Summer Dress Codes for the Girls: To Bare Or Not To Bare?

Dress codes and fashions can change with the times but sartorial etiquette remains nevertheless. The much debated upper arms of Mrs Obama on show on the global stage, proves that we still have mixed views on what is, or isn’t, appropriate for specific occasions or circumstances.

On our own personal ’stage’ we too need to consider what messages we want to send out about ourselves and appreciate that some dress codes still need to be acknowledged.

What Are The Dress Codes?

First of all, it’s essential to consider how much is too much, not just from a work angle but as a personal style choice too. You need to consider the location (seaside, country or city, for example) and the occasion and you also need to think about what looks good on you and how parts of your body look when they are exposed.

The main areas to consider are: upper arms, legs and cleavage. Whatever the circumstances, be aware that as soon as parts of your body are laid bare they become more of a focus, so make sure they are presented how you want them. We all spend time every morning on our hair and make-up, so why not pay attention to how the rest of the body is presented?

Upper Arms

In terms of style, if you’re confident that your upper arms look good on show then go for it. Without being too harsh on yourself, if they are not a favourite part of your body then opt for a bit of a sleeve. It’s important to know what looks good on you and what you honestly can or can’t get away with, and you need to be realistic!

• Short sleeves should not be tight on the upper arm
• Sleeves should finish at a narrow part of your arm
• Spaghetti straps work best with arms that are in better shape. Make sure you wear either a strapless bra or a good colour bra (matching or clashing with the top is fine). No grey straps please!

Legs

If you have good legs you will feel confident wearing skirts and dresses above the knee, but again, for work you need to consider whether it’s suitable or not. In many of our professional work places, above the knee will not seem appropriate. We don’t all have legs like Elle McPherson, so when you do expose them, you want to make sure they look their most attractive.

• Keep them hair free, exfoliate and moisturise them regularly to keep them smooth
• Use a quality self-tanning lotion to give them a healthy bronzed glow and not orange track lines
• Think about your leg shape and length and work out what looks most flattering on you
• Make sure the skirt hem doesn’t stop at the thickest part of your leg.

Cleavage

As well as shorter skirts, fashion has brought lower necklines over the years too. There is nothing wrong with a little cleavage for going out or on holiday and so on, but at work or formal occasions or in certain company you don’t want to make it the focus of attention. ‘Less is more’ should be the rule of thumb.

• If you are wearing a fitted shirt, do make sure there is no gaping between buttons
• Make sure you wear the right bra for the neckline of your top (i.e. balcony bra for empire neckline etc)
• Chains and pendants should be above or below your cleavage, not dangling in it!

Our top tip

If you choose to reveal some flesh then make it either cleavage or legs, not both at the same time.