What do you wear in the summer when you hate summer clothes?

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

I spend the winter in dresses, opaques and ankle boots and I love this look. When the summer comes I never know what to wear for work. I have ordered some of those tapered jersey trousers as they are comfy, but probably not smart enough for work. I'm a size 18 so not very confident about my shape. I don't like getting my legs out, although I don't mind showing them off in tights. I have a big tummy so trousers and tops often look frumpy. I used to carry on wearing dresses with leggings and ballerinas but I have massively gone off that look.

I'm ok in jeans and t shirts (kind of) at the weekends but work is a nightmare. I'm a teacher but quite senior and most people dress quite smartly.

Any ideas gratefully received. I don't mind splashing out if I will feel confident this summer!

I'm with you OP, I have struggled with summer clothes whatever shape or size I have been. I love skirt, boots and opaques and I'm in my element when Autumn comes round but I just can't get excited over summer clothes

For work I tend to go for a line/full skirts with a fitted t shirt in a silk or linen mix, so cool but still fairly smart.

I wear loose fitting linen trousers with more fitted tops, or with a vest top and a cotton type cardi on top. Means don't have to worry about my electric blue legs or wearing heels to make skirts and dresses look right.

The linen looks a bit crumpled but friends say that suits me, which I'm going to take at face value.

I live in the north so rarely gets warm enough for a proper summer frock anyway.

I am also very much an autumnal/winter dresser - biker boots, thick woolen tights and knitted dresses or drapey tops with tube skirts. I'm very short and hour glassy so most trousers look rubbish on me - cropped make my ass look huge and wide legged make me look like a short weeble.

For work wear in the summer I tend to wear fairly fitted cotton or linen dresses with a slightly fuller (but not puffy) skirt stopping just on or below the knee. I tend to get these from TK Maxx I wear them with cropped cotton/silk mix three quarter sleeve cardigans from Woolovers. I used to faff around with fake tans but now I'm over 40 I've stopped bothering - my legs are reasonable toned and I really don't think anyone is staring at my legs thinking how white they are! I work in a university so not particularly smart environment, but for me the rule with bare legs at work is to make sure the dress/skirt is on or below the knee and to wear closed toe summer shoes rather than sandals which looks a bit less casual. When not in work I wear chinos and fairly fitted short sleeved blouses/fitted tops which look OK but boring.