Spring is here and it’s already hot and humid outside. Yes, your company’s dress code is business casual. In fact, one in 10 companies allow for a dress-down day at least once a week, according to a survey by the Society of Human Resource Management. But what is it about summer that makes women think that spaghetti straps, jeans skirts, and flip-flops are suddenly appropriate office attire? Business casual is not a catchall term that includes the same stringy garb you’d wear to the beach, even if you work at Google.

In fact, in this post-dot-com era with its dress code hangover, how you look is important again. Wardrobe is an increasingly important factor in determining whether or not you’re going to get ahead, according to a survey from Yahoo! Hot Jobs. Eighty-two percent of human resources professionals believe that the way you dress affects your place at work, according to the survey. So what can you wear this summer that won’t offend the boss? We asked MC’s fashion director, Tracy Taylor, to give us the lowdown on summer rules for dressing appropriately for work once the mercury rises.