Business Casual: Is It Working For You?

Dilbert says, "I love the business casual look for the way it combines unattractive with unprofessional while diminishing neither."   Business casual has been with us for 20 years and we still struggle with it.

So while we all struggle with it, one thing is true.  Styles may change, but the premise of business casual does not. The emphasis is still on business, not casual.  It can't be after-hours, off-the-job, or weekend attire.  Everyone and every business is diminished by that.  

Interestingly, a number of our client companies are returning to traditional business at least 4 days and sometimes 5 days a week.  The reason for that is that image and presence are still the most immediate and tangible methods to gain credibility, a competitive advantage, and ultimately market share.

One way to look at the importance of attire and image is using P.I.E.  P.I.E. represents Performance, Image and Exposure.  In a perfect world, Performance should represent 95% of business success; but the reality is that the split is even, 33% to each. Image and Exposure end up being just as important as Performance.

A.  When in doubt of what to wear to a client meeting, a customer event or an internal function, err on the more formal side. The attire you choose and the image you project is a compelling factor in decisions about your next promotion or whether  you sell an idea and get the business.

B.  Be consistent.  If you wear tailored and conservative attire Monday through Thursday, Friday isn't the day to come in dressed to party. Regardless of the industry you're in, consistency goes a long way in establishing trust and credibility with your internal and external contacts.

C.  Perceptions are formed based on the snapshot views others glean from every action and interaction. If you don't "look the part," chances are you will derail your career.  Part of the reason is that those sit-down discussions concerning personal appearance are awkward and usually avoided.  So we often never get the truth.

The simple, smart business casual wardrobe for men should include:

• 2 or 3 sport coats (one navy, two with a subtle pattern)
• 3 to 5 pairs of dress pants (super 100 wool for a more formal look, micro fiber for more casual)
• 5 to 7 sport shirts
• 2 mock turtle neck or polo (three-button with collar) sweaters
•  5 ties
• Socks to match pants and shoes
• 1 brown belt
• 1 black belt
• 1 pair brown shoes (sporty lace up or slip on)
• 1 pair black shoes (sporty lace up or slip on) 

The simple, smart business casual wardrobe for women should include:

• 2 dressy matched trousers
• 1 black jacket with matching black skirt and trousers (sold as separates, but combine like a suit)
• 1 jacket with matching skirt and trousers in a versatile fabric and color
• 1 patterned or fashion color separate jacket that will work with all black and brown items and potentially others
• 1 stylish white cotton shirt
• 2 light-weight short sleeve knit tops 
• 3 light-weight knit sweaters
• 1 pair low- heeled brown pumps
• 1 pair low-heeled black pumps
• Earrings, necklaces and belts to accessorize

Action Items 

1.  Clean out your closet. Take everything out.  Then try everything on before you put it back.  Be brutal.  Be honest.  Give away everything that doesn't fit, is dated, or never worked in the first place.  Keep only what is attractive, high quality, and professional.  Put red sticky notes or red hang tags on what you put back in your closet.  Once you wear the item, throw away the tag.  Then review your closet in 6 months for what you wear regularly and what still has a red tag on it. 

2.  Now go shopping. Purchase investment pieces of good fabric and quality.  Focus on quality not quantity.  Buy one quality item, not two of lesser quality.  If you don't like to shop, use personal shoppers at department stores.  Add a great jacket.  Consider new colors.  Freshen up your existing items with new accessories.