how to be a contributing member of society when it's hot as Hades
what's your hot weather professional persona?
New York City sure felt like the surface of the sun this past week. While the weekend weather cooled *slightly* , it will start to heat up again in time for the workweek, and unfortunately with the administration’s current stance on addressing climate change - in that, it simply will not - this level of heat will likely be the new normal. So what’s a gal to do when she doesn’t want anyone to see her sweat (literally and metaphorically) while she climbs the career ladder?
Behold - styling options for said gal depending on where she works:
🚇 The Reluctant Commuter🚇
Not only does she have to go into the office five days a week (in this economy?!) but the most direct subway line to her office is the 1, where the only reliable thing about the AC on the train is that it’s unreliable.
What she’s wearing and carrying: A loose-fitting black dress to minimize the appearance of sweat - Toteme is her go-to, she also has this, this, and this in her closet - paired with professional-enough looking shoes that breathe. Pops of colour come from her iced matcha, electronic hand fan, and face mist (used post-subway, pre-office entry), which she stashes in her practical but, yes, capacious Prada tote.
What she’s listening to: angsty lady pop, including new releases from Maren Morris and Lorde, as well as The Blaze’s latest live album.
💦 The Poolside Zoomer 💦
You’ll see her scurrying down Bedford to the William Vale on a Tuesday afternoon during a break between calls - or hopping on the subway to Dumbo House early in the morning - to meet her friend who somehow nabbed a pool spot (she doesn’t ask many questions.) She’s online but her Wifi is mysteriously “too glitchy” that afternoon for video calls.
What she’s wearing and carrying: Bathing suit under a matching set with a button-down just in case Daryl from Finance demands that she turn her camera on. And she did bring her laptop, but it remains stashed in her tote while she favours the latest summer thriller and a watermelon margarita (in a plastic glass, of course.)
What she’s listening to: Addison Rae’s perfect summer pop album and, because she’s meta like that, Poolside (the DJ) and Poolside(.fm).
🦪 The Euro Patio Aspirationalist🦪
Whilst her friends are on a terrace in Marseilles, she’s consoling herself by setting up a mobile office at the restaurant patio around the corner that just so happens to be in the shade after 2 pm. The views may be less inspirational than the Mediterranean - an Amazon truck parked next to a pile of trash will only ignite a creative spark in the most singular of people - but at least there are oysters and Sancerre.
What she’s wearing and carrying: Simple linen shift dress (wrinkles be damned) and sandals that look sleek but can easily transition into the weekend when she slams her laptop shut until Monday. In her SOF-influenced Jacquemus bag, she carries a vintage Hermes scarf to use as a very chic sweat rag and to tie her hair back when the oysters arrive.
What she’s listening to: Manifesting French vibes with L’Imperatrice, Polo & Pan, and Claude Francois remixes.
❄️The AC Troll❄️
The AC is cranked, the hair is clipped, and she’s not leaving her apartment until temperatures consistently remain below 70 F / 21 C (she may make an exception for the day when the PSL is released.)
What she’s wearing and carrying: A professional-looking tee and cotton poplin pants - she’s always ready to video call with Daryl - with a light cashmere sweater within arms’ reach just in case the AC gets a little too aggro. Next to her is a giant tumbler of water and on her lap is her favourite colleague, her cat.
What she’s listening to: Manifesting fall vibes with folklore and evermore.
Here are a few other things I thought about this week in addition to sweat:
Beyoncé’s Carter Cowboy tour concluded last week and W Magazine has a rundown of all the incredible looks. It’s probably easier to list the major designers that she didn’t work with to create custom tour pieces than who she did (i.e. notably absent are Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Valentino.)
Speaking of cowboys, Lucinda Williams recently opened Lucinda’s, a honky tonk bar and juke joint, in NY’s East Village and I can’t wait to visit. Worth mentioning that Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road still holds up after 27 years.
Chappell Roan gave a little Canadian shout out (to Saskatchewan, no less) in her new song.
Project Runway is back with Heidi Klum resuming the host role and Christian Siriano returning in the Tim Gunn role. Veteran iconique judge Nina Garcia has also returned and new judge Law Roach is already dropping savage lines.
May your week be better than that of the PR contestant who was at the receiving end of this feedback!
I feel personally attacked by the euro patio enthusiast — I have that dress and live on that block??? and that Hermes scarf pattern is right up my alley...