Business Casual Variations

“Business casual” is a phrase that can be a bit confusing when it comes to dress code. It’s not always clear whether you should wear a suit, dress down, or something in between. Today we’ll show you one of many business casual variations for the office or events.

Hello Lovelies!

We’re over the hump and it’s almost time for the weekend! A lot of people ask me exactly what “business casual” means when they see the dress code for work or an event. I know it can be a bit confusing because it straddles the line between dressing all the way up and dressing down. There are tons of variations for business casual attire and I wanted to share one with you today that I use as a sort of blueprint. Believe it or not, business casual leaves a lot of wiggle room for creativity and self expression! You can take the look I show you today and tweak little aspects of it to make it your own.

Whenever I’m putting looks together I usually start from the bottom up. The type of pants or skirt I wear help determine the statement I want to make. These maroon pants from Loft are a new favorite of mine. I was a bit apprehensive about them having limited styling capabilities but I’ve found them surprisingly easy to pair with other pieces in my wardrobe. For this look I chose this light beige textured peplum top. I got this top in two colors because I love it so much! It’s made of a light sweater material so I can wear it almost year round–a very versatile piece! I highly recommend a peplum top for your wardrobe. Peplum tops are a timeless piece that add dimension and feminine flare so they’re a must have in my book.

Since my top is sleeveless, I opted for a blazer with this look. A blazer isn’t necessary for business casual looks but you can wear one without it looking too stuffy. Blazers, cardigans, sweaters, etc. are all great layering pieces for business casual looks.

I chose very simple, neutral colors for my tops but you could absolutely go bolder. Depending on what the occasion calls for, you should be able to gauge whether you should go bold or scale it back. Another option would be a patterned blouse or blazer.

I love cigarette style ankle pants but since we are in the colder months, cold ankles and feet are not an option. If you’re like me and hate for any part of your body to get cold, you can add black tights to your look like I did. You could also pull this off with sheer tights or flesh tone pantyhose.

I’m loving these leopard print loafers! This is yet another ShoeDazzle score, and they’re a great addition to my shoe collection. This is a fun play on a classic style of shoe and I’m a big fan of leopard print. In my opinion, leopard can absolutely be used as a neutral! I don’t always wear heels, so I like to have a variety of flats for style and comfort.