You should be dressed correctly at work: suits and shirts are a must for men in many industries. Modern dress codes, on the other hand, require a little less formality and are interpreted differently from company to company. As a representative of the company, you should adhere to these dress codes and externally adapt to the company culture. Regardless of whether you are invited to a job interview or to an event, you should always find out about the required dress code. Business casual, for example, is casual office clothing that can be worn in everyday business life, at informal occasions and internal meetings. But a certain elegance is still expected. And since this dress code leaves a lot of freedom and room for interpretation, we have put together a few tips for you so that you can achieve the perfect outfit.
Business casual andSmart Casualstrike a balance between sportiness and elegance and are worn in young, dynamic companies. There is hardly any difference between the dress codes. Both oscillate between serious and casual and are stricter. In English, casual means something like: “casual”, “comfortable” and “loose”, smart stands for “elegant” and “chic”. Accordingly, it is a casual business outfit, but one that reflects a minimum level of quality and chic. If the clothing label says Business, clothing typically worn in the office is expected. Both dress codes are chosen for visits without a formal meeting, informal meetings or for a job interview. A clear business connection should definitely be made clear.
“No jeans, no tie” is the motto of the dress code. In concrete terms, this means: You don't have to wear faded jeans, but you can leave the tie off. Loose, elegant clothing is best. However, some companies allow neat office jeans in dark colors. These can be easily combined with a chic jacket. The main thing is that the individual parts of the outfit fit together and look tasteful and well-groomed.
Today there are various business outfits with which you can be well dressed even without a jacket. Dabeo, the outerwear consisting of a shirt and sweater, cardigan or possibly even a sweater vest, is a great alternative. A V- or O-neck sweater can be combined with a classic, light long-sleeved shirt. If the collar sticks out over the sweater, then you can have one tooAdd a tiecombine. The narrow versions are currently very trendy againgo well with the V-neck.
A light shirt with subtle stripes or check patterns that add colorful accents also goes perfectly with a dark sweater. This combination looks particularly harmonious if the shirt has a pattern in a specific color that repeats that of your sweater. The only thing to remember is that the trousers should be plain.
Suits, flannel and corduroy trousers are appropriate. Are chinos suitable? Yes, khakis are ideal for informal occasions and are so versatile that they can also be combined well with jackets. If you want to stay on the safe side, gray chinos are a good choice.
Straight cut denim jeans without exaggerated details are in recent yearsallowed at Smart Casual. Just remember that your look should be casual but still professional. In any case, avoid pockets, rivets, rips and wide cuts such as loose and baggy fit.
Shirt tucked in or not? This depends on the styling and fit of the shirt. White business shirts are generally cut wider and longer and are not intended to be worn over trousers. But if the shirt is sporty, elegant or loosely cut, it can also be worn outside. If you want to look formal and chic, then a figure-hugging shirt goes with your pants. Above all, it looks more casual when the shirt isn't tucked in.
The shoes are usually closed and the socks are color-coordinated. Dark leather lace-up shoes are preferred, but men are welcome to wear elegant sneakers or loafers. Singer Justin Timberlake, for example, often combines casual sneakers with a classy suit. Respected men like actorsRobert Downey Jr., Orlando Bloom, Will Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio have also occasionally chosen this casual, elegant combination for their appearance on the red carpet. The fact is that sneaker models today are so versatile that they can also be perfectly combined with elegant outerwear such as jackets. OnUebervart Frankfurt – Shoes & SneakersFor example, there are sporty and elegant models with a guaranteed coolness factor. What always works with a chic suit are classic white sneakers from Adidas or Nike.
Last but not least, we would like to introduce you to a few combinations that are perfect for the business casual dress code. The more creative the job, the greater the scope.
The combination:
- Button-down shirt, cotton pants, loafers or leather wingtip shoes
- Slim button-down checked shirt, chinos and leather slip-on shoes
- Jacket, shirt instead of shirt and trousers without a tie
- V-neck sweater, crew-neck T-shirt or shirt under the sweater, straight-cut jeans, classic lace-up leather boots
- sporty-elegant blazer, figure-hugging shirt, dark jeans (without rips), suede lace-up shoes
- Jacket, turtleneck sweater, dark jeans and sneakers
- Tweed jacket, plain crew neck sweater, gray chinos, sneakers
