How to Dress Business Casual

Some might say business casual is a casual version of professional attire—duh. But what exactly does that mean?

When students hear they need to dress business casual for an interview, they start to panic because they don’t want to look too dressed up and they don’t want to look too informal. However, business casual can work in any girls favor because this allows them to mix their business clothes with cute items in their closet.

When trying to put together a business casual outfit, avoid sequins, denim, or crazy tops that show a little too much skin. Especially for the bustier women out there, there is nothing casual about your boobs staring your interviewer in the face.

Ladies can wear modest dresses with stockings underneath with a cute blazer or cardigan. A sweater and cute loose skirt, or a fun button down and black dress pants. There is actually a wide variety of ways you can dress business casual but still make an impression.

To answer whether or not a piece of clothing is acceptable for your job interview think about the following questions:

Have I worn this on a night out to the bars or a party?
Did I forget to wash this?
Do I wear this shirt to class a lot?
Does it show too much skin?
Does it look worn out?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions that item is not appropriate for your business casual attire.

Closed toe shoes are always more formal whether they are flats or high heels. However, if you really believe the interview is more relaxed than others, a pretty open toe sandal could be acceptable. But please make sure you recently got a pedicure, no one wants to see ugly feet.

Depending on the type of job that you are interviewing for, big accessories may or may not be appropriate. A lot of the times a big necklace, a few bracelets, or pretty earrings are perfect to add to your business casual look. But it all depends on the atmosphere of your job interview.

Don’t forget to take care of the rest of yourself after you tear up your closet looking for an outfit. Remember to brush and floss your teeth, shave your legs and armpits, and put on some light makeup. Do your hair up in a bun or leave it down curly or straight.

And of course, remember to relax! Your clothes won’t get you the job, you will. But these tips will help you find the perfect look to impress your soon to be boss.

Photo by Victoria Oberdorf