Business casual is a pretty ambiguous term, especially in today’s workplace. It’s typically defined as a step-down from classic formal attire, but it can mean a range of things to different companies. However, there are some very common mistakes that guys make – and quite frankly, I made myself in the past, as well.
Let’s address them today, so you can stand out positively at your workplace and impress your future boss.
Mistake 1 – Untucked Shirts
The first mistake is walking around the office with your shirt untucked. This is super common, but it can create a sloppy and unprofessional appearance. Especially when you’re wearing a sport coat or a sweater, always tuck in your shirts.
You don’t want to see your shirt sticking out from underneath your sport coat. Of course, you can wear casual shirts untucked outside the office, but when you’re at work, try to always tuck in your shirts.
Make sure the shirt placket aligns with the fly of your trousers, otherwise it can create a disorganized appearance. When you’re going to the bathroom, just remember to take a quick look in the mirror and check if everything is in order and if not, quickly adjust your shirt, and you will make a great impression at work.
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Mistake 2 – Going Sockless
Wearing no show socks may not seem like an obvious mistake, but in conservative firms and industries, it likely is. Especially older gentlemen typically don’t approve of this look, and your boss is probably going to be significantly older than you.
To illustrate this point, here’s a little story. A friend of mine worked in B2B sales, and he told me a story about a manager who would refuse to hire anyone who showed up to the interview without socks (yes, that includes no-show socks, as well). His reasoning was that once hired, they have to meet with C-level managers from respected firms, and those managers won’t approve of this look, and it’s going to make their firm look unprofessional.
Now, you might think that’s a bit harsh, but it’s a good reminder that these small details can really make a difference. Especially in more conservative and competitive industries and firms. So when in doubt, always wear socks and make sure that they have no holes and look clean and professional.
Mistake 3 – The Wrong Fit
The next mistake is wearing clothes that don’t fit you properly. You might have pants that are too long or too tight, or an ill-fitting sport coat.
Now, I get that if you’re applying for your first job after graduation, you probably don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on clothes. But one of the best things you can do is to bring your clothes to an alterations tailor. It’s fairly cheap to shorten trousers or jacket sleeves, but it makes a major difference.
Because wearing clothes that are too tight or too big just look unprofessional. And speaking of the right trouser length, you might have seen a lot of guys wearing shorter trousers in recent years. If you like this look, then I would suggest keeping it for your private wardrobe, but not for the office.
In the office, it’s usually a good idea to stick to a more conservative length, just for good measure. So that means that your trousers should either touch the top of your shoes, which is called no break, or even have a little bit of extra fabric, which would be either a quarter break, a half break or a full break.
Mistake 4 – Dress Sneakers
Another mistake you want to avoid is to wear dress sneakers. These are hybrid shoes between sneakers and dress shoes, and they are pretty common nowadays. But just because something is common, doesn’t make it right.
The truth is that they look a little bit off and are not the professional choice for the office environment. Now full disclosure, I bought these myself before because I did not learn about the right shoes yet, but again I learned my lesson.
Instead of dress sneakers, just go for some leather dress shoes – either oxfords or derbies – and ideally you want to own one pair in dark brown and one in black. Those two shoes are super versatile, and you’re going to look much more professional than your colleagues in their dress sneakers.
If you don’t feel comfortable in leather shoes, you might want to purchase ones with a rubber sole and maybe add a comfortable insole, as well.
Recommended brands:
Mistake 5 – Too Casual
Another common mistake is wearing clothes that are too casual or too inconsistent. This highly depends on the company, but it could mean wearing sneakers, a t-shirt, jeans or too much jewelry.
Especially if you are starting a new job, it’s always better to be slightly overdressed and to stick to the more formal end of business casual, just to be safe. So that means instead of jeans, you might want to consider wool trousers or chinos.
In my opinion, wool trousers would be the better choice because they are more comfortable, wrinkle resistant and more formal. For shirts, I would stick with either dress shirts or oxford cloth button down shirts. Polo shirts might also be acceptable at some companies, but I would rather stick to the more formal options first.
Mistake 6 – Wrong Belt
The next mistake can ruin an otherwise excellent outfit – wearing the wrong belt.
- Don’t wear a thick jeans belt for chinos and dress pants.
- Avoid belts that are too casual (as in the picture above)
- Go for minimal buckles and avoid those with logos.
- Make sure the leather of your shoes and your belt are somewhat matching. They don’t have to be the exact same shade, but wearing a black belt with brown shoes for example just looks off and unprofessional.
Mistake 7 – Low Quality Items
The next mistake is wearing low quality items. Now, I get that you may not have a big budget, but hear me out. Especially with items like a sport coat or shoes, you can really tell the difference between high quality ones and cheap ones.
If you can, I highly recommend you to invest a bit more into a decent pair of shoes and a nice sport coat. But if you’re on a budget, I would look out for sales or, even better, buy some items second hand and then simply bring them to a tailor.
A high quality second hand sport coat for just $30 can look a lot better than a cheaply made one that’s new for $150. You can buy them either online at a local thrift store or in person. The benefit of the first option is that you can try everything, but typically you can find better items online, and they tend to be cheaper as well.
Just take your measurements first and compare them to the item, and in most cases it should be fine.
Conclusion
By avoiding these common business casual mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to making a great impression at work. Remember, it’s always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed, especially when starting a new job.
