Picture this: you’re invited to a professional event. You’re excited, you’re honored, and you’re ready to impress your employers. And being a girl, the first thing your mind races to after learning about the event is: what should I wear?
The invitation says business casual, but what does that even mean? How does it differ from regular business wear? Well, I’m here to help you out.
Literally. I’m here. See?
Let’s get me dressed, and let’s start with bottoms.
Business casual could mean trousers, khakis, or a skirt. Let’s go with some trousers.
There. The pants should not be too tight, but they should also not be too free flowing.
Now, a shirt to match.
This shirt is a button-down, which gives it a professional feel, and it has an interesting print, but it’s not obnoxious. It’s important to stick with muted, neutral colors and nothing too bright. Also, there is not much cleavage to this shirt. You don’t need cleavage at a business event, period.
Let’s tuck this bad boy in.
My shoulders are a little too exposed, so lets fix this with a blazer. Every girl should have a good blazer in her closet. Now, when you think of blazer, you’re probably thinking of some oversized, shoulder-patted, ill-fitting, black thing. But that’s not the case nowadays. Blazers come in many colors, shapes, and lengths, so you don’t just have to stick with boring black. And of course there are no shoulder pads anymore.
But I’m going to stick with a black one because that’s the only one I have.
If you didn’t want to opt for a blazer, a more comfortable option would be a cardigan. Cardigans are going to be your best friend when you’re stepping out into the business world. You can get them in so many different colors or you could only buy three or so in neutral colors and dress up all the tops you have.
Now that that’s settled, let’s move onto hair and makeup. Hair should be kept tame. Now’s not the time to try out intricate prom-like up-dos. Makeup should be kept simple. A little makeup is better than no makeup. It just pulls everything together and makes you look more polished.
As you can see, I have quite the mane, so I’m going to put my hair up. I’ve also added eyeliner and some lipstick.
What if you wanted to wear a skirt? Have no fear. Skirts should be an appropriate length, and the minimum length is hitting right above the knee. The skirt should not be too tight, so let’s just put away those body-con skirts right now.
I almost forgot shoes! For a business casual look, flats are ideal, but you can wear a heel if you want to. Just make sure it’s not too high.
All done!
I don’t usually accessorize, but if you were going to then keep it simple. Less is more. If you plan on wearing a belt, make sure it is leather or faux-leather.
Now go knock ‘em dead with your intellect and fashion skills, of course.