How can I win at Business Casual?

[jrsmiles]

I work in an office, your typical American cubicle farm blessed with the "business casual" dress code. The office is in Central Florida, to give you an idea of climate. I'd love to wear sport coats and sweaters, but I would literally keel over from heat exhaustion on the ride to work and a walk around the parking lot. We do not have very many sharp dressed individuals in the office. Your typical employee wears a short sleeve button down, tucked or un-tucked, polo shirts here and there, again, sometimes tucked, most times not. Cotton khakis, and a mix of shoes, usually very basic dress and Timberland/Sketchers type of casual shoe. Most take the "business casual" term to mean "no jeans or sneakers". Suits and ties are not a part of our office at all. Even during client visits our CEO and VPs wear suits with no ties, or sport coats. The upscale outfit is a long sleeve button down Oxford, slacks, and dress shoes. Most of the management team follows this outline. That is mainly what I stick to, every now and then, maybe once or twice a month, I'll throw in a RL Polo and chinos with casual shoes on a down day. I am actually more comfortable in my button downs and slacks. I haven't experimented with short sleeve shirts, my long sleeves usually end the day rolled up past my elbows. I can't deal with the cuffs around my forearms.

I try to dress above my employees, I manage a team of 16. I feel it is important to maintain an image of professionalism to them and my superiors. I am not a big spender on clothes, and brands aren't too important. I like repeatable fit and quality. I have been building my wardrobe this year and it is starting to round out nicely. I mostly stick to RL button down classic Oxfords, some other brands from department stores that fit and wear well, Ralph Lauren slacks, some wool, some blended, all pleated, I do not like flat front pants. I have recently been intrigued with nice shoes. I picked up a pair of Johnston and Murphy cap toes that I love, and I'm about to buy a pair of Allen Edmonds wingtips. I have never had anything other than a suit tailored, I don't feel I have the body type to take advantage of that. I'm roughly 5'9" and 250lbs, 38" waist jeans, 42" slacks, 48-50R suit size, 17.5" neck, 34" sleeves. I'm planning on losing about 40lbs over the next year, but I think my style choices will remain conservative.

A place I am lacking is color variation, I tend to keep my colors muted and traditional, and earthy. My brown shoes go with my whole wardrobe. I'm looking to mix in some gray and charcoal on the next few shopping trips. I am a fan of patterned pants and solid colored shirts. For instance, a multi-colored houndstooth pattern with a white shirt. Or muted plaid slacks under a light blue shirt. I am not a fan of black. I would prefer to skip black shoes for the office unless I'm in an interview, or some other more formal event. I plan on matching any grays to brown shoes.

I am coming here for suggestions on how to improve my style with the limited options I have. I would not feel comfortable walking into the office wearing a suit or coat, I would feel out of place, and people would notice for sure. I guess I'm basically asking, how can I dress in what I need to and wear it well? I guess the most variation I can think of myself is patterns and quality of material...

Thanks for any feedback, this site has some interesting information...

 

[mcmurphy]

My office's dress habits sound pretty similar to yours. I work in publishing and most of the men in the office wear khakis or cotton trousers and boring button-downs. I'm in MA so I have more options for sweaters and jackets in the fall and winter, but wearing a suit would be out of place and I'm not a fan of wearing ties without a jacket. I have a few nice polos, but I feel like a little boy when I wear short-sleeved button-downs.

I've noticed that most people in the office don't spend a lot of time or money on clothes, so I want to look good without looking like I'm trying to hard. I've found that people notice the quality of your clothes even if they don't realize it right away, so I'll pay a little more for nice wool slacks. In the last few months I've made an effort to find trousers and button-down or point collar shirts that fit my slim frame, and I'm also learning more about colors -- discovering which shirts go with various color trousers and which colors work in different seasons.

I also think you're right that a few pairs of nice shoes can make a big difference as well without looking too formal. I reserve my black shoes for formal occasions and found that burgundy/cordovan is much more versatile.

One thing guys at the office do is wear white sneakers on the way to work then change into brown or black shoes at the office. I have a short walk from the train station, but I hate the look of my sneakers with slacks/chinos.

