Allie Lochiatto is the Boston-based fashion blogger behind allie wears, a site dedicated to her passion for personal style and the season’s latest trends. You can follow her journey on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

Now that the warmer weather is here to stay, I find myself questioning some of the outfits I see gals wearing during my morning commute – everything from too tight to too short. I am lucky enough to work in an office that is business casual, but I still dress to impress. It’s no secret that everyone passes judgment upon first glance, and when you are working in a professional setting, you should dress how you want to be perceived: valued, authoritative, and mature.

So, I put together a few of my favorite looks for these hot and sticky summer months in the office, making sure I dress appropriately regardless of the rising temperatures.

The key to a professional wardrobe is investing in pieces that are functional, basic, and most importantly, comfortable. If you have yet to experience the glorious feeling of walking to work in 90-degree weather in a business suit, sweating bullets with your makeup melting off – don’t. Steer clear from stuffy business suits and switch up your wardrobe with ankle length dress pants, a form fitting pencil skirt, or a dress made out of breathable fabric.

When it comes to footwear, keep it classy. My advice is that if you can wear them to the beach, you should not be wearing them to the office. When I started my new job, I stocked up on comfortable flats and wedges with a slight heel in basic colors like black and nude. My clients would not take me seriously if they saw me stomping down the hallway in four-inch stilettos with a skirt that rides up with every stride.

Refine and refresh your closet with a few of the items below, and you should be good to go for the remainder of spring and summer. My go-to stores for professional dressing are Gap, J. Crew, Banana Republic and Ann Taylor – keep an eye out for sales and use those coupons!

• Easy-breezy blouses, with or without sleeves, are the perfect pairing with any bottom
• Pencil skirts are classic and come in every color (including chambray!) or print, while keeping you cool
• Ankle length pants can be found in an array of colors, prints, and patterns and can easily transition right into fall
• Wide length trousers in bright white or a neon hue are great for casual Fridays and can be worn right to a night out on the town
• Dresses that breathe, made out of jersey or silk (like a wrap dress!) are easy to wear
• Comfortable shoes including open toe heels, classy sandals, a slight wedge, or fun flats make the job easier
• Bright jewels such as an oversized necklace or a non-distracting arm party dress up any look

Enjoy the summer and make sure to have some fun with fashion during your 9 to 5!

What I’m wearing:

DKNY Dress, Target sandals, Kate Spade watch

Equipment blouse, J. Crew pencil skirt, J. Crew wedges

J. Crew sleeveless blouse, Gap ankle-length trousers, Nine West heels, J. Crew bracelet

See more of Allie’s style on her blog allie wears. All images via Allie Lochiatto/allie wears