Oh no! You finally landed your dream job, and you were just told the attire is the dreaded business casual. What does business casual even mean? Should you wear jeans and a dress shirt, or a pencil skirt with a blazer? Before you pull that wrinkled, old blazer out of the bottom of your closet, let’s explore the clothes you already have.
Business casual does not mean you have to go out and buy a whole new “professional” wardrobe. In fact, business casual should be seen as an opportunity to present yourself in a professional manner with your own personal twist.
In preparation for fall weather, I decided to wear a dress from Francesca’s over an Ann Taylor button-down blouse with Tory Burch flats. Remember in middle school when you wore a T-shirt under an Aeropostale cami? I like to think of this look as an “adult” version of that.
Accessorizing is essential when dressing business casual, so to top off this look I wore a J.Crew statement necklace, a kate spade new york bangle and diamond stud earrings from Nordstrom. This look is perfect for internships, presentations, interviews or any occasion that requires business casual attire.
Surprisingly, many of the clothes that I wear to business casual events such as my internship, are from Francesca’s which is a store that is not usually thought to sell business casual attire. This shows how open ended the phrase business casual is, so take a look at the clothes you already have and decide what you think can pass as business casual. Always use good judgement for the occasion and dress to express your personal style.
For your first day of the new job, I recommend to grab a nice dress out of your closet, put a button down underneath or a cardigan on top and accessorize! As Oscar Wilde once said, “You can never be overdressed or over educated.” When in doubt, steer toward the professional side of business casual.
