Is This Outfit OK? Business & Smart Casual Attire
Maybe you’re attending a networking event or picking out the outfit for your first day of work and you keep hearing that “business casual” or “smart casual” is the dress code. Are we all just supposed to know what that means? We’re here to demystify these work attire categories and give you some tips on what to mix and match when selecting your outfit.
Business Casual:
Top:
- Polo
- Collared shirt
- Nice blouse
- Sweater
- Blazer
Bottom:
- Tailored dress pants
- Skirt (knee-length)
- Dress (knee-length)
- Fitted khaki pants
Accessories:
- Belt
- Dress shoes
- Low heels or flat dress shoes
- Dress socks
Smart Casual:
Smart Casual (or dressy casual) is a dressed down form of professional attire and is the least formal. It is a combination of casual, business casual, and business dress codes that allows you to mix pieces into a put-together, smart ensemble. For example, this could include swapping your tailored dress pants for nice jeans and pairing them with a collared shirt and blazer. Or swapping dress shoes for nice sneakers. Smart Casual allows you to be a bit more comfortable without sacrificing polish. Be sure to avoid clothing with holes, sweatpants, and other overly casual attire.
Buckeye Careers hosts Career Closet Pop-Ups for all Ohio State students to shop free, gently-used professional clothes. Their next event is Wednesday, February 1st (3:00pm-6:00pm) in Room 150 in the Younkin Success Center. Search additional dates in Handshake Events. If you are looking for more affordable attire options, review our resources in the Handshake Resource Library.
“Is there anything in the world more annoyingly creepy than an unspoken dress code?” – Douglas Coupland