So, I got a new job and was told that the dress code is business professional with jeans on Fridays. When I interviewed, the employees looked like they were wearing business casual. None of the women had on suits. A friend told me this means that the code is probably more casual, but they say 'business professional' to make sure that employees don't under dress.
So please post some business professional/business causal outfits. I'm not buying anything new because I'm on a ban(and broke), but I need some inspiration/ideas/ color combos, etc..
It sounds like maybe they're really somewhere between business casual and business professional? Just business casual but with some additional rules? Maybe stockings required, no sleeveless tops, closed toe shoe kind of rule? Anyway, here are some ideas:
This might work, but it depends on their exact rules:
-- Edited by Elle at 17:11, 2007-02-15
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I'd go more dressy for the first couple of months. That's the time when people are making their first impressions of you. Dressy always make you come across better and more professional to the people around you. I love the skirt suggestions above - perfect!
this sounds a lot like my job. They call it business professional but it really isn't at all. Pretty much anything that isn't jeans/sneakers and is fairly conservative (no cropped pants or sleeveless shirts, etc) will fly.
I have to dress up 3 times a week. I usually do a suit one day, some sort of collared shirt one day (under a sweater or vest usually), and then nice pants/skirt with a dressier sweater one day. (not very fun but its freezing here and the snow on the ground is up to my waist!). I think of it as "dressy business casual" and that usually works.
I think Elle struck it dead on - think of taking a very structured business piece and pairing something a little more casual but still refined to make it less stiff - example trousers from a suit paired with a flowy blouse and cardigan over it.
Also remember that your coworkers might dress a little more casual than you do, but you will always come across as more put-together and professional by taking your wardrobe one step up.
The dress code at my job is business casual, but I have been commended by the president on how great a suit looked on me, or how well put together I looked on a certain day. This is a big deal when the guy has no idea what kind of work I do but does remember that I look professional!