If it's something you would wear on the weekend, chances are it's not something you want to wear in the office.

Friday, 20 February 2015

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/



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3 comments:

  1. Unknown7 March 2015 at 20:15

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  2. Unknown7 March 2015 at 20:19

    Your Blog is great! I don't think it is appropriate to wear clothing that that logos or has rips on it at Workplaces. I agree with your Blog Post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown8 March 2015 at 09:54

      Thank you! Ripped clothing and logos may be okay for casual personal days, but not for an office setting. I think the "casual" in business casual is what confuses people because casual connotes a feeling of comfort and of not being too dressed up.

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What is the most important reason for adopting a casual dress code?