NEVER LET 'EM SEE YOU SWEAT; WORKPLACE DRESS CODES LIGHTEN UP WHEN TEMPERATURES SOAR.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Fashion Editor

As the Valley heats up, don't let your corporate image melt on the sidewalk.

It's so unprofessional, say members of the business community who claim hot weather is no excuse for dropping office dress codes and coming to work in shorts and sneakers. (And before you point to postal workers' summer shorts, keep in mind that even they have a uniform appearance.)

``It's difficult to look polished when your job requires you to go in and out of an air-conditioned office to meet clients, but you can't ever let them see you sweat,'' says Karenjo Goodwin, a professional recruiter and owner of the Exact Staff employment agency in Woodland Hills. ``By that I mean never wear anything that's so tight or sheer that you can actually see perspiration through it.''

To keep her cool when the weather's hot, Goodwin wears short-sleeved suits and A-line dresses in light-reflecting colors and natural fibers, such as silk and cotton because they absorb perspiration. She says she's tried wearing linen, but thinks it wrinkles too badly for the corporate world she works in.

In less formal offices, linen's looks are acceptable. Among the fans is Theresa Brown, an administrator for Medtronic in Warner Center. Says Brown, ``Psychologically, I feel cooler in linen, especially with a straw handbag.''

When the sun's beating down on them, KNBC reporter Furnell Chatman and producer Angeline Chew put two strategies to work. Chatman wears lightweight suits with cool greens and blues that make him appear cooler on the TV screen, while Chew maintains a professional image with sleeveless tops under her suits. ``I like them loose, and have found that darts on the blouse or a collar can help create a crisper image,'' says Chew.

Linda Shapiro, a broker associate for Fred Sands real estate in Woodland Hills, spends a great deal of time outside showing houses, so her dress code is more casual.

Says Shapiro, ``It's tricky. In my business, if you dress up too much (suit and hosiery and pumps) in the summer, you'll end up looking too wilted. And if you look too beachy, you don't look like you're in charge.

``I want to look professional, but friendly, and also comfortable, so I usually dress in layers,'' says Shapiro.

Her layers often consist of a long narrow skirt with a silk twinset, so she can take the cardigan off and tie it around her shoulders as the day warms up. And since her skirt is so long, she feels she can get away without wearing sticky pantyhose.

Steve Denson, top salesman at Hamer Toyota in Mission Hills, is another professional who works at looking cool when he isn't.

Denson says he's lucky because his company has a rule that when temperatures rise above 100 degrees, employees can trade their shirt, tie and jacket for a gray polo shirt with the company logo. But, he adds, it's got to be tucked in and buttoned.

``Some guys will wear khaki pants and casual shoes, but I always wear dark dress pants with polished wing tip shoes. After all, you get more respect when you're dressed up,'' he says.

Denson also keeps his appearance crisp with a cotton undershirt beneath dress shirts and polo shirts to absorb moisture, applies sunscreen so he won't have a sunburned face, and wears sunglasses to protect his eyes. ``But I always take my sunglasses off before greeting people because it's more polite,'' he says.

An option for men would be a short-sleeved dress shirt, a staple of summertime wardrobes in the '50s and early '60s, but use caution. According to Leon Hall, spokesman for the Fashion Association in New York, ``If you're going to wear a short-sleeved dress shirt, wear it in a bright color and never with a jacket. It wasn't designed to be worn with suits.''

Women looking for hot-weather shortcuts can run into a lot more fashion faux pas.

In Goodwin's office, the biggest problems are really short skirts, and tube tops worn without bras.

She also complains about shoes.

Says Goodwin, ``Open-toed shoes are fine for work, and even a strappy sandal that's got ankle coverage and support is OK, but not those sandals with all the straps up the leg, or those platform slides that cause Workman's Comp claims.''

Regardless of your summer style choices, you'll look less weather-worn if you stay hydrated. Shapiro suggests drinking plenty of water when you're driving in the heat, while Goodwin sprays her face with it to freshen up before greeting clients.

Whatever works.

Keeping your Corporate Cool

To avoid looking wilted while working, try these sweat-free fashion tricks:

Wear lighter colors, lighter fabrics and natural fibers - such as cotton, linen and silk - which absorb moisture.

Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. To keep your drink cold longer, partially fill a bottle with water overnight; before you leave for work, add a cold beverage to the ice and you'll have an instant, long-lasting, ice-cold drink.

Avoid overly tight clothing because it makes you feel hotter and shows sweat.

Avoid dousing yourself with heavy fragrance to mask perspiration. Fragrances are intensified when body heat rises, so a little goes a long way. An alternative is lightly fragranced body talc that also absorbs perspiration and helps to prevent heat rash.

Avoid heavy hair gels and spray because they stick to your scalp when you get sweaty.

Freshen up drippy makeup with rice paper blotters. Consider tinted moisturizer instead of heavy foundation.

Wear an undershirt underneath dress shirts and polo shirts (and a slip under skirts), to absorb moisture.

Always remove sunglasses before greeting a client.

Wear sunscreen. Numerous cosmetic companies have added it to their products.

Don't get too casual with thongs, but avoid wearing spike heels that might sink into black top pavement.

Consider a hat if you're going to spend several hours in the heat.

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

10 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) WORKING TO BEAT THE HEAT

Professional looks that weather the summer in style.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(2--Color) NBC Channel 4 field producer Angeline Chew (also pictured on the cover) beats the heat with a sleeveless top under her suit, while her cameraman Daniel Peek bares his shirt-sleeves.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(3--Color) ``Tank tops are fine for my job, but I always have a cardigan sweater as a cover-up,'' says Kareen Hammerbert, an independent film production coordinator from Venice.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(4--Color) Theresa Brown of Medtronic in Woodland Hills finds that linen has a cooling effect.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(5--Color) NBC Channel 4 reporter Furnell Chatman wears lightweight suits and marine colors to create a cool fashion stance.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(6--Color) Professional recruiter Karenjo Goodwin keeps her corporate-chic look in a short-sleeved suit.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(7--Color) Leaving their air-conditioned office for the summer sun are Leticia Zavala, left, Diane Wagner, Kimberly Walmsley, Kathryn Lynton, Maurice Cohen, Mike Garrido and Nancy Rose, all of Exact Staff in Woodland Hills.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(8--Color) Real-estate saleswoman Linda Shapiro dresses in layers and often wears a hat during the summer months.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(9--Color) When temperatures rise above 100 degrees, car salesman Steve Denson wears polo shirts with dress pants and wingtips.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(10) Rick Bukelew, left, Mardy Grossman and Cass Fuller, of Pacific Thrift in Woodland Hills, keep cool in light-colored dress shirts.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

BOX: Keeping your Corporate Cool (see text)