What is “Business Casual?”

by Amy Woodall, owner of Image Savvy and Professional Image Consultant.

That is probably the most common question I am asked as an Image Consultant. I hate the term.  No wonder everyone is so confused. On one hand we have “business” which most people understand quite well. It usually consists of a suit and tie for men and a suit or skirt/blazer combo for women. Then we have “casual” and that is where we get into trouble. Everyone has a different idea about what “casual” actually is. My idea is jeans and a nice shirt with heels, other people thinks it’s a t-shirt and jeans with sneakers and some believe “casual” to be pajama pants and an oversized sweatshirt. So we combine the two words “business” and “casual” and we have a crazy combination. Let me clarify how we should address this issue. First examine your profession.   What does a                                     look like? Next think of your clients. What do they look like? Now how about the company you work for? What is their image? Then dress accordingly.

When it comes to “business casual” just remember less casual and almost all business. So men lose the tie and keep the suit. You can even mix and match jackets and pants but please NO GOLF SHIRTS! For us women it doesn’t change much.  Play with color and mixing and matching while still looking professional.  Wardrobe can be quite hard to figure out and that is why I stay in business.  Never under estimate the power of dress.  We wear who we are on the outside……..so what is your clothing saying about you?

Amy Woodall can be reached at amy@imagesavvyindy.com