If there is one thing I’ve learned about wearing business casual clothing at my internship this summer, it’s that there is no one definition for what “business casual” really means – it all depends on what the work environment of your office is, or on the nature of the event you are participating in.
Even within the same office, there can be a wide range of interpretations of the term. However, a good rule of thumb, according to my intern supervisor, is to not be the most casually dressed person in the room. At first, it might be hard to judge if you are the most casually dressed person or not, but it is better to err on the side of more formal at least at the beginning of your internship or job.
On the more casual end of the spectrum, you could wear jeans (with no cutoffs or tears) with a colored shirt and blazer and a statement necklace or scarf to embellish. Or, a maxi dress or sundress no shorter than knee length with a light cardigan would work for summer.
On the more formal end of the spectrum, you could wear a pencil skirt/dress pants, either of neutral color with a colored or patterned blouse or a colored/patterned skirt with a neutral blouse. If you’re going to mix patterns or colors in the office, make sure it’s not overkill.
Business casual rarely means suits and blazers, which fall more in the business formal or business professional category. Business formal or business professional includes blacks, whites and neutrals for colors, while business casual has a wider palate of colors and textures.
You can always pair your outfits with a statement necklace/earrings or a wristfull of bangles. Alternatively, a unique scarf can accessorize just as well. Make sure that you don’t have too much jewelry on to the point that it is distracting and overdone. Choose accessories to highlight aspects of the outfit or to add a bit of detail to it.
My office environment was a little more on the formal side, so I did wear pencil skirts and blouses. I enjoyed the formal wear, but I did struggle to find clothes that fit, as I have a more petite build. After a difficult day of shopping for clothes, I found some great pieces at H&M. It might take some searching to find what you’re looking for and you might want to check out the environment at your office before doing the bulk of your shopping, but you will be able to find clothes that work for you in many stores.
What dressing in business casual taught me is that the work environment that I would like to land a job in after graduation is one that is a more formal, where I would have to dress professionally. I never realized it, but the clothing that you wear to work tells a lot about the type of job you have. One of the things that might help you figure out what kind of job you want is the type of clothing that you would like to wear in your office. Just remember, always dress to impress.
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