Fast Rules for Casual Fridays

A lot of companies nowadays have taken the fashion-forward step of creating casual Friday for employees to kick back and relax for the weekend. But while this is a breeze for female workers, it's probably a little harder for you to leave the necktie at home and hang loose. If you're at a loss about working with men's casual wear, here are a few good places to start.

Too Casual: Yes, There's Such a Thing
Don't take the 'casual' in 'Casual Fridays' (or any day, for that matter) too seriously. You still have some rules of dress and decorum to observe, and failing to do so might mean a reprimand on your desk by Monday. Flip-flops, sandals and footwear that isn't a closed-toe shoe should never be worn in the office, no matter how casual the day might be. Unless you're a lifeguard and you literally work on the beach, anything approaching the idea of slippers is a no-no. Similarly, any item in the way of athletic apparel – tank tops, shorts, track pants and the like – should never make it past the threshold of your office building. Remember that, no matter how many times 'casual' is repeated in the term, you're still entering your workplace. That requires a certain degree of formality, regardless of what day of the week it is.

Casual Means Comfort
Since your wardrobe choices will be coming from such a very formal height, there are a lot of ways for you to make the most of casual Fridays. It's all a matter of knowing which looks work for you and having all the right items in your closet. Instead of your usual two-piece suit ensemble, for example, you could swap the pants with a great pair of denims and then replace the jacket with something more casual like a one-button sport coat. Undo the tie, open the first couple of buttons and you're left with an outfit that looks (and is) very comfortable yet is sophisticated at the same time.

Fridays also give you a chance to play with all those other items that you don't get to use all the other days of the week. Do you have a pair of Air Force Ones lying ignored on the shoe rack? Wear it with fitted jeans and a close-fitting shirt that has the sleeves folded up. Are your Chuck Taylors gathering dust in the corner? Lace them up with straight leg denims, a matching shirt and a sport jacket for good measure.

Never Lose Collars
If you want one cardinal rule of doing Casual Fridays, you should never lose the collar in your outfit. Collars are one of the defining elements of formal wear, from shirts to suit jackets. Wearing anything with a collar is the barest minimum for showing the kind of deference that a workplace expects. Even the plainest polo offers a modicum of formality simply because it has a collar. So no matter what kind of outfit you brought or the type of look that you planned, always make sure that a collar is somewhere on you. Pair a shirt with your favorite denims, or a golf polo with khakis. It doesn't matter how you do it so long as you do it. Remember, your office's casual days give you a chance to relax the usual dress code, not do away with it completely. Feel free to wear short sleeve pique polos, roll up your shirt sleeves or rock your favorite denims at the office. Don't feel free to wear items like slippers or shorts, else you may soon find yourself free to look for another job.

Suggested Readings:
Travel Tips For Businessmen
Business Dining Etiquette

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