Deciding Office Clothes for men is tough. If HR tells you that office’s dress code is casual, business casual, or formal, don’t consider this too helpful. Because what these categories mean; varies on your job’s nature and industry to industry. But of course, dress codes are important.
Casual vs Business Casual vs Formal
Casual:
Increasingly, the startup culture has led to young people hustling more and more. This has decreased their emphasis on being too dressy. Enter casual clothing for work. Here you should dress casually but smartly.
Largely seen in tech firms or companies that do not require many customer interactions, casual clothing for work is becoming quite common.
Business Casual:
This is the best of both worlds. You don’t have many customer interactions in these settings but still want to operate in corporate settings.
For business casual, dress smartly and sharply. The most exciting thing for many people is that they are not required to wear a tie.
Strictly formal:
Large corporations and workplaces like banks, law firms, foreign offices, consultancy firms, etc., are expected to be run and look professional. They have a lot of integrity to exhibit, which is why they dress up quite formally.
Your Work Attire Guide – One Dress Code At A Time
Casual Work Clothes
- T-Shirt- yes
- Denim & Chinos-yes
- Ties-No
- Blazer-No
- Sneakers- Yes
- Flip flops- Please No!
Look 1
If you feel that a casual dress code does not require any effort, you’re wrong because there is a fine line between work casual and ‘going for a quick meet with friends’ casual.
For your first look, we recommend you wear T-shirts of any light color like white in summers, and wear an outer shirt of a similar color but darker hue to let it do the talking.
Dark blue wash denim or chinos can work well for your casual day at work. But to announce that you are, in fact, in a workplace, refine your appearance with sleek white sneakers and a watch. The watch shouldn’t be a leather one so that you don’t look out of place.
Look 2
If your workplace dress code is leaning towards casual but disapproves of your average round neck tees, you can wear a polo or a Henley. The great thing about a Henley-styled shirt is that it’s the perfect mix of casual and smart.
We suggest a white Polo with black or blue chinos or blue denim for the second casual office look. A khaki can work well too. Don’t forget to strap a brown leather belt to enhance your smartness.
In winter, you can drape a bomber jacket that features a stand-up collar.
Footwear For Casual Attire
Footwear largely defines your overall appearance. For your casual look at work, you can wear a range of footwear, mainly sneakers.
White canvas top sneakers can go great if you choose to wear denim. Low-top sneakers can pair nicely with khakis or chinos, and shoes with some suede elements will look sleek with dark-colored denim and chinos.
Business Casual
- T-Shirt- Yes, but collared
- Jeans- Only Dark washed
- Chinos & Khakis- Yes
- Blazer- Sure
- Ties- No
- Suit- No
- Footwear- Closed toes (Avoid sneakers, though)
Look 1
Business casual or semi-formal attire is considered suitable for client meetings and thus many workplaces. However, bright fabrics are avoided.
For our first look, we recommend a white polo underneath a navy blue V-neck outerwear, which can be a shirt or even a sweater. Wear it with chinos that are blue or beige. You can also wear dark blue jeans.
Strap on a smartwatch and slip into pointed brown leather shoes to look a class apart.
Look 2
In case your overall dress code is business casual, but you are required to go for client meetings, etc., we suggest that you consider wearing a light blue dress shirt and a blue blazer. Again, try to avoid bright colors and go for blues, blacks, and other denser hues.
Slip into footwear with elements of suede that are sneaker-styled but do not wear canvas white toes as they can seem a bit too casual. We advocate black ones.
Get more ideas about color combinations for Business Casual Attire.
Footwear For Business Casual
To create the right balance, experiment with the range of choices for your business casual footwear. You can wear dress shoes in brown leather as well as suede. You can also wear loafers or sneaker-styled shoes in black suede.
Formal Attire
- Suit- Yes
- Tie- Yes
- Shoes- Loafers or dress shoes
Look 1- Blue hues
Blue suits are a breath of fresh air from the regular herd of black ones. The greatest thing is that there is an abundance of hues available. You can easily look elegant with a 3 piece and wear matching ties to maintain your formal look.
For shoes, go for dress shoes in leather in brown when light blue suits and for darker hues of blue wear black.
Look 2- Grey Suits
Gone are the days when it was believed that a grey suit isn’t for office wear. If you manage to get one tailored to perfection, preferably in a modern fit, you can excel at work.
In warmer seasons, wear lighter greys and look flawless in charcoal grey in cooler temperatures because this is a very versatile shade. It’s bound to make colleagues and bosses take you seriously for your sophistication.
Look 3- Brown Suiting
Brown suits may not always be accepted as office attire, but don’t hesitate to wear them if employed in academia. You can wear a light brown or khaki outfit in summer. And the darker shades can be effective in adding a little bit of color to your heavily suited wardrobe.
Dress For Success-Final Words
Putting on good clothes can positively impact our mood, and with that, we can increase our motivation and performance. But we shouldn’t forget that making our attire THE MOST important thing can lead us to a sense of imprisonment.
Fashion should be a form of escapism not a form of imprisonment
Alexander McQeen
So just dress for your own success.
