Polished, Relaxed, and Ready
Business-casual can be a tricky style to pull off. Relaxed but professional. Effort without stiffness. The goal is to balance comfort with style and to look professional without feeling like you’ve wandered in from a wedding reception in a rented tuxedo. Business casual isn’t about rules for rules’ sake; it’s about signaling you’ve given some thought to your outfit. While your choice of clothing may not feel important, it’s what makes a Thursday lunch with a client feel like a business meeting rather than a casual outing with friends. Here are twenty ways to hit that sweet spot.
1. Fit Beats Price
A $50 shirt that fits well will always look better than a $300 one that’s too long in the sleeves. Keep in mind that tailoring isn’t just for suits and it’s well worth getting your chinos hemmed if you find them puddling around your shoes.
2. Stick With Neutral Base Colors
Navy, charcoal, khaki, white, black are your go-to classic palette that emphasizes maturity and timeless style. You can’t go wrong with this lineup; they mix well and make it all but impossible to mismatch. If you want a splash of color, limit it to your accessories—ties, socks, or pocket square.
Ruan Richard Rodrigues on Unsplash
3. Avoid Office Sneakers
Yes, they exist, but tread carefully—no pun intended. A minimal leather sneaker can work if your office is relaxed, but those chunky Asics running shoes? Unless you’re the next Steve Jobs, leave them in your closet for the weekend grocery run.
4. Layer Lightly
A lightweight merino sweater over a crisp shirt looks smarter than a hoodie. Even in summer, a well-cut unlined blazer can also work well. Depending on your climate and the season, opt for breathable fabrics like cotton or linen to keep from roasting in your office. Even wool tends to be more breathable than synthetic fibers.
Mindaugas Lazdauskas on Pexels
5. Roll Sleeves with Intent
Half-hearted sleeve rolls always look messy and unkempt. Rather than scrunching them up into a bunch on your forearm, opt for a neat double-fold that stops just below the elbow. It’ll also stay put, so you won’t have to struggle with it constantly sliding down your arm throughout the day.
6. Mind The Belt-Shoe Connection
It’s as simple as this: brown belt, brown shoes, and black belt, black shoes. That said, fashion rules are meant to be broken, and there are definite exceptions. If you’re unsure, just keep it matched. Worn, wrinkled leather kills the look fast, so make sure to polish often and store them in shoe trees.
7. Don’t Ignore Socks
They may be a negligible part of the whole outfit, but they can make a big impression. Avoid white sports socks unless you’re also wearing gym shorts (which you shouldn’t be). Solid dark tones or subtle patterns are classic choices, but if you’re dying to try out your wiener dog design, socks are the safest place to push the limit.
8. Patterns Are Seasoning
Stripes, checks, and prints can add a dash of personality and disrupt the monotony of solid colors, but overdo it with matching trousers and shirt, and you’ll look like a patchwork quilt. One statement piece at a time and try to remember that less is often more.
9. Keep A Rotation of Crisp Shirts
You never know when you’ll need to throw on a semi-formal shirt at a moment’s notice. White, pale blue, maybe a soft pink or grey are classic professional colors that are respectable and unobtrusive. Be sure to iron them or at least steam out the worst of the creases. A crooked collar never fails to give a bad impression.
10. Shoes Matter More Than You Think
Loafers, brogues, or derbies can anchor the whole outfit, but scuffed and scratched uppers can undo everything else you’ve got going for you. Shoe trees help them last longer, and a little polish can work wonders for giving an old pair a second life.
11. Avoid Logo Overload
A small brand emblem on a polo is fine and can even give your outfit a touch of class. It doesn’t matter if that Balenciaga shirt cost you thousands, a wall of logos is tacky and best avoided as part of your business casual roster.
12. Know Your Workplace Climate—Literally
Some offices blast the AC year-round in the low double digits, whereas others feel like an outdoor sauna. There’s not much you can do short of cracking a window if the office staff is determined to cook you alive, but for offices on the colder side, keeping a light cardigan at your desk can help keep the chill at bay.
13. Jeans? Yes, But Only Certain Ones
It depends on office policy, but there are some general rules as far as office jeans go: dark wash, slim (not skinny) fit, and definitely no rips. Pair them with a blazer or an Oxford shirt and they’ll pass as business casual in a pinch. Save the light wash and frayed hems for the weekend.
14. Skip The Short-Sleeve Dress Shirt
This one may be a little controversial, but it’s hard to pull this look off without looking like you stepped directly out of the 80s—or worse, that you’re taking your fashion cues from Larry the Cable Guy. If your office is sweltering, swap the short-sleeve dress shirt for a pique polo and call it a day.
15. Watch The Watch
Nobody uses a watch to tell time anymore; we have cellphones for that. A simple leather-strap or metal-link watch adds quiet polish and sophistication to any outfit. While smart watches are fine, digital sports watches look out of place unless your job involves a stopwatch.
16. Stay Groomed
This should go without saying, but the swankiest outfit isn’t going to make an iota of difference if you look like Robin Williams fresh out of Jumanji. Keep your hair neat (whatever the length), your nails clean, and keep that collar crisp. Having facial hair is fine, but nobody—and I mean nobody—appreciates a neck beard.
17. Play With Texture
This is where fashion becomes a tactile experience. Wool trousers, chambray shirts, and suede loafers add texture and interest without the need for donning wild colors.
18. Invest In a Go-To Blazer.
Every man needs at least one blazer in his wardrobe. Navy or grey work for almost every conceivable occasion, and a blazer can be toned down with jeans and chinos. If you only own one piece of formal clothing, make it this.
19. Casual Fridays Aren’t an Invitation to Regress.
Yes, you can relax the look a bit, but on the scale of basketball shorts and flip flops to three-piece tuxedo, try and fall somewhere in between. A polo and chinos still count as casual without the risk of seeming sloppy.
20. Confidence is The Final Layer
Even the best outfit looks uninspired if you wear it like you borrowed it from someone else. Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Make eye contact. You’ll look sharper instantly.
