Tips for the Business Casual Workplace

It's Monday morning and as you stand in front of you closet you are lost. Since when did casual Friday rollover into everyday of the week? Like most people in business that started working in the 80's you like your crisp shirt, your pinch-toed shoes, and your basic suit. Yet now you are asked to tone it down and to dress for a more casual clientele. So as you stand there and remember when morning dress use to only take 30 minutes you start to think, "What is business casual all about?".

Business casual or "Biz Cas" as some companies and workers call it started simply to cater to a younger and more diverse work environment as well as clientele. What start as basically "Casual Friday" has become the standard of dress for a majority of established companies and almost all up and coming new companies to date. It is the idea that you don't have to be buttoned up or down to be productive, and simply put it is a more flexible way of dressing for the office.

However, what started as a great employee moral booster and a fun idea has somehow become a little twisted as some employees try to push the envelope and other more traditional employees long for the days of old. So how do we navigate through this world of casual attire that is still business minded? By employing three simple rules:

1. Remember less is not always more. Just because the word "Casual" is involved doesn't mean that you can wake up in the same clothes you went out in last night and expect that to be appropriate for the office. There is still work attire and it most definitely isn't the loosely tied around your neck, back out halter that you love even if it does make you look skinny or the 3 button shirt that shows how much you have been hitting the gym. As always keep business and personal separate and that most definitely includes your closet.
2. Keep it simple. If you have a suit that you have worn for years but now don't feel it works for the casual office; think again. With a little re-arranging that suit is still perfect. Maybe you leave the jacket at home and you wear a different tie or make a colored shirt either way you still look professional and that is what counts.
3. If you don't know; ask. This is the easiest of the rules and still it is the most over looked. Your company has a HR department or person just for these kinds of questions. If you're not sure bring in the outfit or take a photo of it and bring to the appropriate person. They receive memo after memo about what is expected from every employee on every subject and they can tell you exactly what "Biz Cas" is and what is not.

So pull out your closet and start re-arranging or taking snapshots because Business Casual is here to stay and with a little help you will be right on the money.