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1
07/29/08 | Report as spam
Absolutely Right On
...based on my observations. Really sharp executives make even casual look polished. It definitely adds umph to the overall persona.
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2
07/29/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
Great Tips!
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3
07/29/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
A NIce article which tell how important is dressing and how to dress.
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4
07/29/08 | Reported as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
Alot of people still don't know theres a difference between business casual and weekend casual!
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5
07/29/08 | Report as spam
I know casual,
I know casual,
but you lost me when you
spoke about 'business'
and 'weekend' being separate 
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6
07/29/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
good details & enough detail to bring the 'subtle' out of the 'subtle-business-dressing'
cheers
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7
07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
The five rules are good , but one should not lose sight of socio-cultural dynamics of power image in business outside wall streets like in places such as Africa and Asia.
- Ohanyido
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8
07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
The dry-cleaning culture is not really big in South Africa. Mostly, because it is too expensive and the climate demands that one wears mostly cottony, natural fabrics. However, the rest of the guidelines are helpful. Thanks.
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9
07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
Great article, but the author forgot to say, that if your company position includes visiting clients at their premises, one should also think of their corporate culture and adapt the outfit accordingly. If business casuals is acceptable in your company's environment, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is appropriate for your client.
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10
07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
In southern african context ethical dress compliments "the you" notion. in principle i do agree, however i do promote that one should not sacrafice personal identity for the sake of corporate culture. The latter dulls innovation / creativity and being unique.
henk
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11
07/30/08 | Report as spam
5 Rules of Business Casual
This is a great article - I would like to mention that you should take your cues from your company culture but be aware of client's expectations. Our company does not have casual business wear mainly because our customers would not take us seriously (we are an insurance company). When we do have infrequent "dress down" days for special events, the clothing chosen by our staff is often too casual (with bellys showing, shorts etc) so now we have to issue very clear rules for these days. I think you should dress for the job you are aspiring to.
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12
07/30/08 | Report as spam
Customer Expectations
Are you sure your customer won't take you seriously? Or is that a vision of the company's view of its customers? You might just try asking a few of your customers to see what they think. I have seen many companies say they wouldn't be taken seriously, only to find out they were the only ones who cared.
Balance is the key.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
The downstairs portion of my job, is a warehouse environment; naturally, the expectation is jeans with organization provided (logo'd) shirt during the week, and logo'd tee shirts on Friday and Saturday. Okay, that's understandable, however, staff working upstairs (in offices) should be encouraged to dress in more business casual manner.
It's refreshing to see these rules in print. I'm passing them on to family, friends, and colleagues.
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14
07/30/08 | Report as spam
exactly
I agree that it's good to see this in print.
I joined a small financial planning firm recently, and last summer it seemed that anything went -- mid-level employees rolling in unshaved, argo shorts and flip flops ... and the ladies... well let's say i wasn't sure what profession they were in. Completely not cool if we've got clients dropping in (sometimes unannounced) for whatever reason.
so, at the beginning of this summer i googled around a bit and cobbled together a piece and handed it out, saying hey we all want to be comfortable when the weather is hot, but we need to make sure our clients are comfortable too.
anyway, thanks for your piece, next year i can use it instead of trumping something up.
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15
07/30/08 | Report as spam
Language, please! (an aside)
Should you consult a Yiddish-English dictionary," you could find that many people might not wish (or even qualify) to be called "business schmucks." I understand that, because many people are not conversant with Yiddish, its use is sometimes aberrant but there are enough people who know the usual meaning of this word to call for some caution in how it is thrown around.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
If you're creasing and belting your jeans, you're not really working in a jeans casual environment. Don't do it. Get some Bill's khakis or the like instead.
Also, it is very rarely a good idea to pair jeans with a blazer of the type you might where with a tie.
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17
07/30/08 | Report as spam
correction and amendment
That would be "wear" not "where".
Misuse of denim is an obvious signal to the younger (and older) hipsters in your workplace that you are out of touch and don't even know it. You'd be better off wearing just removing your tie from an otherwise formal business outfit than paddling about in unknown sartorial waters.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
Creased Jeans
I don't know Matt, I have a pair of jeans that I take to the dry cleaner to have creased. I usually wear these with a colored or lightly patterned short, complemented to my socks, and it works well for me. And I'm no spring chicken at 43. But then I'm at CNET -- now CBS Interactive -- one of the most casual of the business casual offices.
I like Bill's Khakis -- I have a pair I wear in the country -- but to me the khakis-and-blue-button-down look just screams "drone," "tool" or "scrub!" A pair of nice, not-to-hip designer jeans adds a bit of panache.
Cheers!
M2
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
Cringe at crease?
I am pressing (no pun intended) 40 myself. However, I come from a legal background vs. media. It's a bit stuffier.
I have not witnessed the crease applied effectively to a pair of jeans, but I am willing to be surprised. I have also observed that most folks do not have jeans that fit well.
