Sleeveless Appropriate

This Caroline Constas off-the-shoulder blouse is not appropriate for Congress — or practically anywhere else.

When over-air-conditioned interiors make sleeveless not necessarily inappropriate but impractical, put on a sweater. This super-lightweight one from LittleBird Janet’s wardrobe has kept her comfy for many years.

Uniqlo’s semi-sheer V-neck cardigan (reduced from $29.90 to $19.90) offers light protection from sun and AC. uniqlo.com.

Wear a sleeveless tank or camisole underneath this airy Theory sweater. Layer it under a jacket in the fall. $275, saksfifthavenue.com.

Featherweight cashmere ombre stole will feel deliciously soft against bare shoulders. Toss it into your tote to use as needed. $195, annmashburn.com.

Cover up with a feminine, long-sleeve print button-down. Reduced from $65 to $33 at H&M’s big sister, & Other Stories, stories.com/us.

Throw this Calypso St. Barth linen sweater (reduced to $159 from over $195) over a sleeveless LBD when temperatures shift. Also available in light blue, calypsostbarth.com.

This cropped crewneck light cashmere cardigan will cover you from summer to fall. Reduced from $395 to $198, tibi.com.

Echo’s pleated scarf with frayed edges will go from a too-cold office during the day to an equally cold restaurant at night. $48, bloomingdales.com.

A jacket/blazer is always appropriate wherever your business takes you. This cotton one in pink from Massimo Dutti, Zara’s sibling, dials down the seriousness. $120, massimodutti.com.

LAST WEEK a CBS reporter was stopped from going into the House Speaker’s Lobby because she was wearing a sleeveless dress. According to CBS News, she was offered a sweater but chose to rip out some pages of her notebook and affix them to her shoulders. No go, said the security guard to her effort. BTW, there’s a dress code for men, too (jacket and tie required). The unwritten, not vigorously enforced rules (sneakers and flip flops are also a no-no), says The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan, apply to journalists, lawmakers and staff “but apparently not to first ladies and daughters.”

Heading to Capitol Hill? The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan takes on the question of what’s appropriate dress. The unwritten rules require a jacket and tie for men. Pants okay for women, but no sleeveless.

You may not be heading to Capitol Hill anytime soon but you’ve surely endured the chill of zealously air-conditioned offices, restaurants and movie theaters. It’s in these situations that a sweater / shawl / wrap of some kind is a grownup girl’s best friend.

The best solution I’ve ever found to overly cold interiors is a cardigan that I bought, believe it or not, at a Crabtree & Evelyn store years ago. I’m not sure what they were selling it as—a bed jacket maybe—but I scooped it up for under $25. It’s a loosely knit blend of acrylic, nylon and mohair with a silk trim and pearlized buttons. I’ve probably kept it long past its expiration date, but it still does the job (see photo above). I’ve got one from Jil Sander in silk and cashmere for about 25 times the price that also is the ideal weight to throw over your shoulders and slip into when the temperature demands.

In any case, as long as bare shoulders and summer go together and air-conditioning continues to be excessive, we’ve got some suggestions for you on how to cover up— no notebook pages necessary.

—Janet Kelly