What the Heck is Business Casual Anyway?
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 Okay, I'm confused. I thought I knew what business casual was until I saw a guy in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt leading a meeting with people dressed in shirts and ties the other day. I've decided that the term business casual is not an oxymoron; it's really an omni-moron, because we all look kind of silly trying to dress this way.
For a little advice, I went to my friend Linda Thomas, a corporate image consultant to learn what the heck is going on with office dress. She told me that there are five key reasons why people are confused about business casual:
- Corporations are reluctant to define the standards they want to see in the way people dress.
- Everyone has his or her own definition of casual.
- No one, especially managers, likes to tell people that they are not dressed properly for work.
- People don't realize that even their casual dress can have a significant effect on perception of abilities and future income.
- Some people assume that how they dress doesn't matter anymore.
For those whose life savings is now a roll of quarters thanks to the stock market slide, the idea of wearing underwear as outerwear or of sporting non-tasteful tattoos may take on a certain new appeal as a form of revenge. For the rest of us, moderation is still the key.
Linda Thomas suggests the following:
- Be sure your hairstyle is up to date and easy to keep in good shape. She says that she is constantly amazed by how many corporate clients ask her to tell people to comb their hair and not to wear wrinkled clothes to work.
- Solid colors, smooth fabrics and dark colors make us all look more business oriented.
- Good fit is a must. Trying to make do with last year's fad or signature
color will probably get you into trouble. - When deciding what to wear, look at your business casual wardrobe and ask "Is this weekend casual or business casual?" Anything you wear to work out in, work in the yard, or to wash the car, should not be worn to work.
I tend to agree with Linda's suggestions, however, I would like to add that fitness instructors, landscapers, and car wash attendants have the option to disregard the fourth point, if they want to.
To build on Linda's professional advice, I suggest that you run an iron over that same shirt you wore last Friday. If you find yourself sniffing the armpits of your garments to see if they still have "some wear in them," you are probably on a slippery slope. Either buy more shirts or take the ones you have to the laundry. Trust me, I've been there and I speak the truth.
While you are at the clothing store, check out the way the clerks are dressed. As a former mens clothing store employee, I can tell you that the boss encourages the staff to wear what is fashionable and to wear it well. Ask the staff what they like and for their advice on matching colors. They will be glad to assist and will be impressed that you were savvy enough to ask their opinion.
Linda had one more word of advice to a novice, "leave the bunny slipers at home!" If you dress too casually you send the message that you would rather be at home than at work, so more than likely you will not be in line for that next promotion or raise.
Good luck with business casual. It is a tough concept, but it doesn't have to be an omni-moron.
TDP
7/16/02
If you would like to contact Linda Thomas, please call her at 940-321-2594 or via e-mail at linda@powerfulappearance.com. Her web site address is www.powerfulappearance.com.
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Tom Pearce is President of iLead Consulting
& Training. Tom has made a career of training, coaching,
and counseling others to achieve their most important
personal and professional goals.
Contact Tom Pearce
at 972-569-8822
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