Office wear

[wellinghall]

I know we've touched on this before, but what would you wear to work if the dress code was "smart casual" or "business casual"? Or possibly more to the point (especially if you're a woman!), what do you think I should wear?

Comments

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

The general trend back when I was in such an office was dark trousers and a pale blue shirt in a chequered or striped pattern.

I generally work chinos and a polo shirt, though if I could be bothered with the extra ironing I'd have worn a proper (but short-sleeved) shirt.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thank you, king_pellinor; I'll do another post shortly, setting out my position in more detail.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I think the former (and most of the other suggestions) comes into the bracket of business casual whereas the chinos and polo shirt is more smartish casual in a non-work sense, for most employers, and hence a bit too dressed down except maybe for "dress down Fridays" in a business casual environment. (Unless you are in IT or creative industries which seem different).

When I went into Deloitte their version of 'business casual' seemed usually a tie but not always, then a shirt, trousers, not often a jacket or full suit, unless meeting high-up clients or bosses occasionally. I think that with the tie/no tie thing is, that you can get away with a very smart shirt/trousers with no tie, or a slightly more casual look of shirt/trousers with a tie, but not both at the same time. (Which is one reason why bek wears a tie to work).

Collarless or 'designed with an open neck' shirts that can't take a tie are another option.

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

We were generally supposed to wear a suit for meeting clients, and so there was normally quite a large proportion of suits around on any given day (usually temporarily sans jacket/tie though). Exaggerated, of course, by the sort of person who wants to look as if they have a lot of meetings coming up, or might at any moment be called on to attend one :-)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this, and for your other comments, didiusjulianus. I will do another post about this shortly.