What is Business Casual Attire?
If you are little confused on what is meant by “Business Casual”, then you are not alone. But before you guess what the right outfit might be, you should read this quick guide to avoid being the talk of the office. If your office has “casual Fridays” then you got to know what is acceptable to wear – after all, 20% of your entire work clothes will fit into the so-called “casual business attire”.
The Right Pants
Well suited are nicely pressed khaki pants that are made from either cotton or wool. Recommended are slacks that are made from twill, worsted wool, or so-called gabardine fabric. Especially gabardine will make a nice impression since this heavier fabric will give your slacks a nice draping effect. Preferred are pleated pants over straight cut trousers. Weather you choose two, three, or even four pleats in your slacks, pleated pants look much nicer with tugged in dress shirts than non-pleated ones.
The Shirts
A collar is a must! The most common shirts are polo shirts or non-solid color button-up dress shirts. Since you are not wearing a necktie, you have much more options in the dress shirts you choose. Intricate checkered and striped patterns that usually might look too busy in combination with a necktie, are a prefect choice for casual business attire. Make sure that your dress shirts are pressed and free from major wrinkles. The shirt is not worn over the pants, but must be tugged in!
Your Shoes
Do not wear tennis or running shoes. Leather loafers in brown or tan colors are great. Even though black dress shoes are acceptable, they give a somewhat too formal impression in most cases.
Jackets
Sport coats and blazers are great choices. Unlike formal business attire, that typically consists of 2-piece suits, business casual gives you a many more options for your jackets. The range in fabrics and patterns in blazers and sport coats is quite wide. Popular are window-pane checks, and hounds-tooth patterns. What you want to avoid are hooded sweaters, ski-jackets, or jackets you might wear to the beach on a windy day.
Common Accessories
Most important is the belt. Wearing a belt is necessary since your should be tugging in your shirt. Make sure that the belt is a close color match to your dress shoes. Most common are brown belts for business casual attire. If you choose to wear a french cuffed dress shirt, then cufflinks are a nice option. Neckties are rarely worn on a business casual day. Should you choose to wear a tie, then choose a less formal necktie. Popular skinny neckties are a nice option.
The Right Briefcase
Even though it is a casual day in the office, don’t bring your hiking back-pack. Brown leather briefcases are an excellent choice. Should you choose a more casual-sporty look, then nylon messenger type bags are acceptable – especially for younger men.
Business casual gives you many more options to add a personal style to your outfit. It allows for a much wider color and pattern combination than traditional business attire. With a little bit of practice you will learn how to combine your pieces of clothing in a way that is unique, fashionable, and elegant-business.
Your Cheap Neckties Team