When I wear a particular item, I like either to be true to its origin (jeans worn by miners, laborers and cowboys would not be creased while khakis for soldiers and prep school students often would be) or adopt a knowing departure from the traditional treatment.
Khakis work if they are of high quality (most are not), unpleated and decent heft and are paired with great shirt/shoes/belt/shoes/no socks, in my opinion. I will sometimes press them but leave them uncreased. I typically avoid short sleeve shirts unless their is a real possibility I will be golfing. Good casual shirts and accessories often cost every bit as much or more than their more formal counterparts. Most repurposed dress shirts tend to effect the Bill Gates look, although the appeal of a high end white sea island cotton dress shirt can be significant.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
In my office of Advertising Account Executives, there are a few AEs that feel if they are dress for business, that it will offend their clients! We do live in a Casino/Resort area but Geezzzz. I call it the Company Picnic look.....if you'd wear it to the company picnic, it's not for the office.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
Garm(ent) Offensive?
It all depends on what it is the client looks to you for. I don't really care how the person who delivers my pizza dresses. I don't mind it at all if I am in the emergency room in shorts and a T-shirt and my doctor is wearing a tie. If your client is looking to you for mission critical inputs that they aren't able themselves to provide, I don't think it hurts to keep an image that's slightly more formal than your client.
On the other hand, if you're assisting with matters of great sensitivity that are not known to the client's entire staff, it is sometimes important to keep a low profile. As an M&A attorney, it was often important for me to make sure I did not appear too much like a lawyer when I paid a visit to a site of the party to be acquired.
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22
07/30/08 | Report as spam
denim venom
If you're creasing and belting your jeans, you're not really working in a jeans casual environment. Don't do it. Get some Bill's khakis or the like instead.
Also, it is very rarely a good idea to pair jeans with a blazer of the type you might wear with a tie.
Misuse of denim is a dead giveaway that you're sartorially clueless and don't even know it. Better to simply remove the tie from your typical formal business get up, maybe take a calculated risk with shirt and/or pocket square.
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23
07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
I'd have to agree. As a female VP/Director at my firm, which is in a design field, I have to look casual but hip/chic at over 50, which isn't always easy! That means, it's usually something black and expensive-looking (like cashmere) with denim on the bottom and to-the-minute accessories, or unlined linen slacks in the summer with slim tops and/or matching jackets - with, again - stylish accessories. A woman should never underestimate the impact of a good, expensive handbag, so have at least one for summer and one for winter. And - sorry, ladies - unobtrusive makeup, a decent haircut, and manicure (+pedi for summer shoes). I knew I was doing it right when one of the hip, young designers told me I was her "style idol" at work.
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24
07/30/08 | Report as spam
Denim don'ts
Your post makes a good point that effectively using denim in your workplace requires a pretty strong style confidence level.
I think jeans can look great, but I don't think it is a clothing item for which it's easy to give hard and fast rules (maybe don'ts, but the do's are not easy). It is a "high degree of difficulty" wardrobe choice. (I will say, even as a relatively slim size 33 waist male, that a small bit of lycra content can greatly improve the look and comfort of a man's pair of jeans, which otherwise tend to bind where binding is unwelcome and, over the course of a day, develop a case of "baggy butt".)
On the other hand, I would have much more confidence advising someone to get a high quality, well-fitting (correct rise, not too baggy, worn around the WAIST, not under the gut) pair of unpleated khakis--finished with a "blue jean" hem if you like--and pair them with a Lacoste polo in an interesting color or a dress/sport shirt in an interesting color/pattern by an old line maker like Gitman Bros or a good designer like Burberry, Zegna or Robert Graham (or any number of others, I am not too picky in that regard). If you've got the cash, skip the designers and order up some custom shirts in fabrics of your choosing. They'll fit better (HUGE signal to the fashion cognoscenti) and won't look just like the shirts everyone else got (or walked by) at Bloomingdales.
Finish the look the nicest pair of loafers/driving moccasins and belt you can afford. Suede is nice in the cooler months. Lose the socks.
That, to me, is much more difficult to screw up than trying to build an appropriate and impressive outfit around blue jeans.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
Hiring Team
When I was hired on a Friday, those who interviewed me wore: cut-offs and flip-flops, jeans and a rock-band T-shirt, jeans and a company T-shirt, a knit shirt and jeans. Of course I wore a sport coat and conservative tie.
Dressing one step better than those around you brings respect for you and your ideas.
I can recall when my father, fresh from an assignment in Texas, was warned by a peer that blue shirts were not acceptable at the home office. It was white, long-sleeve shirts only, thank you.
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07/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
I disagree that all your business attire needs to be dry clean. At my company, a pair of Dockers and a polo-style knit shirt is perfectly acceptable as business casual as long as it's pressed. Guys, buy an iron and learn how to use it. You'll save a fortune on dry cleaning.
