Business Casual Dress - What is Business Casual?

Business casual dress causes a great deal of confusion in the workplace. What exactly should you wear? Are jeans acceptable?

Here's an explanation of what business casual means, and how you can put together a wardrobe that still looks professional.

Business casual dress is a combination of the formal, dark colors of business wear, with the relaxed, comfortable look of casual wear. But be careful. It's not weekend wear, or sportswear. It's somewhere in the middle ground. It combines the professionalism of business dress with the comfort of casual dress, to create a smart, polished office look that's a step below business formal.

Here are 5 tips to guide you in planning your wardrobe.

1. If you wear business formal dress (a suit) to work everyday, and are now allowed to wear business casual on Fridays, dress one notch down. So you can wear a jacket and pants, but men can remove their tie. Or women can wear a pants suit instead of a suit with a jacket.
2. If your company allows you to wear business casual dress every day, when you are working in the office or for sales meetings, you still need to look professional. You don't have to wear a suit, but you should wear neat separates. This would include a crisp blouse or shirt, or a nice sweater with pressed business pants (or skirt for women).
3. Keep a jacket handy for unexpected meetings or client visits. Most companies that allow business casual in the office still want their employees to dress up when meeting clients.
4. Dress to make your clients feel comfortable. Even if your office is informal, if you visit clients who are more formal or conservative, it's a good idea to dress to match their environment. You'll make a better impression, because you are showing them respect when you dress up.
5. Ditch the jeans. Few companies allow jeans with business casual. If you work in an extremely casual environment, such as in software development, and your clients dress the same way, or you don't meet with clients, jeans may be alright. Again, take your clues from your boss or manager, and from the people you meet with.

Putting together a polished, professional business wardrobe takes time and thought.

Do you know the biggest business wardrobe mistakes? Find out with this free report:

7 Business Casual Crimes and How to Solve Them. You'll get it, plus: 13 Foods that Can Sabotage a Business Meal, when you sign up for my Communication Capsules Ezine at: [http://www.Impressforsuccess.com/signup.html]

From Lynda Goldman, author of How to Make a Million Dollar First Impression

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/975655

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