The dress code is business casual. How often do we as co-op students hear that? Personally, I’ve heard it a lot and I’m willing to bet you have too. Anytime I ask about dress code in an interview, I’m told “business casual”. Anytime there is an event hosted by CECS, we are told to dress “business casual”. So what the heck does this mean?
Let’s begin by discussing where this phrase came from. In the 1970’s, the energy crisis caused the government to mandate raising the indoor workspace temperature to save on electricity cooling costs. This led to managers allowing employees to get rid of the ties and jackets that had been part of the standard business attire.
So how do you dress business casual? Never fear, for Management 2012 is here to show you examples of business casual for both the ladies and the gentlemen.
Ladies: A reasonable length skirt (not mini-skirt) or full-length trousers (non-jeans) paired with a top (such as a dress shirt, polo, or sweater set) is considered acceptable. A casual dress with appropriate skirt length is also acceptable. Ladies have more options than men when it comes to business casual as demonstrated by Karen and I.
Karen: Karen wears a more conservative outfit by pairing a simple knee length black skirt with a nice grey top. The look is completed by accenting the grey top with a black belt to add shape to the top. Karen finishes her look with a pair of knee-high black wedge heel boots.
Amanda: While most females pair a coloured top with a black skirt, I prefer to invert that style. This is one of my favourite looks. I like the look of a brightly coloured pleated knee length skirt with a fitted black short sleeve blouse. To add colour to the top, I find that adding a pink pashmina to match the skirt is a great option. To finish the look, I add knee-high suede black boots with a 2-inch heel.
Gentlemen: A nice cotton trouser (such as khakis) with a leather belt, paired with a collared shirt (such as a dress shirt or polo shirt) and dress shoes (such as loafers) with socks is typically acceptable.
Yousif: Yousif is a bit closer to business formal than business casual. He wears a full suit, including a super awesome tie. I really like that Yousif has fun with his tie and chose to wear something bright and exciting. The tie is about the only part of the male business casual outfit that allows the male to really express himself.
Adam: Adam is almost completely business casual. He wears a nice trouser, a green dress shirt and leather belt. The only thing that doesn’t work are his sneakers. Somehow in packing his overnight bag, he forgot to pack dress shoes and therefore had to wear white sneakers with this otherwise perfect example of a male business casual outfit. Let this be a lesson to you, bad fashion stands out in a huge way so don’t be a victim!
Overall, the one rule to always remember for both ladies and gentlemen when deciding on a business casual outfit is to never wear gym clothes, rumpled or ripped clothing, miniskirts, underwear as outerwear, inappropriately revealing attire such as bare midriffs (no matter how flat of a stomach you may have), and flip-flops. Furthermore, open-toed shoes and any shorts are typically considered a no-no.
Stay Classy,
Amanda
CFO
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