For some companies, warmer weather means a relaxed dress code.

However, business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter sent out a note today saying employees should be careful when trying to beat the Valley heat. Short skirts, skimpy tops or otherwise inappropriate clothing don't cut it, she says.

“Sexy is not a corporate look,” says Pachter, author of the "NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" from Prentice Hall Press. Clothing, she said, still needs to project professionalism.

She's got eight tips. Read on:

1. No cleavage—period. I am amazed that I need to tell women that cleavage is not appropriate for the office. And it’s not!

2. Avoid short skirts. Showing too much leg (even really good ones) is never an appropriate way to dress for the office. Avoid high slits and keep your skirts no higher than the top of your knees. When the skirt is significantly above the knee, the knee becomes a visual anchor and draws people’s attention down to your legs. Is that where you want people to look?

3. Don’t skip the stockings. Men ask me if they have to wear socks. I tell them I have to wear stockings, you have to wear socks. Women can get away without them when wearing slacks. A skirt without stockings is just too sexy a look.

4. Less really is more. The less skin you show, the more professional you’ll be, so no exposing your belly, no see-through tops, and no sleeveless tops. (And, ugh, no thongs showing from the tops of your pants. We just don’t need to see it!)

5. Stay away from skintight outfits. Your clothing needs to fit, and not overemphasize body parts. Fabrics bulge and buttons pull when the item is too tight. One woman I coached had her skirt so tight that every time she stood up, she had to pull her skirt down.

6. Pay attention to color. Light and bright colors are seen a lot more in the summer. Just don’t shout with exceptionally bright colors. You don’t want this saying being applied to you: Your clothes are speaking so loudly, I can’t hear you.

7. Shoes count. People notice shoes. It’s one of the little details that add polish to your professional presence. No flip flops or sandals. It’s not the beach; it’s work. One manager said, “I do run a casual place, but when a job candidate showed up for the interview in flip flops, I just couldn’t hire her.”

8. Know that sex appeal has it limits. If your road to success is being based on how sexy you look, you are dooming yourself to failure. Eventually you won’t be able to compete.