“Business casual” is an ambiguous term that is usually regarded as simple, straightforward, and semi-formal wear but, in fact, with sharp elements of a proper white-collar professional wear, originally only applicable for middle-aged men in more or less formal corporate environments. In the US, business casual work attire is more widespread than ever before; so much so that you could easily mistake business casual attire for office attire! But with the expansion of casual workplace culture, business casual has developed into a broad term encompassing a great variety of situations and settings. It has become a highly prized dress code in many companies, as it is much easier to get away with business casual clothing these days than it was previously: because of globalization, increasing globalisation and a general decrease in social norms, it is easier to get away with business casual clothing than it was before. This has resulted in a marked increase in business casual dress code acceptance amongst employees.
For the majority of companies, the most important aspect of business casual dress codes is to make sure your employees can get away with wearing clothes that are not business-appropriate. The basic idea behind this is that casual dressing is a practical way to create a welcoming and friendly working environment. Business casual dress codes might include: button-down shirts, casual trousers and slacks, dress shoes, casual socks and loafers. There are no hard and fast rules about what colours and materials to choose for your uniforms, though it is always advisable to avoid vibrant colours, loud patterns and too many frills.
Another important factor to keep in mind when creating your business casual attire is that employers may expect you to be less formal than other employees. They may expect you to dress less formally than you would in traditional office attire, such as a suit or a business suit, because this is what is expected of you and because you are one of them. Because you will be one of the ‘new Guys’ on the team, it is reasonable to assume that you will not automatically exude the appearance of success that others in the office do. As long as you follow the basics mentioned above, you should be able to make yourself look more approachable enough to earn the respect and trust of your colleagues.
In addition to the basic things mentioned above, there are some other aspects of business casual dress code that will help you stand out from the crowd. When it comes to choosing your business casual dress code, you want to be as casual as possible, but at the same time you don’t want to draw the wrong line between business and comfort. You want to look smart, but still feel confident and comfortable while doing it. The key to this is in the items that you wear: the type of casual clothing, the colouration (whether it’s relaxed clothing, dressy clothing, sports attire, or any other types), and the footwear.
If you’re going to wear business casual attire to work, you should probably keep in mind that you might wear white or black pants, a white or black shirt with a button down collar, black leather shoes, and black flip-flops or sandals. When it comes to choosing your top, you might wear a jacket, a tie, a blouse, or a dress. Black jeans are always a great choice, even when it’s not really business casual!
When it comes to choosing the right shoes for your workplace attire, again you want to choose casual footwear that’s comfortable but not too uncomfortable. Look for loafers, sneakers, sandals, or any other type of shoes that are casual but not too dressy. For shoes that go with dressy pants, choose a pair of dress shoes that goes with the top layer of the pants, but try to avoid a pair of sneakers since they’ll most likely be on the shoes all day – unless you have the cash for an extra pair of shoes!
