“Business casual attire.” These three words and their shifting definition can produce huge amounts of confusion and anxiety among people who read them. But what is business casual, anyway?
It seems hard to believe coming out of a pandemic in which many people worked only from home. But what to wear to a new setting–such as your new office, a conference, or a networking event–is becominf relevant again. And understanding the meaning of business casual in your new setting can help set the tone for your next career move.
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What is business casual?
The short answer is, business casual is relative.
“A style of clothing that is less formal than traditional business wear, but is still intended to give a professional and businesslike impression.”
Oxford English Dictionary, via Lexico
“Business casual” is an oxymoron, vague and undefinable, so Miss Manners hardly blames its hapless followers for interpreting it as they wish.
Miss Manners, Washington Post
Fast Company hit the streets to ask how people define business casual, but those questions didn’t get much more clarity:
Ultimately, business casual is in the eye of the beholder. And as we come out of pandemic mode, the definition may be different than it was a few years ago. Super helpful, right?
Okay, so how should I handle business casual?
Business casual was meant to create a category between business formal (think, suits) and casual dress. But there is a wide range of fashion options in between those two categories, and business casual looks different in different places. For a consulting firm in Washington, DC, business casual may incorporate mostly dress pants and buttoned shirts or blouses (think, Men’s Wearhouse and Ann Taylor). In other careers or locations, the term may move in a more casual direction.
If you’re unsure what to wear to a new job, don’t be afraid to get more information. Here are some great ways you could do that:
For an event:
- Look for photos of previous years’ events or similar events by the same organizer. (Check their website or social feeds).
- Ask around. If you have friends or colleagues who have been to a similar event, they may be able to let you know what to expect.
For a new job:
- Reach out to human resources, your new manager or a teammate, to ask about dress code or expectations. Indeed offers some quick pointers on who and how to ask about company dress code.
- Take a look online, to the company’s website (especially on a careers page) or social media feeds, to see examples of what employees wear.
When in doubt, ask Tim Gunn:
I’d much rather be overdressed [than underdressed]. Better to be overdressed and showing respect for whatever the occasion!
Tim Gunn, star of Making the Cut and Project Runway
More Resources on Business Casual
- Business Insider digs into what business casual really means.
- The Balance Careers shares examples of business casual, and looks at the difference between business formal and business casual as well as offering tips on dressing to impress.
- And Connecteam provides tips and examples of business casual for 2021.
Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash
