Need Some Business Casual Advice

[Kev Picasso]

Hey guys,
I have a solid charcoal suit with a solid light blue dress shirt. Can I lose the tie, unbutton the top 2 buttons and wear this combination as business casual? Sorry if this is a really silly question, still developing my sense of style. Additional advice on business casual is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Kev

 

[Count de Monet]

Do a search on this forum for "The Worst Look," a thread started by Manton. Read it and mull that over.

 

[Count de Monet]

It occurs to me I could have been more helpful . So I'll add this:

By taking a conservative and formal business suit and simply removing the tie, you aren't making it less formal, you are making it merely incomplete.

There are different levels of office formality and therefore different levels of "business casual." I'd say most would agree the next step down from suit and tie would be sport coat (aka "odd jacket") and tie with tailored dress pants and appropriate shoes.

If that's still too dressy in your office, you can loose the tie, and perhaps also a jacket, and you won't be wearing as dressy a dress shirt as with a suit.

Point being, at every level there is a complete and coherent look. I'm sure somebody has a chart or something. But what you have described is incomplete looking.

 

[julius12]

You can split up your suit and wear the trousers with an odd jacket (with a contrasting color like mid or light gray), or wear the jacket with another pair of trousers (also in a clear contrasting color so it doesn't look like you grabbed the wrong jacket), and lose the tie. For an even more casual look, you can ditch the jacket and wear a cardigan instead. This is also a good opportunity to use a more casual shirt, like one with small checks, or a button-down collar, etc. Just make sure the fabric and look of the shirt doesn't stray too much from the level of formality of your jacket.

Also take note of using colors that suit your complexion (find out if you have winter, spring, summer, or autumn complexion) and also the contrast between shirt and jacket (high contrast if your hair and complexion have a high contrast and vice versa).

 

[justinculbert]

What to wear in business engagement has always been a subject of interesting debate and discussion. Business wear always conjures the involvement of suit and tie. It think this is taking business settings a little bit too far. Right now, the world has changed and old traditional beliefs has been challenged and subsequently supplanted by fresher ideas.

Mark Zuckerberg has always conducted business wearing hoodies. Steve jobs also did not mind the conventions of formal attire as we think it is in his keynote speeches. Even Michael Valentino wore jeans, a nice shirt with a blazer on top, and dress shoes during his job interview. He got hired. For these guys, it's what they call business attire.

Right now, many people are also following suit. The world moves in a past pace these days and comfort is more favored. It is the new style. For every guy who favors the rigid corporate suit, there are a handful others who prefer a business casual with comfy cheap denim jeans, a shirt with a collar and a pair of smart shoes.

 

[jt10000]

Business wear always conjures the involvement of suit and tie or perhaps tuxedos.

Where are people wearing tuxedos for business?

 

[ErikJN]

I think it's appropriate in certain MI6 divisions.

 

[Kev Picasso]

It occurs to me I could have been more helpful . So I'll add this:

By taking a conservative and formal business suit and simply removing the tie, you aren't making it less formal, you are making it merely incomplete.

There are different levels of office formality and therefore different levels of "business casual." I'd say most would agree the next step down from suit and tie would be sport coat (aka "odd jacket") and tie with tailored dress pants and appropriate shoes.

If that's still too dressy in your office, you can loose the tie, and perhaps also a jacket, and you won't be wearing as dressy a dress shirt as with a suit.

Point being, at every level there is a complete and coherent look. I'm sure somebody has a chart or something. But what you have described is incomplete looking.

I'm after a George Clooney look. I don't understand why its incomplete, people say his look is perfect.


This is what my suit looks like


Cheers,
Kev