 

[Edward]

Where I live people wear business casual, interpreted very loosely, in all situations and especially in summer. Shirts with buttons are considered dressy and that's what I prefer to wear - in my opinion the only guys who look good in polo shirts/T shirts are athletes. Since I don't like to wear the same things every day, I get my shirts in different patterns and colors and plain dress pants in different colors - beige, brown, gray, blue, and black. I look and feel good and am not overdressed. As for shoes, I have a problem with closed shoes in the summer so I spend all summer in sandals. Wear what you feel good in!

 

[mkarim]

I agree. Wearing short-sleeved shirts make me look - and feel - like a boy so I rarely wear them. I have found simple, clean, classic styling requires minimal investment and good returns. The trick is to dress the same level - or a little better than - everyone else but do it better in terms of fit and quality.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

I also think you're right that a few pairs of nice shoes can make a big difference as well without looking too formal. I reserve my black shoes for formal occasions and found that burgundy/cordovan is much more versatile

Listen to that man. It also sounds like you could add a cream/ecru shirt, a white shirt with a purple pattern (and a blue pattern, if lacking that), and dark olive pants. There's usually room for improvement in fit, too. If you don't have a fancy watch, consider getting one. Other than that, it sounds like you are already dressing stylishly within your parameters.

 

[TC (Houston)]

If you are looking to expand your horizons, take a spin through the WAYWRN thread, there are lots of business casual looks that may give you some inspiration.

 

[MBreinin]

I used to be almost your exact size. I was 5 foot 9, 245 pounds. I wore either 38 or 40 inch waist pants, a 46R suit or jacket, had a 17 inch neck. I can tell you that the best thing you can do is lose some weight. I see you want to, and that is good. It will really pump up your confidence and make you much more interested in looking good in general. For me, that was 1997. I now weigh 170 and have a 34 inch waist, usually wear a 42, but am planning on slimming down to a 40 if I can, and have a 15.75 inch neck.

I did it with Atkins, and I stick to the low carb lifestyle to this day.

I am not trying to derail your post, it is just that out of all of it, the weight issue stood out the most for me.

Mike

 

[voxsartoria]

I suggest that office pants are the key to victory in Business Casual.


- B

 

[R-H]

Nobody wins with business casual.

 

[mkarim]

Originally Posted by MBreinin

I used to be almost your exact size. I was 5 foot 9, 245 pounds. I wore either 38 or 40 inch waist pants, a 46R suit or jacket, had a 17 inch neck. I can tell you that the best thing you can do is lose some weight. I see you want to, and that is good. It will really pump up your confidence and make you much more interested in looking good in general. For me, that was 1997. I now weigh 170 and have a 34 inch waist, usually wear a 42, but am planning on slimming down to a 40 if I can, and have a 15.75 inch neck.

I did it with Atkins, and I stick to the low carb lifestyle to this day.

I am not trying to derail your post, it is just that out of all of it, the weight issue stood out the most for me.

Mike

Same here. I am 5' 7", was 180 lbs and used to wear a 37" waist. Through regular exercise (esp. cardio) and eating right, I am now 145 lbs with a 30" waist and feel great! I lost 7" in my waist in 7 months.

 

[acconrad]

How do I win at casual? I work in an office where EVERYONE, including all of the high ups, wear tshirts, shorts, sandals. I mean, the highest on the totem pole frequently rocks nikes in colors such as orange and purple. I feel like even business casual would seem to be too try hard here, beyond the first week. So with that said, dress isn't even biz cas...its just casual. So I'm thinking driving mocs, nice dress jeans or jcrew khakis, and plain tshirts/sweaters/polos. Yeah?

 

[ohm]

Originally Posted by acconrad

How do I win at casual?

I work in an office where EVERYONE, including all of the high ups, wear tshirts, shorts, sandals. I mean, the highest on the totem pole frequently rocks nikes in colors such as orange and purple. I feel like even business casual would seem to be too try hard here, beyond the first week.

So with that said, dress isn't even biz cas...its just casual. So I'm thinking driving mocs, nice dress jeans or jcrew khakis, and plain tshirts/sweaters/polos. Yeah?

I think you can dress like Steve at Leffot dresses. There are some pictures of him on their blog; I think it's just leffot.com.