper Grown Up Professional person again with people I can boss about. (As a freelance, I am asked for my professional opinion but it is Not The Same.)

(Does the Paris Metro have air conditioning, btw? Might start planning a move if so...)

The metro is vile in summer and to be avoided at all costs. Stinks of sweat and worse. Bus, walking or bicycle (Vélib) are all much more chic alternative forms of transport.

Have a bath first thing in the morning and finish off with a cool shower so that you at least leave the house very fresh?

There are soothing foot creams you can use in hot weather that you massage both your feet and ankles with - I used to find them helpful when working in the summer.

Good point, had forgotten about peppermint foot cream but essential for hot sweaty days in London.

Jersey flowing trousers - sorry, bought overseas in a sale. Can't pass any links on. Any midi length skirts or trousers made with cotton jersey are good. Leave a light suit or two in the office to change into. Anything fitted gets ruined on the commute. Can use a drycleaners near the office so that you are not dragging the cumbersome suit carrier in on the commute either!

I'm not excessively sweaty! Anyone would get rather heated travelling on a packed commuter train at rush hour. Or on the tube. That's why they have those posters and regular announcements telling you to carry a bottle of water. (Either that or they are secretly being sponsored by volvic.)

I second Gap for trousers. I have some linen 3/4 ones in black which are super smart but travel really well, can dress them up with shoes & a print blouse/cardi.

Capri trousers for coolness? Think layers on top are the way to go.

oh its all coming back to me now, the horrors of even a short commute

i used to leave a navy linen mix jacket in the office, to wear to meetings if necessary. it made most outfits look a bit more authoritative.

though judging by the regular Elle feature on what people wear to the office, it should have been fierce heels and a pair of tiny shorts. so if you're going to be The Boss at Elle or Vogue, that's what i recommend

if I was going to be the boss at Elle or Vogue I don't think I'd be a. lardy or b. asking for fashion suggestions. (Most eds of fashion magazines I've met have body image issues.)

Lady, don't worry, it just felt a bit 'eek, everyone's going to think I'm a sweaty Betty' when I'm just a normal commuter. Or about to be.

I try to wear a dress that is very cool without a jacket - over the years I hae found a couple of dresses made of fine almost T shirt material. I combine these with a lightweight jacket that is smart cut and then add beads or a scarf and a smart bag. Wearing this I can whip the jacket off at every opportunity to get cool, but look smart when it is on - when I was a solicitor this type of outfit saw me through the summer when the courts could be very hot and stuffy and the magistrates not keen to let people remove jackets.

My secret is a flight v t-shirt from a company called icebreaker. They make clothing from marino wool and it never gets stinky, washes perfectly and no ironing. i've ended up binning quite a lot of high street tops as they just get smelly. (I'm a 14-16 with DD's and I fit a medium snuggly).
Expensive at £45, but cost per a wear very low, wear mine 100's of times, and I know that whatever happens I'll never get that disgusting stinky end of day smell. They layer well with cardis and jackets if you want more coverage.

Katy

I've gone for shirts like this this summer:
Mango shirt
and short sleeved red & white striped / floral ones from Hennes, with a knee length navy linen skirt I got in Kew last year. With a little cotton cardi for train / rain / unusually cold offices.

Sometimes keep a summery scarf in my bag for hot days when a cardi would be too much but need something for the potentially icy train (treat it like a shawl). Sometimes start the day with a thin cotton vest underneath and remove once I know how warm it is.

I've got big upperarms but don't care when it's really hot, have got this
Jigsaw dress and it's great when hot.

thanks for those ideas.

Higgle, where have you found your dresses? I like dresses but none of mine are really suitable for hot weather.

I might even buy Vogue if it was edited by a lardy middle aged journalist and not an Anna / emenuelle/carine/alexandra type

maybe you could go there next, Edam

I don't think I'd get past the initial sorting of applications, tbh, my level of expertise with high fashion is not great. Although I did once interview Ali from Ali Cappellino (IIRC and sp?) and Wayne Hemingway, both of whom were jolly nice.

Shame

Then you could get all sorts of cool prizes for mumsnet competitions and freebies, instead the oh so boring but useful promotions with Ford, smoothies, nappies, dishwashers, sky tv etc

Hope new job goes well at bricklayers weekly

When I was training, our print tutor used to threaten us that if we didn't make a huge effort, we'd end up working on Cage and Aviary Bird. (I'm sure it is a fine, I hasten to add, if any MNers or their dps/hs work on it...)

a fine title

I personally have always wanted to work on Fish Fryers Gazette...

I feel I should point out that Edam is a very fine-looking woman, btw. And has written for glossies in her time

Congratulations, Edam.

I always used to carry a fan on the Tube! It was useful when I wanted to indicate that I fancied the next dance.

Silk is the only thing that I can stand to wear in very hot weather (spoilt cow emoticon). When I commuted, I had a few silk shirts/tops that I wheeled out when it hit the thirties.

Bless you, MI!

Florence, I will probably be looking at silk but always think it's a bit of a faff as it creases and has to be washed really carefully (I'm too lazy to hand-wash although have just realised my new shrug is handwash only. Drat.)