What to Wear to Work in the Summer, Straight From the Man Who Dresses the Good Wife

Updated on 5/11/2015 at 9:00 AM

With the weather warming up, we've been thinking of the right way to answer that age-old style question on nearly every woman's mind: what is — and isn't — appropriate to wear to the office during the hottest season of the year? But rather than rattle off a list of maybes, we had the chance to sit down with a true expert, the costume designer behind the hit TV show The Good Wife, Dan Lawson. Since he dresses many powerful ladies on screen, we asked him how to apply his rules to real-life situations — and boy, did he shed some serious light. Read on for all of his advice, from what's a go to what's a no, and even find some tips for how to make heels more comfortable. You're bound to be getting your Alicia on in no time. Source: POPSUGAR Photography

1. "Don't be afraid to embrace some of the Summer styles, and step into a Summer dress that's a little more conservative. It's a great time to ditch the jacket and do a cap sleeve, unless you're going into a court or big meeting. But, if you're just going into the office for the day, do a cap-sleeve dress."

2. "You also want to make sure it's an appropriate length, which for me, in a corporate situation, would be just above the knee to just below the knee."

3. "You can pop your Summer look by picking up some really fun jewelry. I don't think it has to be expensive, but some interesting necklaces are a great way to pick up a look."

4."It's great to have a pretty dress and then a Summer-weight, knee-length coat. I think that's so chic, especially if it's three-quarter-length sleeves and you suddenly have sort of a set going on. It just kind of looks wonderful."

5. "Don't do sheer. Yes, it's Summer, but I don't want to be seeing your bra through your top."

6. "I think open-toe shoes during the Summer is fine, but you need to make sure it's a sophisticated look — that it's not just some inappropriate strappy sandal. The classic peep-toe is just so perfect and can be really elegant."

7. "Understated is always a good way to go with a look."

8. "You want to be careful to not go with too many light colors all at one time. I know there's a trend this Summer that's head-to-toe white, and that can be really fabulous if you can pull it off. If white washes you out, then go to tan. You can even do tan with some accents of black if you're afraid of tan with white, and the black will just accentuate the tan. Those are great for the Summer as well."

9. "I always think any sort of neutrals are nice." Products: Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet dress, Loeffler Randall bag, Mirlo bracelet, Jules Smith ring, ADORNIA ring, Mirlo ring

10. "A deep red — and I'm not talking about a fire-engine red, but a deep red — is always beautiful. Maybe bordering on a wine-red color or aubergine — those are kind of beautiful tones."

11. "A good, crisp blue is always sort of unexpected. Like a sapphire blue or even like cobalt blue can be a wonderfully strong color to have in the work environment without sort of hitting people over the head with it being too bright." Products: Banana Republic jacket, Levi's top, & Other Stories bottom, Furla bag, Michael Kors earrings

12. "If you're going to be on the go all day and you really want a flat, you need to make sure it looks . . . well, that it looks expensive, whether it is or not. It just needs to look elegant and not just like a throwaway ballet flat. There needs to be some substance to it."

13. "You can do a flat that even has a little bit of heel on it. Even if it's only two inches high, it's going to give you a little more stature and make you look more powerful because you're going to be standing stronger. It's going to change your posture."

14. "Chanel flats are really fantastic — they're beautiful, and they're elegant. Ferragamo, and you know what? Tory Burch makes a really good flat as well."

15. "I know that platforms have totally gone out, but I say, go get the platform. I don't think you need to be tortured, you know? If you've got a three-inch heel, why do you have to feel all three inches in your foot all day long? Get it up to two inches, get a platform built in, and maybe even a platform on the outside."

16. "You know that brand Boutique 9? I have so many actors that say those shoes are comfortable, and Jessica Simpson's shoes are really comfortable. Nine West as well. The thing is, I think you have to take the time to find a well-built, good-looking, understated pump. And once you find one, if it's comfortable on, you buy a couple pairs, so when you wear one out, you can start with the other one."

17. (On affordable stores to shop): "Ann Taylor, Zara, Tahari. We [on the show] even might pick up a great piece from H&M or the Gap."