The Do's and Don't's of Business Casual Attire

We’ve established two things:

1.      Business casual has no clear definition.

2.      Business casual is a balancing act between casual and professional attire.

While my last post established the basis for a business casual dress code, there are still some rules to follow. Here’s what you should and shouldn't wear.

DO

§  Experiment with style and colour. – Business casual doesn't mean sticking to boring colours. You can be both professional and fashionable. My favourite colour at the moment is mint green.

§  Wear modest necklines.

§  Have fun with it!

§  Wear blazers, blouses, sweaters, cardigans, and button downs.

§  Add accessories. – Dress up your outfits with jewelry, belts and other accessories. I love adding necklaces to sweaters which dress them up a bit.

§  Make sure your clothes fit. – Your clothes shouldn't be too big or too small.

§  Wear dress pants, khakis, cotton pants, and skirts.

Check out this link to view great examples of business casual looks for women that are appropriate and fashionable.

Click here for examples for men.

DON’T

§  Wear jeans or athletic wear.

§  Wear sweatpants. – They may be comfy, but they are not appropriate for an office setting. Leave the sweats at home.

§  Wear shorts or miniskirts. – Avoid anything too short and too revealing.

§  Wear leggings.

§  Wear tanks, t-shirts or crop tops. – Crops tops may be trendy in the fashion world, but are not acceptable in the workplace.

§  Wear flip-flops.

§  Wear clothing with inappropriate logos or images.

§  Wear clothing with rips or holes.

Establishing clear guidelines for a business casual dress code is crucial because business casual means something different to everyone. Employers need to set rules and inform all employees of these rules. Employees should check with their employer to find out what business casual means to that company. It’s better to clarify than to wonder what something means.

Are you guilty of breaking any of these rules? Can you think of anything else to add to the list? Leave your stories and suggestions below.

References

Healthfield, S. M. (n.d.). Dress for work success: A business casual dress code. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/dress_code.htm

Marinigh, L. (2015). What's business casual: Workplace wardrobe terms explained. Metro. Retrieved from http://metronews.ca/features/talentegg/1279922/whats-business-casual-workplace-wardrobe-terms-explained/

Sylvestre-Williams, R. (2012). What is business casual? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/reneesylvestrewilliams/2012/05/09/what-is-business-casual/

Decoding the Dress Code

To tell you the truth, business casual is hard to define. Currently, there is no clear, precise meaning for it. So if you can’t define it, then how are you supposed to follow it? While there is a lack of consensus on what actually defines a business casual wardrobe, there is agreement on the following guidelines: 

Source

Essentially, business casual means finding a balance between casual and formal. If you ask around, you’ll get an answer along the lines of “not jeans, but not a suit” (Sylvestre-Williams, 2012). What does that leave you with? “It usually means your employer wants a more laid-back environment but still wants everyone to look professional and put together” (Marinigh, 2015).

Source

How do you dress accordingly? Here are some guidelines.

	MEN	WOMEN
Bottoms	§  Dress pants	§  Dress pants
	§  Khakis	§  Knee-length skirts
	§  Corduroys
Tops	§  Dress shirts	§  Dress shirts
	§  Sweaters	§  Sweaters
	§  Button-up collared shirts	§  Button-up collared shirts
	§  Blazers	§  Blouses
		§  Blazers
Dresses		§  Knee-length, modest dresses

Business casual apparel is all about finding a balance between casual and professional apparel. The best part about it is that the clothes you already own can be dressed up to be work appropriate. Move over expensive business suits, it’s all about versatility and affordability.

How do you style your business casual outfits? Leave your comments and suggestions below.


Click here to find out more about business casual and the differences between other dress codes. Scroll to the end for great examples of what classifies as business casual and what doesn't.

References

Healthfield, S. M. (n.d.). Dress for work success: A business casual dress code. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/dress_code.htm

Marinigh, L. (2015). What's business casual: Workplace wardrobe terms explained. Metro. Retrieved from http://metronews.ca/features/talentegg/1279922/whats-business-casual-workplace-wardrobe-terms-explained/

Sylvestre-Williams, R. (2012). What is business casual? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/reneesylvestrewilliams/2012/05/09/what-is-business-casual/

Why Go Casual?

Casual apparel in the workplace is slowly becoming the standard dress code. Many companies and offices are leaning away from formal business suits and towards more relaxed dress codes. What’s the reason for the sudden change? Here’s why casual apparel is dominating the business scene.

AFFORDABLE

A quick Google search can tell you that business suits are expensive. Just type in business suits for men and women and you’ll find a multitude of links to stores. For the ladies, there’s Macy's and Ann Taylor. Men, your options include Nordstorm and Express. Regardless of gender, business suits cost a lot more than business casual apparel. In addition to the high costs of business suits, there are added expenses of dry cleaning (John, n.d.). Business suits cannot be simply thrown in the wash like your favourite pair of jeans. Suits need to be taken to dry cleaners for care. Besides, if you were spending hundreds of dollars on a suit, you wouldn’t want to risk throwing it in the washing machine; you would want to take proper care of it. Purchasing business suits and taking proper care of them is costly. Casual apparel gets rid of these costs, making things affordable for everyone and “easing economic strain on employees” (Walton, 2013).

SELF-EXPRESSION

While business suits may ensure everyone looks presentable, it also eliminates individuality (John, n.d.). If you’ve ever attended a uniform school, you’ll know the feeling. Attending a uniform school for most of my school years meant feeling and looking like everyone else. It’s the same thing with business suits. While business suits suppress individuality, business casual apparel allows individuals to freely express themselves (John, n.d.). It’s an “appreciation of individuality” (Walton, 2013) where self-expression is encouraged through outfits. Business casual means something a little different to everyone. If you give the instructions of a casual apparel dress code, you’ll have very different versions.

PRODUCTIVITY

While there is no proven link between clothing and productivity, there is a correlation. When a casual apparel dress code is adopted, the focus is not on the dress code. Instead, the focus is on productivity and getting tasks completed. Stricter dress codes put a heavier emphasis on an employee’s wardrobe rather than on his or her contributions to the company (Casual business attire, n.d.).

FLEXIBILITY

Casual apparel in the workplace allows employees to be a lot more flexible. Instead of having to worry about a very specific, strict dress code, individuals have more options. In reality, this is a lot more reasonable than stressing whether or not your outfit meets the business apparel criteria. Instead, you can use that time you would have spent worrying over your outfit to be productive.

Casual apparel is a great option that saves time, encourages self-expression, focuses on productivity and allows flexibility. Did I miss anything? If your workplace has a casual apparel dress code, comment some other great reasons for adopting it. If your workplace doesn’t, do you agree with these reasons? Do they make a convincing case for adopting a casual dress code?

References

Casual business attire. (n.d.). Inc. Retrieved from http://inc.com/encyclopedia/casual-business-attire.html

John, C. (n.d.). The advantages of business casual attire. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-business-casual-attire-23858.html

Walton, A. S. (2013). What are the benefits of a casual dress code? Livestrong. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/1001175-benefits-casual-dress-code/