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27
07/31/08 | Report as spam
Detergent Test
Scott -- I think that the "detergent test" was more a general rule of thumb rather than a absolute directive. It's more like if you would normally have an article dry cleaned then it's most appropriate for the office. Of course there are exceptions.
Also, investing in a clothes steamer is another good way to save on the dry cleaning.
Cheers,
M2
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28
07/31/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
any ideas for business casual in adventure tourism (corporate office in a small town)
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29
07/31/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
I find American dress habits at both work school are spiraling downward. When marketing after work, I am shocked that my button down (or even golf) shirt and slacks places me among the "best dressed" in the store. When you dress well, you feel confident and says you care.
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30
08/04/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
One more thing to mention - it's not just the clothes, it's how they are cared for. Is it clean? Is it pressed? Does it fit? The best, most expensive and 'dressy' clothes on the planet will look terrible if they are wrinkled and don't fit. Look in the mirror before you leave your house.
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31
08/16/08 | Report as spam
RE: 4. Temper Trends with Classics
Yes absolutely. Clothes also have an expiration date. And
too trendy can reduce perceived credibility.
Another real consideration I'd like to recommend to
anyone: Find YOUR look. For some people, this will be
easy and they can look good in any style. Others will be
challenged. Bottom line is find clothing that suits your
height, weight, coloring, personal/professional traits you
want to radiate, and also makes you feel good about who
you are. YOUR look. YOUR style.
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32
08/30/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
what if you're a field based manager? Suits don't cut it here.
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33
08/31/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
I agree with volckmann. I agree that if you invest in finding YOUR STYLE, that complements your height, your build, your coloring, your lifestyle, you will always be in style. As a style and fashion consultant, i educate my clients on the value of signature style, and being the best in your style, from dark washed jeans, interesting top and a jacket that flatters the body type. You'll never go wrong once you've invested in your number one resource...YOU!
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34
09/02/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
I echo matthuggins point above. If you're wearing jeans with a crease, you have completely lost the point of jeans--and the point of a crease. Yes, you may think you're pulling it off well (and so may your long-suffering wife), but unfortunately, too many people whom you don't hear from are snickering behind your back.
And, as always, context is everything. If you show up for an interview in a suit, when you are interviewing for a developer position with a small, young, Valley startup, you're going to have to fight that much harder to overcome bias on the part of your interviewers.
In the same way, if you show up in a polo and Dockers when interviewing for a mid-level management position with P&G, your listeners will have a hard time hearing any words you say because they're trying to suppress their distaste for your self-presentation.
Blass's point ("Style is synonymous with the appropriate.") is as obvious as it is appropriate.
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11/11/08 | Reported as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
I work for a firm where we have no dress code. The dress code we did have was eliminated so that employees could wear hats and flip-flops to work.
"One level up" are the executives and they wear anything from business casual to shorts and polos. It's a bit more challenging to navigate what is appropriate. When I need to present to the executive team I opt for anything that has a collar and has to be ironed. If I wore a suit, they'd wonder if I was heading out to an interview or a funeral.
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36
11/11/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
Right on time! I've been noticing more and more that management is including me on high profile meetings. On one meeting I was the only one with out a jacket or a tie (that is when i started to notice that the my casual was not up to par with the new crowd). I was wearing a striped short sleeve button down shirt. I came from a hands on tech job and recently got promoted. Time to change the uniform I guess.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Brook's brothers on 5th Ave.
Thank you for a very good read.
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11/20/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
Good read. Yesterday I saw a woman in the HR office wearing a black vest with tons of straps
laced back and forth but not enough vest fabric to cover her back, (it looked very invitational for S&M) to top it off, she wore hooker-ish platform, 5 inch patent heels. I kept waiting
for a pole to appear. 30 years ago, she would have been written up for a total lack of judgement and sent home to change. Not today!
Mind you this is a government office.
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38
12/04/08 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
Great Article.
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39
01/06/09 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
It was a great clue 4 me aspecialy...
bt sumtimes we need to wear abit normal i guess....Where sumtimes people might think like we are a person who over dressed when we r out aspecialy...?
any suggestion.......?
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40
01/12/09 | Report as spam
RE: Five Rules of Style for the Business-Casual Workplace
As a young professional, and I mean young 24, I find the dress code dilemma a bit contradictive. I naturally dress up to dress for the job I want and to avoid being viewed as the naive inexperienced "kid," but as far as other veterans providing a good example...no way. It drives me insane that those who have worked at my office for 25 yrs, which is the majority feel as if they have earned their lack of an appropriate appearance. Acid wash jeans and sweatshirts in a businees casual environment are not appropriate. What drives me even more insane is because of their seniority the look goes by unnoticed, where as at my first job wearing something that fit my age and the decade was deemed inappropriate though very sophisticated and modest. Are trends and being fashion conscious labeling me a kid? I just don't feel like I should have to dress like my mother to be taken seriously.
