Once upon a time, dressing for the office was a reasonably straightforward affair. For the men it was a plain, dark colored suit with a white (or at least neutral) shirt and a subdued tie. For the women it was similar, tailored jacket, matching slacks or skirt and a plain blouse.

Then came “Business Casual Dress”! Great, all of a sudden we’re free from the straightjacket (no pun intended). Things are going to be way easier now. We can wear our weekend clothes and just not worry about office clothes - right? No, sorry, that’s very wrong.

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After years of running a large department store for Macy’s, and providing business-appropriate dress seminars all over the country, I realized that there is one determining factor between companies whose people look ultra casual, and those whose people project a professional business casual image. The latter are always seizing a greater market share than their more casual-looking competitors. It’s not enough today to assume your employees know how to interpret business casual. Successful companies have specific dress codes that are aligned with their brand and core values, and they train their staff to understand the importance of how their employees’ image reflects the corporate brand. Large, successful companies know that professional looking people easily obtain more business. Review these “quick tips” to ensure your people look professional and are perceived to be the experts in your industry, on their way to achieve greater success.

Implement A Specific Dress Code

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Ahh, business casual dress. Don’t you love dressing more comfortably at work? Well, be careful. Business casual dress may diminish your chances for success. As Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams, quipped, I love the business casual look for the way it combines unattractive with unprofessional while diminishing neither.

Have you noticed that in some offices, business casual leads to mass confusion? You may be overjoyed when your office institutes casual Fridays, or perhaps you wear casual clothes every day. But you, or others in your office, may not be sure what this means. Some staff members look as if they should be somewhere else – perhaps out jogging or curled up on the couch. Some clothes are just a bit too casual for work.

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Ten years ago definition of appropriate interview attire was a lot different than it is today. While “business” and “business casual” are still words used to describe the general dress code of an office, there are no longer cut and dry concepts as to what this mean. Should you wear a suit coat and a matching skirt and blouse, or can your wear dress pants and a stylish sweater. Here are so guidelines to help you decide what to wear head to toe for your interview.

• Hair: Ask yourself what hair style you feel most comfortable in and what makes you look best. While you should never just throw your hair up in a pony tail for an interview, you should stay away from overly trendy hair styles. Keep your hair style simple for your interview and make sure it looks clean and well combed. It’s also a good idea to keep the headbands, scarves, and fun clips for another day.
• Makeup: Your make up should be kept to a minimum. While ladies like Mimi on the Drew Carey show may have a job, chances are if you interviewed looking like a clown, your resume would be shredded the second you walked through the door. Apply the eye shadow, eyeliner, and blush conservatively and use a sensible color of lipstick or lip gloss. Your goal is to look polished not like you’re ready to go on a hot night out on the town.
• Nails: Your finger nails say a lot about you. If they are dirty and chipped your prospective employer may see that as a very negative character flaw and use it against you when sorting through applications. If it’s possible, have your nails manicured by a professional. If you’re low on time, cash, or don’t care to have your nails done by a professional, at the very least, make sure they care clean and well trimmed.
• Top: While it’s not necessary to go to your interview with a suit coat, it is a good idea to stay on the business side of business casual. To be safe, a solid colored, tailored shirt is a great choice. Even though the office may have a very casual dress code, you still want to look professional. Stay away from T-shirts, tank tops, baggy sweaters, and patterned shirts.
• Pants/Skirts: Whether you wear a nice pair of tailored pants or a skirt is really up to you. If you’re going to wear pants, wear something that fits appropriately. You don’t want to see panty lines or a thong sticking out. Wear something that puts you in the realm of professionalism not that puts you on the cover of vogue in other words choose practical over trendy. If you plan on wearing a skirt never wear one that goes higher than slightly above the knee or one that’s extremely tight. Wearing a tight miniskirt to an interview will paint you as cheap, not very professional, and will ultimately send red flags to your interviewer.
• Shoes: When deciding what shoes to wear, you may want to keep simplicity in mind. I sensible heel - no higher than three inches- is usually appropriate. It’s also generally a good idea to wear a solid color shoe, not one with outrageous prints or neon colors.
• Purse: You will want to carry a purse or a brief case. If you choose a purse, you should find something sleek and stylish that will hold your resume, portfolio, and anything else you may need such as a wallet, lip gloss, breath mints, and a hair brush. 

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Successful Dress is an integral component of being successful in the work place. Visual impressions are the critical in conveying style, confidence, and attitude. In today’s corporate world, the concept of business casual is becoming more apparent. On one hand, employees aren’t to be seen as drone workers without their own interests or capabilities. However, on the other hand it is important to maintain a sense of unified action and respect for the conventions of modern business practice in the United States. Keeping this concept in mind, it is easy to understand that a few simple additions and attention to detail will help anyone develop a positive outward appearance in their workplace.

The almost cliché notion of dressing for success may seem obvious but it is often overlooked. Likewise, paying particular attention to what is in style or the current trend in what is meant by business casual for both that profession and location. What is snappy in California may be overly dramatic in New York or vice versa. Emulation is another idea that should not be discounted. By looking at various workers seen as successful or stylish–within the framework of business casual dress–anyone can uncover a few ideas on how to modify their own dress. This does not mean that one need copy any other style of dress exactly but should be thought of as a starting place to gather ideas the next time they are out shopping or considering a new look. In the business world we are literally surrounded by a sense of what works, what is allowable, and what gets people noticed. After all, people tend to be extremely visual as well as keen on detail when looking for people that they feel capable of getting the job done.

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Business casual is a wonderful idea for people who want to feel relaxed in the workplace. No more spending the day in a stuffy suit. Now you can dress to feel good.

But wait. If you think business casual means that anything goes, think again. It’s easy to go down the slippery slope from business casual to business casualty.

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Are finding business casual outfits causing you to tear your hair out in the morning? Do you stand in your closet, looking for business casual ideas?

Business casual is the merging of two types of attire - business dress and casual clothing. The challenge is that when people try to combine these styles, the clothing choices are almost limitless.

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Women, are you looking for ways to pull your business casual wardrobe together? Well, look no farther than making black the basis of your wardrobe.

It’s true that in the past few seasons, magazines are tripping over themselves in excitement to announce that color is back. All the more reason to make black the backbone of your wardrobe.

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