Business. Casual. Business attire is generally more stuffy; casual is more laid back. When you mix the two together, some wonderful things can happen. Business casual dress gives you a chance to dress up each day and do your thing as a worker bee. It delineates your work day from your personal time, where you'd never find yourself wearing slacks or blazers.
One of the great things about business casual is that it is basically a game of mix and match. Tops + bottoms + shoes. Yup. Just like any other outfit. With small considerations for color and fit/proportion, you'll at least be in compliance with the dress code.
A few notes on business casual:
- Depending on the workplace, denim can be worked into the business casual wardrobe. Even when expressly allowed, business casual jeans should be of a darker wash, trouser cut, and without decoration -- save those jeans with the rhinestones on the back for the weekend.
- Sleeveless should be done carefully. The straps of the top should be thick enough to fully hide any underpinnings.
- Some business casual workplaces prohibit open-toed shoes, but if yours allows it, go with something tasteful. A heeled thong sandal = not a good idea. Peep-toed pumps = perfection.
We'll be dissecting other common dress codes here in future posts. For the time being we'll leave you with some inspiring business casual looks.
