'Business Casual'?

Author
Discussion

screwloose

Original Poster:

608 posts

204 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Got my first day in a new job on Monday and have been advised the office dress code is 'Business Casual".
My last employer didn't really define the dress code per say but did allow smart jeans and shirts unless customer facing when you be suited and booted.
So having looked into what business casual is it seems its a complete minefield with many different interpretations ranging from smart jeans and shirt through to wearing a suit and just taking the tie off.
I was thinking along the lines of smart shirt, dark blue chinos and suede desert boots.

What would your interpretation be?

Ta.

tyrewrecker

6,419 posts

153 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Shirt trousers jumper if you want and smart coat

Desert boots, wtf?!

ewenm

28,506 posts

244 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Chinos, shirt and shoes/boots has been my experience of business casual. Sometimes smart trousers, sometimes smart (non-blue) jeans, sometimes polo shirt. It's safer to go too smart and get more casual on the first day than it is vice versa.

DrTre

12,955 posts

231 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Trouser, shirt (jumper), no jeans, ball gag.

timbo999

1,287 posts

254 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Where I am now its suit without jacket (Gov Ministry), where I was before (Well IT consultancy) it was suit without jacket or tie (so suit like trousers and a proper shirt).

What's the organisation?

Suggestion is you go with first of these above on your first day and see what everyone else wears.

VxDuncan

2,850 posts

233 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
In my company it's polo shirt, smart trousers (formal or chino type). Maybe a short sleeved shirt. No Jeans, no big logos, no lycra (though that's not really possible).

schmalex

13,616 posts

205 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Black trousers, polished black shoes, nicely cut shirt with the top button open is fine.

screwloose

Original Poster:

608 posts

204 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Its a multinational FMCG Brand

hyperblue

2,800 posts

179 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
schmalex said:
Black trousers, polished black shoes, nicely cut shirt with the top button open is fine.
This, go in smart on your first day and work it out from there. Nothing worse than being under dressed!

Ayahuasca

27,427 posts

278 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
The trousers must be mustard yellow or salmon pink.


schmalex

13,616 posts

205 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Ayahuasca said:
The trousers must be mustard yellow or salmon pink.
OT. Thanks for the mail the other day - really useful! Things are continuing apace, so I'll probably have a torrent of questions towards the end of next week....

Rushmore

1,223 posts

141 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Nigel from Accounting!

schmalex said:
Black trousers, polished black shoes, nicely cut shirt with the top button open is fine.

Gizmoish

18,150 posts

208 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
hyperblue said:
schmalex said:
Black trousers, polished black shoes, nicely cut shirt with the top button open is fine.
This, go in smart on your first day and work it out from there. Nothing worse than being under dressed!
Agreed.


Jasandjules

69,825 posts

228 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
TBH I'd more than likely go in wearing a suit until I saw what everyone else wore...

RichB

51,433 posts

283 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
screwloose said:
Its a multinational FMCG Brand
Are you under contract not to actually say who you work for hehe

p.s. trousers, shirt, leather shoes and a jacket of some sort. Def not desert boots!

crystalmethod

1,146 posts

178 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
You really won't go wrong if you follow the example set by any of the gentlemen in this dandy's blog

http://www.blogger.com/profile/1618233477619150140...

AshFlash

5,877 posts

140 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
screwloose said:
Its a multinational FMCG Brand
I work for one of those.

In the UK we mostly wear smart trousers (not chinos), proper shoes (not desert boots) and a formal shirt without tie.

Venture out of the UK to our other offices, though, and it's a startling array of fully suited and booted, metro-european (lots of pastel sweaters and chinos) and jeans with shirts or even t-shirts.

paulmoonraker

2,850 posts

162 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
http://www.brothersgibb.org/

Jeans, shirt and suit jacket. Strut in for maximum effect....

HarryW

15,150 posts

268 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
TBH I'd more than likely go in wearing a suit until I saw what everyone else wore...
This, you can always relax the tie and jacket once you understand the lie of the ground.

Adam B

27,142 posts

253 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
quotequote all
business casual = suit, no tie, good shirt with two buttons undone

then you can check out the lie of the land, and switch to some ghastly chino/polo shirt if you really must

or desert boots if you work in a fking desert

Edited by Adam B on Thursday 4th October 23:43