How to look good for business casual

December 19, 2019

 

What is business casual?

There is a lot of confusion around business casual because

  • HR usually doesn’t provide images of what they mean
  • It can vary from industry to industry
  • ultimately everyone has their own interpretation of it

Business casual is a step down from a formal (think- suits) dress code, but isn’t as casual as a no dress code (think- tee and jeans).

It still has to have a professional feel, look and most importantly represent your company in the right way.

As a NYC Personal Stylist and Image Consultant, I’ve worked with many clients who needed help navigating this dress code.

They didn’t want to dress in a traditional way of a long sleeve button down, baggy khakis and dress shoes. 

My clients wanted to develop a classic, effortless looking business casual style and with my help they looked incredible.

 

Next Level Wardrobe clients

 

 

Here are 3 ‘next-level’ tips for to remember when dressing for business casual:

 

1.Ditch your jeans

Business casual means no jeans throughout the week, maybe on casual Friday.

So what do you wear instead?

Try a pair of sleek trousers. This is a modern update to the traditional khakis that you usually see most guys wearing.

There are now stylish, comfortable trouser options as well that have drawstrings, stretch fabric and some are even water repellant.

Suitsupply has great trouser options for all body types, check out a style I recommend here.

 

Traditional business casual baggy khakis

 

2. Sport a Luxe Sweater

One of the easiest ways to upgrade your look is to incorporate better, more luxe fabrications in modern styles, like a lightweight sweater.

This style you can dress up easily, by doing a sophisticated layered look or you can wear casually on the weekends.

Be sure to look for wool blends or cashmere fabrications. These natural fabrics will breathe and will have a flattering fit.

 

 

3.Don’t forget your shoes

Leave the square toed dress shoe and gym sneaker at home:

Please leave these styles at home! 

Instead, choose for a modern sneaker or leather boot.

These styles come in a variety of colors and textures. I recommend a grey leather sneaker and a brown suede boot.

Between these two pairs, you’ll be covered year around for your business casual footwear needs and best of all, you’ll be able to wear them for day time at the office to a work event in the evening.

 

 

 

About the Author - Cassandra Sethi
About the Author - Cassandra Sethi

Personal Stylist & Image Consultant

Cassandra Sethi is a Personal Stylist and Founder of Next Level Wardrobe, a luxury Personal Styling and Shopping Service that helps successful professionals of all ages and sizes. After working in the fashion industry for over 25 years, she used her expert knowledge to create a proprietary styling system called ‘The Next Level Wardrobe Style System' which guarantees clients more outfits with less items in their closet. NLW has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Tamron Hall Show, NY Mag, Huffington Post and more.

*Disclosure: Next Level Wardrobe only recommends products that we’d suggest to our clients or personally wear ourselves. All opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, Next Level Wardrobe may earn a small commission. Read the full privacy policy here.

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Cassandra Sethi

is a NYC Personal Stylist and Image Consultant. She is the Founder of Next Level Wardrobe and 'The NLW Style System' that guarantees clients more outfits with less items.

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