Business Casual vs Business Professional Attire

After years of wearing pajama bottoms in our interviews and business meetings, the business on top and party on the bottom look is coming to an end (we were all wearing a very nice top with sweatpants). As offices are starting to fill back up, it’s time to make our return in trendy outfits that look fabulous!

Clothes are our business card and a statement of who we are, we need to pay attention to them.

Back in the old days, dressing up for work was straightforward. The boldest decision was picking between black, gray, or navy. 

There was a clear distinction between business and casual. Business attire equaled work, casual equaled leisure time. Simple! If you dared to confuse the two, well, let’s just say you'd feel overdressed or underdressed and most certainly, awkward and out of place. 

Flash forward to today, and things are more flexible, so now we have terms like business professional and business casual. As we’ll discuss, one is more rigidly defined and focuses on subdued colors and crisp lines, while the other allows for brighter colors and more freedom of material and garment selection.

Before we can decide on the right attire, there are several factors to consider, for example, your environment, the tone of the occasion, how you want to come across, and equally important your comfort with your clothing.

Your environment is going to dictate how comfortable you’ll feel in different attires, as well as how you’re perceived. You don’t want to be the guy showing up in a Hawaiian shirt and jeans when everyone else is wearing their best suit. Learning to choose the best attire for the occasion should be taught in school (It would have been our favorite class!). 

It's not only for fashionistas and definitely not a waste of time! The right look can make or break an interview, a business meeting, or a professional relationship. So, let’s start from the beginning! 

What is business professional attire?

The cookie-cutter business professional look starts from a two-piece pant or skirt suit usually in black, navy, charcoal, or, if you’re feeling bold, another dark color. 

No patterns, always solid colors. Dress shirts or a blouse with a collar. Nothing low cut or sheer, conservative jewelry, little or no perfume, and closed shoes. Think less is more when it comes to this look. This attire is designed to make you blend in with the crowd and project seriousness and professionalism. 

Women should refrain from showing too much skin, so pantyhose are encouraged (always tan or light), and their attire should always end with a pair of closed-toe dress shoes with low or moderate heels. 

Men, on the other hand, should never forget their tie at home (no ducks, saxophones, or Santa Clauses please!), and you should always wear dark socks and professional shoes.

What is business casual attire?

The line for what constitutes business casual is blurrier than its counterpart. 

But there are certain aesthetics and ideas that are accepted in almost all business casual environments. These general ideas plus your own taste are the perfect combination to create your ideal image. Business casual is designed to embrace more relaxed shapes and materials, but still resemble what is generally accepted as professional. 

But what does this mean in practice?

Colors and patterns tend to be more accepted, the shapes and lines are more relaxed and there’s room to let your creativity flow.

In business casual, men can forego the two-piece suit and wear more comfortable combinations like a blazer with cotton, khakis, or wool pants. They should still be neatly pressed. You can even leave the tie at home. We know, high-fives all around.

Business settings are not usually a playground for ripped jeans, bright patterns, and statement jewelry, miniskirts, or spaghetti straps. I'm not saying there aren’t corporations that allow experimental business clothing and business offices where sweatpants are accepted, but these have their special dress code that can’t be generalized. In the beginning, it’s best to be safe than sorry.

Now, back to our business casual dress code. 

Men will rejoice to find out the collared shirt is not a must anymore, and they can match their comfortable slacks, even jeans if they are in one piece and have a classical cut, with a cotton button-down shirt (always long-sleeved!), polo shirt, sweater, or knit shirt with a collar. As always with the business environment, solid colors are encouraged and appreciated! Leather shoes and a belt are a must to complete the ensemble!

A business casual look allows you ladies to be creative and play with different colors, textures, fabrics, and designs. However, you need to keep your distance from bright colors and stick to solid ones. Combinations of khaki, corduroy, or cotton pants or skirts with sweaters, cardigans, or knit shirts are acceptable, as long as they are pressed. For example, you can wear a professional skirt with a collared blouse and a dressy blazer and match the outfit with a pair of close-toed shoes with low or moderate heels.

We mentioned before that the line in business casual is blurry, but, instead of seeing that as an obstacle that causes stress, look at it as an opportunity to experiment and find your own style.

Match the business attire with the occasion

We covered the main concepts of business professional and business casual. Now we need to know when to apply them. Which business engagements require a business professional dress code and when are you able to apply a business casual dress code? Let’s talk about it.

Job interview

• If you are attending an in-person job interview, a business professional attire is the rule and business casual is usually the exception. If the interview takes place online, the parts visible to your potential employer should be business professional so you make a good impression.
• Almost all businesses include pictures of their employees on their website. Study what they are wearing! Those pictures can be the biggest clue about the dress code!
• What type of business is it? Places like law offices and accounting firms are much more formal than technology and multimedia companies. 
• Still not sure how to dress? Better to be a little overdressed than underdressed, so lean towards the business professional side if you’re unsure.

Business Meeting

Regardless of whether we’re talking about business lunch or dinner, business professional should be the attire of choice. However, companies tend to advise their employees on what to wear for a business meeting according to the occasion and mention the dress code if the situation requires special attire.

Business Event/Dinner Party

In this case, the dress code can vary greatly from a formal dress code with a three-piece suit for men and an evening dress for women - for black-tie business events like fundraisings, courting clients, and presentations - to funky attires if the company event has a certain theme and it is meant to be a fun gathering. Always check with the company to make sure you dress accordingly.

Normal Day at the Office

Depending on the type of company you’re working for and their dress code, you can wear either business professional or business casual outfits. Most companies nowadays accept business casual styles, especially IT companies, but if you’re working, for example, in a law firm or a financial institution that requires conservative clothing, business professional is usually your best bet.

When You're Ready to Level Up in Your Office Attire...

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