Business casual attire: Examples, tips, and what to skip

• Business casual means professional but relaxed: no suit and tie required.
• Safe staples include slacks or chinos, blouses or button-downs, sweaters, blazers, and loafers.
• Skip shorts, flip-flops, athletic wear, and anything ripped or revealing.
• Definitions vary by company and industry, so read your handbook and watch your coworkers.
• When you are unsure, dress up rather than down.

Business casual is professional clothing that drops the suit and tie for something more relaxed, without sliding into weekend wear. It is less formal than business formal and business professional dress codes. Each workplace sets its own specifics, but most agree on less formal clothing and less strict rules overall.

Business casual attire is often more comfortable, which can boost satisfaction and productivity. Common industries include technology, marketing, and sales. The definition has only broadened since remote and hybrid work reshaped office norms, so what counts as business casual at one company can look different at the next.

On Glassdoor Community, a Senior Cyberark Consultant summed it up: “What people consider as business casual can vary wildly depending on where you are.“

There are several outfit options for women who work in a business casual office. When in doubt, go more professional than less. For example, if you are choosing between jeans and slacks, your best bet is the slacks.

Business casual examples for women include:

• Slacks
• Dark jeans that are in good condition and do not have holes, rips, or tears
• Knee-length skirts and dresses
• Sweaters
• Blouses
• Polo shirts
• Cardigans
• Blazers
• Jackets
• Pumps
• Loafers
• Boots
• Oxfords
• Flats
• Tailored pants
• Wide-leg dress pants

The most acceptable business casual colors are neutrals like white, tan, beige, brown, and black. A business casual code tends to accept bold and patterned prints too, so add pops of color if your office allows it. For more inspiration, browse these professional outfit examples.

Necklines, sleeves, and hemlines should be a professional length. The more modest the better, though some companies allow sleeveless blouses or skirts and dresses that hit just above the knee.

Men usually have an easier time with a business casual dress code because the rules are often more cut and dry. If you are ever unsure, opt for more formal rather than less.

Business casual examples for men include:

• Khakis
• Chinos
• Trousers
• Dark denim jeans with no holes, rips, or tears
• Closed-toed shoes such as loafers
• Blazers
• Sports coats
• Button-down shirts
• Sweaters
• Polo shirts
• Oxford shirts
• Cardigans
• Sweater vests

Clothing should be clean and pressed without any visible stains. Your clothes should also fit well — avoid clothes that are too tight or too loose. Men’s accessories are usually acceptable in a business casual office, with good options being watches, belts, and cufflinks.

While a business casual dress code is less formal than more traditional ones, there are still certain items you should not wear to the office. These items include:

• Low-cut shirts
• Backless shirts
• Strapless or tube-top shirts
• Short skirts
• Shorts
• Flip-flops
• Casual sandals
• Tennis shoes
• Distressed jeans
• Tank tops
• Lycra
• Spandex
• Shirts with large or inappropriate logos or words
• Sweats
• Excessively wrinkly clothing
• Clothing with holes or tears
• Oversized clothing
• Sweatshirts
• Hoodies

Jewelry or accessories that are especially large or distracting should also be avoided. Some organizations do not allow facial hair like goatees and mustaches, or piercings aside from ears, and you should skip excessively dramatic makeup like brightly colored eyeshadow or lipstick.

Keep these things in mind when deciding what to wear to your business casual office:

• Become familiar with your organization’s dress code. Your employer likely defines it in the employee handbook, since one office may allow jeans while another does not.
• Look at what others wear to work. If you are new and unsure, dress more formally your first few days and watch what coworkers actually wear.
• When in doubt, overdress. It is always better to overdress than to underdress, especially when you are new or deciding what to wear to an interview.
• Account for hybrid and remote work. Dress for a possible same-day video call or in-office day, since post-pandemic offices vary more than ever.

According to a Senior Manager on Glassdoor Community, “The first day wear a nice outfit, so slightly dressier than business casual. Then once you see how everyone else dresses adjust from there.”

Resist the urge to overhaul your closet before you start. “Yea don’t buy a bunch of stuff until you see what people are actually doing,” said a PwC associate on Glassdoor Community.

The people who work somewhere are your best source on what business casual really means there. Ask them directly in The Worklife bowl, where real workers compare notes on dress codes and daily culture. Join the Glassdoor Community to get the inside view before your first day.