How to dress Business Casual - Tips and advice

 Since personal image can be touchy subject, your company will probably never tell you if they have a problem with your dress, instead they will simply pass you over for promotions and opportunities. We don't want you to make business attire mistakes that might undermine your credibility or your career.

1. Take a good look around you
What type of business or industry are you in? A corporate communicator or creative environment? What do clients expect? What do the movers and shakers dress like? Dress in the top 25% of your industry peers people at your job level.

2. Consistency
Business casual wear should only be one step down from your standard business wear. Not suits one day then jeans the next. Your Monday to Thursday look should not vary drastically on Friday.

 3. Caution for women: women have a tougher time with credibility when dressed in a casual manner. This is especially true if you are younger, shorter or slighter. Stick to the more elegant end of casual attire by wearing a jacket or vest with coordinating bottoms. That will give you more presence.

4. Casual not sloppy clothes should be well pressed, clean and wrinkle free. Repair or replace clothing that is showing signs of wear. This advice becomes more important the more casual your dress is.

5. Jeans
 If jeans are part of your business casual options, select dark over light, and ensure they are in good shape. (Jean wear is a major concern with employers. People make so many poor jean choices that many dress codes forbid them) No sand washing, holes or fraying.

6. Avoid anything too tight, too short, too bare 

7. Appropriateness
Anything intended for the gym, the beach or a night club can make you a casual wear casualty.

8. Footwear
No flipflops, or strappy sandals. For men wear darker shades for athletic shoes.

9. Meet customer expectations
Your schedule should help you determine how to dress on any given day. If your position involves public contact, dress to generate client trust and credibility. If you are apologizing to visitors and clients about your dress, you've gone too casual.

Fashion Tips for Man

Fit comes first – The most dramatic improvement you can make in your style is to make sure everything fits. Most guys wear clothes that are too large. Make sure everything you wear is almost hugging the curves of your body - without being tight.

Keep it simple – You want a wardrobe that looks great on you but you don’t want to overdo it. For example, don’t wear more than three pieces of jewelry or more than three colors. Don’t dress like a rock star unless you’re in a band. If you want to be flashy, a simpler but stylish look would be sporting a black striped dress shirt with a white blazer, a dark pair of jeans, a white belt, and your favorite pair of shoes. You could also add a flashy watch or a simple accessory like an interesting necklace, but nothing more.

Change the way you see casual - casual doesn’t have to be boring. Have fun with collared shirts, or take some inspiration from those who approach casual a bit differently.

Dress in balance - Some sweaters are lean and others are big and chunky. The first rule of thumb is that your top and bottom halves need to match. If you’re wearing a big, chunky, rugged fisherman knit sweater, your bottom needs to be rugged, too. Don’t wear a fisherman’s sweater with a beautiful silk-and-wool suit pant. Instead, wear it with something as casual as cargoes or jeans, or dress it up with a Harris tweed blazer.

Better overdressed  - Don’t overdo it to a fault, but still take some risks. It’s always better to be a little bit overdressed than underdressed in a situation. All you have to do is think about where and who you’re going to be with and just step it up one notch.

Never underestimate the power of details – The last thing on is usually the first thing noticed. So mind the details instead of throwing together the main parts of your outfit. “Details” can include a scarf, a subtle pocket square, you shoes.

Invest in a good pair of shoes – If it’s one thing that women will notice, it’s your shoes. Especially how clean they are. It’s easy to wash and press the rest of your clothes to keep them looking new, but most guys disregard their shoes. Show you’re a man of taste by getting a nice pair of shoes and keeping them in pristine condition. It’s the fastest way to showing others that you take care of yourself.

Disregard trends – You shouldn’t wear something just because it’s “in” right now. Always build a versatile and timeless (or classic) wardrobe first, and then bring in your own twists with some of the new stuff. This one tip has saved me so much money.

Don’t buy only Brand names -  Before you decide to purchase an item, ask yourself if you are buying it because it’s “in style” or because it genuinely suits you. Ask yourself if you would buy the garment if it didn’t have a logo on it.

Experiment with style – The only way you’ll really learn, is if you go out there and try new things. If you make mistakes, life goes on. So many guys are afraid to express themselves through their style, don’t be one of them.