The Do's and Don'ts of Business Casual Wear

Thelimited.com

If you’re like me, you may spend more time staring at your closet thinking about what you should wear than actually getting ready.  This is especially the case when it comes to business casual attire.  Even though a seemingly simple term, “business casual” has been cluttered with many definitions and guidelines.  While preparing myself for graduation and careers, I decided to compile some sources on appropriate business casual attire to make sure I am always dressed to impress.

Do:

1. Keep it classy: You should feel comfortable walking into a meeting with someone you are trying to impress.  If you wear it out to the bars, it should stay out of the office.

2. Stick to the basics: classic pieces such as khaki or dark neutral pants and a clean button down.  Add a sweater or nice jacket to mix up your basic pieces.

3. Wear a leather belt with a leather shoe: preferably coordinating colors

4. Wear conservative accessories such as watches or women’s jewelry: simple is better

5. Invest in an iron

6. For the ladies: keep your skirts at a length that hits your knee, and make sure slips are hidden

Don’t

1. Wear jeans: They are too casual for the office.

2. Try to be overly “trendy”:

3. Over do it on the perfume/cologne:  Strong smells can be offensive to others.

4. Feel like you need the most expensive pieces to look nice

5. Mimic your business attire after what you see on television:  Business casual attire is not portrayed appropriately on TV.

6. Overlook small details (how do your fingernails look? Did you remove the tags off of your new outfit?)

7. For the ladies: feel like you need hosiery, unless you feel it appropriate

8. For the Gentlemen: feel like you need a tie, (but you could always stash one in a briefcase for emergencies!)

expressmen.com

-If you find yourself in a situation where you do feel underdressed, don’t feel frustrated.  Simply make a kind apology for your attire, and start impressing with what you say!  It is always better to be slightly over dressed than under dressed.  Virginia Tech has a great college-based webpage on business casual attire:

http://www.career.vt.edu/JobSearchGuide/BusinessCasualAttire.html

Try finding ladies pieces at The Limited in the local Tippicanoe Mall, or online at: http://www.thelimited.com/

Or Men’s pieces at Express Men, also in the Tippicanoe Mall and online at: http://www.express.com/for-him.sec