To succeed at work, one must fit in. One must follow the rules and guidelines of the company. As it is of course extremely important to be a good worker, to have high work ethics, produce quality work, get along well with co-workers and be an integral part of a team; it is also important to look appropriate while doing so.
For men, the dress code for business casual dress is fairly simple, but there are some errors that may ruin the entire outfit. One of the most important aspects is the pants. Jeans are not acceptable and men should never allow the word “casual” to mean that jeans are ok. Men should wear trousers such as khakis. The color should remain professional, such as tan, brown, navy and black. Regarding shirts, a t-shirt is never acceptable. A shirt should be a button down dress shirt or a collared cotton shirt. The color should compliment the pants. Any color will match well with black pants. For tan or brown pants, white, tan, multicolored shirts with tan or brown in them, a light orange, light yellow, light green or a toned down red color is acceptable. Bright and loud colors should never be worn. IN addition, a man should always wear a belt when in business casual dress. Shoes are very important and often overlooked. Sneakers are never acceptable. Even if the entire outfit is properly business casual dress, if a man wears sneakers, it will ruin the entire ensemble. Even solid black sneakers are not ok. A man should wear comfortable dress shoes; they do not need to be the shiny black and uncomfortable ones such as one may wear to a wedding. If a man looks around at his options, there are plenty of shoes that will be soft, comfy and not sneakers.
Business causal dress for a woman follows some of the above guidelines. She should not wear jeans or sneakers. What is most appropriate is a soft dress pant paired with a sweater or blouse in which the colors match well. If the blouse is tucked in, she should wear a belt. In addition, skirts are appropriate as well. One big mistake that some women make is to wear the tops too low-cut and the skirts too high-cut. It is extremely unprofessional and should never be done. Cleavage should never show and skirts should over the knee. Shoes can be comfortable and casual, but sandals and open-toed shoes are not appropriate. A woman should wear pumps with heels no higher than two inches or even flats. The shoes should be well kept, of course and match the outfit.
The only time that anyone should wear jeans is if the company allows its employees to have what is called a “casual Friday”. In this case, some of the same rules apply as when wearing business casual dress. Casual Friday does not mean that a person should show up at work in sweat pants or jeans with an old t-shirt and sneakers. An employee should still keep the air of professionalism. Jeans paired with a nice shirt and casual shoes would be appropriate. The color of the shirts can be a bit brighter, but should never be one that attracts attention. A person who goes to work in business casual dress, should blend in with the office environment in terms of their clothes and then outshine in terms of their work.