The idea of a business casual environment is meant to empower you and let you be creative, but what if the idea of being creative stresses you out?

Not having rules can lead to lots of questions and cause overwhelm and confusion. To quote Bene Brown “Clear is kind.” When are rules helpful? When are they restrictive? And of course, when can they be broken? This comes up a lot when we’re talking about personal and professional style, especially as more industries embrace a casual dress code — which often means less structure, and more confusion about what is office appropriate.

What is “Business Casual?”

Can you wear sneakers with a dress? Is a blazer always formal? How can you look relaxed but still refined? A casual dress code can be intimidating because it means different things to different people (like that guy in your office who wears shorts on Fridays), but the key to pulling off a casual look that doesn’t look sloppy is to focus on styling. Yep, like a well-worded email, it’s all in the details.

My goal is to take all of the stress and confusion out of getting dressed. I’m all about taking the work out of dressing for work and sharing my best tips for dressing casually while still looking put together.

1. Mix and Match Formalwear with Casualwear

Wearing formal items with more casual ones is the quickest way to make an outfit look and feel more relaxed. For every casual piece you put on, grab something a little more polished or upleved.

I love pairing a casual top, like a relaxed boyfriend shirt, with a pencil skirt…. Top it off with a statement necklace or a unique pair of earrings and you good to go.

Another high/low tip is to take a more formal outfit and bring it down a few inches — literally. For instance, a pair of tailored pants and a blouses are elevated by heels, but made more relaxed with a pair of sneakers. There are so many great hybrid sneaker/ shoe options that are out right now that can dress down your business outfit…

Check out a few of my client go to’s here…

ways to confidently style a business casual outfit

If sneakers at the office aren’t your thing, try mixing casual and more formal fabrics. I love the look of a casual white t shirt with a more formal skirt or pair of pants. Which leads me to the next tip…

2. Make An Elevated T-Shirt Your Go-To Top

Yes, you can and should wear t-shirts to work especially when paired correctly. A simple t-shirt can take you from Monday through Friday, think of it like a blank canvas. You can add color, prints, whatever you want to do- it’s a necessity for your wardrobe.

A put-together, relaxed-but-refined wardrobe is full of basic tees, but they don’t have to be the regular cotton variety. More structured and polished knits, look just as crisp with jeans as they do with your suit. One thing I like to do with client’s pieces is to maximize their wear.

3. Trade in your blazer for a vest

Think of a vest as a “modern twist” on a blazer.

Vests are understandably a somewhat intimidating layering piece. If the proportions are off they can look unnecessary and fussy — and make you look bigger than you are. Here are some tips that will prevent you from looking like a crossing guard or a girl scout:

With a shorter vest, wearing a shirt that is noticeably longer helps balance the look. If you are petite, be careful that the top is not too long, as it will overwhelm your frame. Wearing this with a long-sleeve shirt is a great look.
A long vest is easy and forgiving to wear. Depending on your frame, you may need to have the vest tailored for the perfect length. A good seamstress can help you find that perfect length, but as a rule of thumb, consider having it be the same length as your favorite sheath dresses. Pairing a dress with a vest is a great look.
This isn't always an easy look to pull off, but if you're going to do it keep this one thing in mind: fit is key. Just like with a blazer the it fits your body,the better you will look. This may mean that the vest should be fitted at the waist or have a belt to create a waistline.

When you find a style that works for you, you'll find that vests make cool and creative layering pieces for a contemporary look.

4. Roll A Sleeve The Relaxed Way– by Leaving out the Cuff

When it comes to button downs, it’s the way you cuff a sleeve that really indicates what kind of business you’re getting into, as some cuffs look sloppy while others look purposeful. For a more formal look, a button down can be worn perfectly ironed and buttoned up under a suit jacket. But, for a more casual look, go a little oversized and unbutton the top two buttons, roll up the sleeves, and you’ll immediately look like someone who’s ready to get down and dirty. Another option is to leave the actual cuff out of your roll. When you roll up a sleeve, leave the cuff out of the roll, so the harder clothing parts are part of a casual action you are taking.

Another important tip for making your basic button downs look a little more purposefully relaxed. “Sizing is something you want to play with when you’re considering dressing in a relaxed format. If you are a true size 6, you might want to try a size 8 to give a little more ease. Especially with a button down- maybe you roll up a sleeve instead of getting your proper size. Another option is to try a more relaxed fit, like a boyfriend style.

Check out some boyfriend relaxed button downs below….

My Final Pointers for Confidently Dressing in a Business Casual Environment

Know your office — and yourself. If you’re more comfortable in formal clothes like sheath dresses (if you’re transitioning from a formal office to a casual one) try to add in fun shoes, jewelry, and other accessories to make your look more “business casual.” If you’re more comfortable in casual clothes like jeans, and want to dress it up, find things like comfortable sweater blazers to polish your casual look.

Seek a good balance between structured looks like sheath dresses, and more casual, unstructured looks, like waterfall cardigans, I advised a young woman seeking advice on how to dress in Silicon Valley. This is such a challenging environment to dress business casual because some people are dressed very casually and some people are dressed very formally.

Remember that professionalism comes from how you act as well as how you dress- so if you’re really freaked out, glide on the more conservative side until you are ready to start experimenting.

Is it okay to show your personal style at work? I say yes! showing your personal style in the office creates connection and starts conversation. Looking for ideas on how to appropriately show off your style in the office? Check this out.

I’m a firm believer in being true to yourself, knowing your limits, and what makes your feel comfortable and feel confident. Please make to always be yourself when getting dressed!

Welcome!

I'm Melanie! A personal stylist and confidence coach for high achieving women.

Here on the blog, I write about style tips, personal branding, outfit creation, and how to use your wardrobe to get noticed.
Let me know if there's any way I can help you!

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