Business casual
| Part of a series on |
| Western dress codes and corresponding attires |
|---|
|
Legend:
 Fashion portal |
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
Business casual is a popular dress code in white-collar workplaces in Western countries. In the United States, 43% of non-self employed workers commonly wear casual business attire. Casual street wear is the next most common work attire (28%), closely followed by uniforms (19%). Only a minority (9%) of workers wear informal business attire. [1]
Business casual has partially supplanted business formal attire wear (suits and neckties, sometimes called international standard business attire), which was previously the standard apparel for managers and professionals. Trousers complete the package; jeans are generally not acceptable in workplaces as part of business casual attire but some Silicon Valley entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs are known to wear jeans as part of the business casual look.[2] In academic and research settings, however, jeans may be worn with a dress shirt. The second-from-the-top button may also be opened in addition to the very top button.[citation needed]
Business casual is sometimes equated with (or depending on perception, confused with) smart casual.
Definitions
In contrast with the dress code of many blue-collar and service workers, business-casual dress is not a uniform. In contrast to business informal, there is no generally accepted definition of business casual wear; its interpretation differs widely among organizations and is often a cause of confusion.[3]
The New York Times cites job search engine Monster.com's definition:
"In general, business casual means dressing professionally, looking relaxed yet neat and pulled together." [4]
An employment counseling office at an American university defines business casual dress as a middle ground between business formal wear and street wear.[5] The following are examples of appropriate workplace apparel from some organizations with a business-casual dress code:[citation needed]
- for women: A reasonable length skirt (not mini-skirt) or full-length trousers of a non-jeans material combined with a top (such as a dress shirt, polo, or sweater set) is considered acceptable. An informal dress with appropriate skirt length is also acceptable.
- for men: A combination of collared shirt (such as a dress shirt or polo shirt), cotton trousers (such as khakis or dress jeans) with a belt, and dress shoes (such as loafers) with socks is generally acceptable
- Unacceptable for either gender: gym clothes, rumpled or ripped clothing, miniskirts, underwear as outerwear, inappropriately revealing attire such as bare midriffs, and flip-flops. [4] Many corporations also frown upon open-toed shoes and any shorts.
Neckties and cufflinks are not required for business casual dress. Business casual dress should be able to accommodate a tie if needed, however.[citation needed] Of the 33% of men who wear a necktie to work, 60% wear a necktie occasionally, while only 18% wear them all the time.[1]
References
- ^ a b Gallup.com: "Business Casual" Most Common Work Attire
- ^ Wear the Exact Outfit of Steve Jobs for $458
- ^ USAToday.com: 'Business casual' causes confusion
- ^ a b New York Times: Redefining Business Casual
- ^ Brown, University; Career Development Center, Employer Information Sessions, retrieved 2009-08-07
External links
| Headwear | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neckwear | |||||||||
| Tops | |||||||||
| Trousers | |||||||||
| Suits and uniforms | |||||||||
| Dresses and gowns |
| ||||||||
| Skirts | |||||||||
| Underwear and lingerie |
| ||||||||
| Coats and outerwear |
| ||||||||
| Nightwear | |||||||||
| Swimwear | |||||||||
| Footwear | |||||||||
| Legwear | |||||||||
| Accessories | |||||||||
| Dress codes |
| ||||||||
| Related | |||||||||
