So, you thought it was only dress-down Fridays you had to worry about deliberating a suitable outfit for, now its dress-down any day!

Since the return post lock-down, many businesses have now announced a more relaxed dress code, which, ironically poses a lesser relaxed state of mind to some!

I used to discuss this a lot with colleagues in my corporate days. To some the term ‘business casual’ breathes a sigh of relief into our wardrobes without the need to be tailored and manicured daily. Yet to others, it’s a stark contradiction of styling we’re just not ready to take on!

Gone are the days of a 2-piece and shirt from TM Lewin of the corporate noughties’ era (thank goodness!), yet also gone are the days of a more traditional corporate style we’ve seen in later years it may seem.

Pairing trainers with formal gear, jeans with soft tailoring, all may seem a little daunting at first. So, here are a few key tips do get you started:

⭐️ Understand your environment

A lot of this guidance may come from your employer, granted. However, you can also observe those around you. Who stands out as well styled and balanced from a corporate versus casual look? Also, what is the level of acceptance for casualwear? For example, are distressed jeans appropriate? Are people wearing simple or funky trainers? You shouldn’t feel the need to mimic your colleagues, however understanding appropriateness in the workplace is always a smart first step.

⭐️ Don’t ditch all your corporate gear

Working in the corporate space, you’ll likely still have those leadership meetings, key client sessions and external workshops that will require a sharper, more tailored look. So don’t be in too much of a hurry to disregard your entire work wardrobe. Instead filter it; picking out the timeless pieces, high-quality and versatile items you’ll most likely get continued wear out of, and can wear casually, introducing my next point…

⭐️ Learn to mix 'n’ match

Educate yourself on what works well when interspersing relaxed and smarter pieces i.e. jeans, a shirt and trainers. This look can be simply understated and impeccable if styled the right way. Yet it may be boxy, over-sized and unflattering without proper styling technique. Learn the pieces, cuts and shapes which work for your body. Consider how to wear the items together to flatter your body and to style oversized pieces so they look good on you, especially for smaller frames (I can relate).

⭐️ Day-to-night benefits

Flexi-styling an outfit is such a great advantage to a 'business casual' look. Take the example from my last point. You’re wearing a simple shirt, jeans and trainers to work. Change your shoes to heels, add accessories, throw a blazer across your shoulders, add jewellery and make-up… and hey presto, suddenly you have a completely different look. This kind of styling can apply to different days looks too. Building capsule wardrobes is another great way to do this.

⭐️ Determine YOUR own take on ‘business casual’

The absolutely beauty of understanding 'business casual' is that, as we have already established, its more than a little ambiguous! So, make it your own! Learn from the above points, get a clear idea of who YOU want to authentically project in the workplace and then play around with what suits you, how you want to style it and what statement you want to make to your colleagues.

For examples of business casual work pieces, click the link at the bottom of this page for a quick, downloadable easy reference guide! You'll also find a link to this on my main blog page too.