Article Fashion

What is Not Corporate Casual?

There are casual clothes and there are corporate casual garments. Not all casual clothes can be worn to the office as part of a corporate casual dress code
even on casual Fridays. What anyone should remember when dressing for the office is that even on casual Fridays
one should look like a professional
a person with authority and a person who can be trusted to do the job well.

What does not count as corporate casual? Sneakers and sweatpants have no place in a corporate casual wardrobe. They are casual and very comfortable to wear
indeed
but they are too laidback to be worn to the office.

Counting jeans as a corporate casual garment depends on the dress code of the particular office. Some offices allow their employees to wear jeans while some do not. Some
however
do let their people wear them on casual Fridays.

Garments that are too tight
too short and too revealing should not be worn to the office either. So
very short mini-dresses
very short miniskirts and short pants cannot be counted as corporate casual garments. Tube tops
halter tops
spaghetti-strapped blouses and any top made out of sheer
see-through fabric cannot be worn to the office either
unless one has a jacket
a blazer or a cardigan to wear over the blouse.

Wearing flip-flops to the office should also be avoided
even on casual Fridays. It is acceptable to wear flip-flops at home
when going to the mall or when going to the beach
but not when going to the office. It is far too laid-back and emits the wrong vibes at the office.

T-shirts and polo shirts are staples of casual Fridays
but even those have limits. One should avoid wearing faded T-shirts or T-shirts with big logos on the front to the office. They look too unprofessional.

Building a Corporate Casual Wardrobe

When shopping for garments that will be used for corporate casual or casual Friday outfits
the shopper should make her choice just the way she would when she is considering career outfits. Even if they are casual clothes
they should still show her as a competent
professional person who knows what to do and can be trusted to do what needs to be done.

For the sake of practicality
one should buy corporate casual clothes in the five basic colors that can be mixed and matched together. For those who do not know
the five basic colors used in corporate attire are navy blue
maroon
dark green
brown and black. One does not need to have a lot of corporate casual clothes as long as what she has are of good quality and can be mixed and matched.

Some staple garments in corporate casual attire are:

* T-shirts or polo shirts. They can be plain or patterned. They can have subdued or bright colors. They could be of any style or sleeve length. The important thing about choosing the right T-shirt as part of a corporate casual get-up is that it does not have loud
attention-getting logos or messages
and that it does not have a hem that is short enough to bare the waist or bellybutton.

* Jeans. Jeans are the ultimate in casual comfort and style. Bootleg cuts are the best because they never go out of style. One should check first if it is acceptable to wear jeans in the office.

* Dresses. Some dresses are nice and fresh to wear at the office. However
if one is to wear a dress for casual Fridays
one should choose a dress that has sleeves
does not have a low neckline
is not made of sheer fabric
and has a hemline that is around an inch or two above the knee and not another inch more. If the dress is sleeveless
it should be paired with a flattering jacket or cardigan.

As for shoes
sneakers and flip-flops should be avoided at all costs. Flat shoes or low-heeled shoes are great casual Friday footwear.

Accessorizing a Corporate Casual Outfit

The accessories one wears as part of corporate casual dressing or as part of a casual Friday outfit should match the intended overall look. For example
a sporty watch may look better with a casual Friday outfit rather than a dress watch. Sparkly baubles and expensive
eye-catching jewelry should also be worn minimally or left out totally.

Taking Care of Casual Clothes

It is natural to take care of career outfits because they are the clothes worn to work. But casual clothes need the proper care and maintenance as well. Shirts
jeans and other garments that are meant to be part of a corporate casual or casual Fridays get-up should be clean
mended and ironed properly before they are worn to work. Shoes should be clean; if they are made of leather
they should be given a polish.

Corporate casual clothes and casual Friday outfits may be a little more laidback than the usual career garments. Nonetheless
even when one is wearing casual clothes to work
one should still maintain a look that bespeaks of professionalism
capability and trust.