Business Casual is Hard

Originally Posted by jrsmiles

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You can't go wrong with a sport coat. My office isn't very tie suited, now and then when clients visit our executive staff may wy wear a suit, but normally just a coat.

I think coats go a long way, and you can feel more relaxed in them, rather than a full suit/tie.

+1.

In summer we often go real casual around here, but I am always wearing a sport coat to work. I think it is practical compromise between casual and suit. Depending on what kind of unexpected action comes up, you may look a bit "too formal" or a bit "to casual", but you normally don't stand out too much. I feel comfortable that way. I mean, if you are wearing only a polo and suddenly there is a "tie meeting", well, you may feel quite awkward. With a sport coat and dress shirt, even without tie at least you look more or less dressed. On the other hand, even if most of the office staff is running around in polos and short-sleeve shirts, wearing a sport coat does not look too odd.

Yes, I find it quite practical. Most of the day it is just hanging on a hook on the door while I am working with my shirt sleeves rolled up, but still, it is nice to know that it is there.

Originally Posted by poissa

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Sir, I respectfully disagree. A suit and tie is standard for presentation to the CEO.

Unless the CEO him/herself is dressed in business casual. The OP specified that his company has a "business casual culture." That phrase typically expresses a standard of dress that covers everyone in the company including the CEO.

My suggestion would be: wear the best quality outfit you have that you would normally wear in your everyday activities. If you feel that you must make a change, then reflect the standard of dress that you would find your CEO wearing, one step down. If he wears a suit, then you wear a jacket and tie. If he's in jacket and tie, you wear a jacket and no tie.

As an aside: I am my company's CEO. When I meet with my senior staff, my expectation is not that they wear something "special" for our meeting. My expectation is that they will come dressed to do their regular job, even if that means work boots and jeans.

Originally Posted by poissa

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Sir, I respectfully disagree. A suit and tie is standard for presentation to the CEO.

Screw what your everyday co-workers think of what you are wearing. If they feel out of place because of your dress then that is their problem, not yours. Set the bar. Business casual has slowly continued to roll down the hill towards what you would wear while watching tv in your living room, after having slept in it from the night before while drinking heavily, and puking on yourself.

This scenario is not out of line with stepping up your game a bit. Dressing better than everyday shows respect for whom your are going to be meeting with. It also shows that you take the presentation seriously, and that you are the person in command during your presentation.

You will look foolish however if you are not in charge during your presentation. All dressed up, but give a dipshit presentation, and you will fall hard. All dressed up, and nail the event and you look quite good. Take yourself seriously, and others will as well.



Wear the suit, and command respect.

Originally Posted by poissa

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Sir, I respectfully disagree. A suit and tie is standard for presentation to the CEO.

my CEO wears jeans and sneakers to work. wearing a suit would look awful.

advice without context is awful

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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my CEO wears jeans and sneakers to work. wearing a suit would look awful.

advice without context is awful

Bingo. And the OP provided the context when he said "business casual culture." A suit is not "business casual" by any meaningful definition.

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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my CEO wears jeans and sneakers to work. wearing a suit would look awful.

advice without context is awful

That is not buisness casual, it's just casual.

Originally Posted by lou

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That is not buisness casual, it's just casual.
true, we are casual here. but the point stands. if my CEO was wearing wool slacks and a button down, a suit and tie would be equally out of place. I might as well dress up in a clown outfit, that's how out of place it would look here

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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my CEO wears jeans and sneakers to work. wearing a suit would look awful.

advice without context is awful
+1. If the CEO and your peers do not wear suits, then wearing one would be a huge mistake IMO.

Originally Posted by lou

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Screw what your everyday co-workers think of what you are wearing. If they feel out of place because of your dress then that is their problem, not yours. Set the bar. Business casual has slowly continued to roll down the hill towards what you would wear while watching tv in your living room, after having slept in it from the night before while drinking heavily, and puking on yourself.

This scenario is not out of line with stepping up your game a bit. Dressing better than everyday shows respect for whom your are going to be meeting with. It also shows that you take the presentation seriously, and that you are the person in command during your presentation.

You will look foolish however if you are not in charge during your presentation. All dressed up, but give a dipshit presentation, and you will fall hard. All dressed up, and nail the event and you look quite good. Take yourself seriously, and others will as well.



Wear the suit, and command respect.

and look like a marsupial

Navy blazer brass buttons, button down light colored or white tailored shirt, slimmer fitting light gray wool slacks, subtle argyle black/gray/beige socks, dark brown shoes to kill for.
A tie in the drawer in case it is needed depending on what other people doing.
At the end of the day what is presented counts more than the dress. Dress is just for helping self confidence during presentation.

Just add a jacket to well fitting pants, shirt, and good shoes. A jacket goes a long way.

Originally Posted by chorse123

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Just add a jacket to well fitting pants, shirt, and good shoes. A well fitted jacket goes a long way.

Fixed. :^)

Originally Posted by Kai

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I work in a business casual environment. Most of the time, I don't really care. I just dress business casual and my suits sit in my closet unworn.

I've got to give a presentation to the CEO next week, presenting/defending my department budget etc. It's a somewhat "formal" occasion, and I'd feel much more comfortable wearing a suit, tie, and well-polished dress shoes than some business casual outfit. I'm considering just wearing the suit and tie in spite of our business casual culture, but am going back and forth on this.

Originally Posted by makewayhomer

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true, we are casual here. but the point stands. if my CEO was wearing wool slacks and a button down, a suit and tie would be equally out of place. I might as well dress up in a clown outfit, that's how out of place it would look here

Originally Posted by MoxJr

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and look like a marsupial

The OP has said it is somewhat formal. A suit would not be out of place in this context.

If the OP is just sitting at a boardroom table and discussing budgets, then normal workwear would be standard. However, he has said that he is giving a presentation, in a more formal setting than everyday events. A suit would not be out of place if he opted to wear it, for this event. IMO

Originally Posted by cioni2k

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rubber soled

There's absolutely nothing wrong with rubber-soled dress shoes.

Originally Posted by lou

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The OP has said it is somewhat formal. A suit would not be out of place in this context. If the OP is just sitting at a boardroom table and discussing budgets, then normal workwear would be standard. However, he has said that he is giving a presentation, in a more formal setting than everyday events. A suit would not be out of place if he opted to wear it, for this event. IMO
as someone said above, the correct move is not being the only going in a suit and tie, the correct move is adding on a blazer. that adds the right amount of formality/seriousness without going overboard. my assumption, again, is that OP would be the only guy in a suit and tie. you don't want to be that guy, you want to be in same ballpark as everyone else, just looking extremely crisp and put together and perhaps a bit more formal