How to nail business casual

The workplace is constantly evolving. Businesses are trying to create an upbeat place for employees to do their work. White walls and gray cubicles are no longer the norm. There are extravagant decorations, services for employees, and a relaxed dress code.

Business casual is becoming accepted on more days than just Friday. More and more, you can spot a startup CEO in their office sporting the most comfortable sweatpants and sneakers.

But with the ever-changing workplace there is one thing that will never go out of style: class. There are those of us who still respect and yearn to bring a sense of class to the office each and every day. To us, a nice graphic tee and denim isn’t up to our standards when we think business casual. Because we know that business casual doesn’t mean a casual day.

That is why we’ve put together some tips below to help you nail business casual and let people admire the standards you hold yourself to.

Here is our personal favorite:

Lose the tie and unbutton the top two shirt buttons. A tie would be too classy and this is the only time you will ever hear us say that. A clean cut suit and an unbuttoned neck will scream, “professional” and “I’m here to party” at the same time.

If you’re a cufflink wearer, this look will work best without them. Stick with the one-button cuff and wear it confidently.

While we want to play the part of casual, we never know what kind of business we’ll have to conduct that day. And this look plays the part of both.

To summarize our favorite look: Keep the suit, lose the tie. Wear a sharp pair of dress shoes with a mirror shine and keep the cufflinks at home.

If you want to get a bit more casual:

Some of us can’t get enough of a suit. We love the look and everything that comes with it. We hear business casual and immediately think of ways we can show off our style. One way we can do that while still keeping the suit look is to mix and match jackets and pants.

For example, use this dress code opportunity as the chance to swap out the gray suit jacket for navy blue and rock it with the gray slacks. Keep the top two shirt buttons unbuttoned to master the mix. Experiment with your favorite colors and bring your own sense of style to the word “professional.”

Even more casual:

And finally some of us look forward to the day we can get out of a suit. We desire a more relaxed feel to set an upbeat mood to the day which can help us enjoy our work a little more.

Keep the button down shirt and always make sure it’s tucked in. An untucked shirt, no matter how casual it may be, should never be accepted in the workplace.

Now we can throw on a light sweater. This gives us a chance to play with color combinations that compliment each other. Sometimes a sweater can bunch up the shirt underneath, so only the neck button should be unbuttoned. This will keep the rest of the shirt tight and not pulled down. The sweater could be left out if you choose, leaving you with a sharp button down.

For the pants, a nice pair of khakis would do the trick. They shouldn’t have any exposed pockets on the back. Wear them with a nice pair of loafers or low boots. Leather is the norm and sneakers should never cross your mind anytime you’re headed to work.

Be confident.