Outfits That Go From Office to Outside

June 6, 2002 -- To get the most out of every hour of summer, many women are looking for quick and easy ways to slip from their office clothes into outfits that are perfect for heading outdoors to a café, park or even the beach.

But wearing sundress and sandals to work might raise eyebrows around the office. The solution? Summer outfits that can pull a double shift.

Accessories are the key to allowing a basic office outfit to transition into a casual Friday look, says fashion consultant Jill Martin. The good news is that there is little or no shopping required for her office to outdoor outfit solutions.

"Maybe one or two of them you might need to buy if you want to invest, but mostly it's stuff that you probably already have in your closet," Martin said on Good Morning America. Here are her suggested outfits:

Sarong in a Flash: For the office, wear a pantsuit, with a tankini that resembles a camisole underneath the jacket. Belt the pants with a "scarf" that is actually a long sarong. When 5 o'clock rolls around, remove your jacket and trade your pants for the sarong. Add sunglasses, flip-flops and a visor from your workbag, and you are set for the beach.

White Shirt, Untucked: For work, wear a white button down shirt — a wardrobe staple — with a small neck scarf, black blazer, and a pair of red (or any other color) pants and black shoes. The mismatched suit look is very in right now. To go to an outdoor café or a beach, remove your jacket, roll up your sleeves and tie the shirt in a knot at your waste. Use the neck scarf as a headscarf, and add a butterfly-accented belt at your waist for a trendy touch.

Sundress in Disguise: At the office, wear a sweater set over your sundress, and pair it with heels and a string of pearls. When the workday is done, simply remove the sweater set and pearls, and you are ready for fun.

Skirting the Issue: Wear a long skirt (actually a tube dress) and pair it with a blazer, turtleneck and a pair of espadrilles, with the long straps hidden beneath the skirt for the office. To transform to your after-work look, the skirt can become a tube dress by simply pulling it up. The espadrille straps are revealed, and now you only need to add hat and accessories for a night on the town. (Brown Tube Dress/Skirt by Suzanna Monacco)

White Pant Suit: White is very big this summer, and an all-white pantsuit is a great staple if you don't already own one. For the office, wear the suit with a larger scarf tucked into the neck, conservatively tied. For after-work, wrap the scarf around to wear as a tube top, and add accessories. (Scarf from Hermes, hermes.com)

Unless otherwise specified, all clothing available at Bloomingdales. Scarf worn with white suit is by Hermes and the brown tube dress and skirt are by Suzanna Monacco. Jill Martin's wardrobe by Escada.