Admittedly, I am not the first person to address the topic of business casual fashion for women. I actually googled this term to confirm my suspicion, and about 1,170,000,000 results shot back at me through the search engines. All that data and still, no one seems to know what’s going on when it comes to the term “business casual.” Those two words are as elusive as a tomato’s real food category and Pluto’s identity as a planet. Combined, they are twice as terrifying. Why? Because if Mr. Tomato cannot decide if he’s a fruit or vegetable, his boss won’t give him a hard time. If Pluto is really wishy-washy on his identity as a planet, he won’t get fired. If you arrive to work in jeans and a blazer believing you’re “business casual,” the possible criticisms are endless.
Dress-to-impress just got a whole lot more complicated. While I know I cannot solve this riddle with just one blog, I hope that by adding my voice to the billions of others answering this question for women, a few stressed-out souls will find inspiration enough to get dressed and face another day.
For the business fashionista:
Want to wow the office while still keeping it business casual? ManRepeller wrote a fashion article on the topic of business casual dress, asking fashion blogger, Cleo Davis-Urman, her advice. From her fuzz-frosted heels to her J.Crew endorsements, the fashion influencer’s tastes are as impeccable and progressive as her “how to” advice for the perfect business casual wardrobe.
For the business fashion conservative:
More focused on just staying in the lines when it comes to fashion? That’s okay! Lines are good. Imagine how hard driving without them would be. This article by Connecteam breaks down the “what to do’s,” what not to do’s,” and everything in the middle. It’s as if they created a rule book for business casual.
For someone somewhere in between:
I have a gut feeling this is the majority of women. Some days are full of inspired looks, and you feel as though you jumped off your own Pinterest boards onto the pavement. Other days, you are really thankful you made it out the door at all. For both extremes and everything in between, Miss Louie has the answer for you. In just one blog, this fashion genius compiled a month’s worth of business casual outfits.
The Urban Dictionary eloquently described business casual as, “when you dress up but not a lot.” The most important thing to recognize about this term is that the word business is still there. So, cool the jets and put your sweats, tee-shirts, and jeans back in the closet unless explicitly told otherwise. While tomatoes and Pluto may be back and forth their whole life, you CAN master the business casual nightmare and no longer flinch in fear when you hear those two little words.
