Business Casual for Women. What is it really?

The term business casual is no less than what one would describe as broad. It is a term that encompasses the values of a corporate, strict-business environment and the loose, comfortable aspects of a person’s day-to-day wear.

When one thinks “business-attire,” more often than not, an image of a power suit — a perfectly cut and cuffed blazer, perhaps a bold tie with a pristine, pressed blouse, and well-measured, un-creased slacks — pops into the mind. While it may look appealing and exactly what one would wear in a studious corporate environment, it may be quite the opposite at a lot of workplaces that nowadays opt for a more casual touch to their dress code.

To put it simply, the power suit you imagine is likely overkill in many of today’s work environments.

So what does constitute women’s business casual?

Essentially, the term can mean dressing casually, but still smartly.

Still slightly confused? That’s fine.

Let’s look at how Stylishly Me succinctly puts it: “It’s more about mixing elements of more formal business attire, like a blazer, suit skirt or pants in neutral colours with more casual pieces like a patterned shell top or leopard print flats.”

First, let’s note that the more formal components of a business-casual outfit should ideally be in neutrals: Black, white, gray, beige, and navy blue. There is nothing wrong with a more colourful array of colours, but to be safe, it is best to stay neutral with pieces that make up most of your outfit. As mentioned earlier, these formal components would be blazers, slacks/pants, or suit skirts.

Fun fact: On designated days, you may even wear jeans to work! However, if your intention is to dress for an interview, conference, networking event, or your first day at work, definitely stay away unless given the green light of approval from the organizers.

Secondly, a touch of casualness is then needed to complement the formality of business-like attire. This is where the comfort and ‘fun’ can come in. Whether through multi-coloured blouses, printed shell-tops, or fine-knit and fitted cardigans or sweaters, the casual component of your outfit is much more flexible than you may think. However, it is important to remember to refrain from too tight or baggy tops; the condition of your garments should also be appropriate for the work setting — nothing torn or revealing!

Thirdly, don’t forget to add a touch of personality! Of course, while it is important to maintain professionalism, there’s no harm in adding a personal touch to your wear! You can choose to do this through jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, brooches, and bracelets, or through other accessories like a stylish handbag or a scarf around your neck. You can even extend this to your shoes — printed or single-coloured flats, heels, wedges, and oxfords are perfectly acceptable. But it is important to note that you should stick with those types of shoes. Runners, street shoes, sandals, and flip-flops should not be worn under any circumstances except when permitted. It is okay to keep a pair of comfortable shoes on hand, though, in case of emergencies or outdoor excursions!

So now that we know what to wear, what exactly is it that we should avoid?

Clothing items like sundresses, hoodies, leggings (unless worn under a skirt), sweatpants, crop-tops, branded/graphic and revealing or frayed/torn apparel, heavily sequined or neon clothes, and overalls should never be worn to a business casual setting. To sum it up, anything you would wear to a party, festival, beach, or even at home is probably best to stay away from.

And that’s it for business casual! For further insight into how to style your outfits in accordance with a business casual dress code, refer to this Stylishly Me blog post.

Thank you for reading!