What Is Business Casual Attire for Women?
Good question!
While what counts as “business casual” for men is pretty obvious for men (enjoy your collared button-downs and shoes, guys), the definition of business casual for women is still pretty murky. It really depends on your workplace.
Read on to discover how to navigate what business casual means for women in your workplace, and figure out what to wear to work!
1. Look around you
Take a cue from what you see during the interview. How is your interviewer dressed, and how is everyone else dressed in the office? This can clue you into the expected dress code.
If you’re attending a business conference, you can get some hints from the brochure. How are the people dressed in the photos?
(Feel like extra credit? Look up the conference hashtag on Instagram to see what last year’s attendees wore.)
2. Choose modest tops in classic colors
For business casual tops, we recommend blouses, button-down shirts, sweaters, and turtlenecks. Office-friendly fabrics include cotton, linen, or silk.
It’s always a safe bet to cover your shoulders, but other than that, you can choose whatever sleeve length makes you comfortable. Short sleeves and wide-strapped tanks make good summer business tops. We also love a three-quarter sleeve. They’re flattering on everybody!
You can wear solids or patterned tops, but opt for colors that are easy on the eye vs. something bold and wacky. You won’t go wrong with pastels, jewel tones, or classic black and white.
Pro tip: Undershirts are a lifesaver for those surprisingly sweaty happy hours and nerve-wracking performance reviews. Wick away moisture and scare off sweat stains with one of our NUMI Undershirts, available in several nude shades and styles.
3. Stick to reliable slacks and skirts
Knee-length skirts and slacks are business casual favorites. For your slacks, opt for classic business shades like blues, grays, blacks, and khakis. Skirts should follow suit.
You can branch out with patterns, but use discretion. Some patterns can feel loud in a business environment. Stick to pinstripe, houndstooth, windowpane, and plaid (or floral, for skirts).
If your workplace is a bit more casual, a nice pair of dark wash jeans will work. Just make sure there are no holes!
4. Make life easy with casual dresses
Hate having to piece work outfits together? Let business casual dresses come to the rescue.
Like your business skirts, these should be knee-length. And like your business tops, they should cover your shoulders. A-line and wrap dresses always look sophisticated, and pair well with a blazer and flats or pumps.
5. Closed-toe shoes are essential
Business casual shoes are straightforward: either closed-toe heels and flats. Leave your flip-flops and sneakers at home.
Power pumps can boost your confidence during a meeting. Shorter heels (less than 3 inches) look more professional.
If you feel more comfortable closer to the ground, wear loafers, ballet shoes, or boots.
6. Keep makeup and jewelry minimal
Your main goal with makeup and jewelry is to blend in, rather than distract. A pair of small hoops or studs, paired with a thin pendant necklace and fashion watch, can last you your whole career.
If you want to accessorize a bit more, a silk scarf can add some pizazz while still looking completely professional.
Keep makeup natural and avoid going heavy on the mascara, eyeliner, or lipstick. Any hairstyle that feels tidy and lets you focus on your work is ideal, whether that’s a ponytail, bun, or styled and dried.
7. Invest in basics
Basics make it easy for you to mix and match. Get yourself a blazer that you can throw on over your blouse and jeans to instantly upgrade the professionalism of your outfit. A cardigan is a great backup for chilly days in the office or more casual meetings.
One last tip: When in doubt, dress up. You’ll feel more confident being a bit overdressed than under.
Business Attire for Women - Dressing Professional
Congratulations! You nailed the interview and scored that new job. Here are some guidelines for professional attire.
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How to Dress Business Casual for Women
Business casual for women is a dress-code that can get tricky when trying to balance comfort and professionalism; especially when it’s on-trend to be casual.
What does business casual mean? It can vary depending on the company and work environment, but generally, it is less formal than traditional business attire, but professional enough to be appropriate for work.
Here are 5 tips to help you choose appropriately casual attire for the workplace while staying comfortable and true to your own style.
1. Choose modest-fitting tops and blouses that flatter your figure
When thinking of tops for work, pretty much anything can work for the business casual dress code, as long as it’s not too revealing and fits you well. To avoid plunging necklines that may be too revealing, try collared blouses, boat necks, turtle and mock necks. These are styles that can be worn with any bottoms, or layered under a blazer or sweater. For more casual tops, like t-shirts, opt for something plain with no graphics or words, that you can build on, such as a white v-neck that you can wear with a blazer, a pair of dark wash jeans and loafers. Or layer your blazer with a NUMI undershirt, and save yourself from the extra laundry cycle or visit to the dry cleaners. Avoid spaghetti straps, unless you’re planning on layering a camisole under your blouse or sweater. Wrap dresses and wrap-around blouses are great options as they are flattering without being too
revealing.
2. Wear skirts and dresses that aren’t too short, but comfortable.
Skirts and dresses are great ways to add some versatility to your work wardrobe with different colors and patterns. The skirt length should be comfortable enough for you to walk and sit in, and should generally reach 1 inch above the knee. For a business casual look, wear a dress on its own, or add a cardigan if it’s sleeveless or during the colder months. Pencil, A-line and pleated skirts tend to come in lengths that are work-appropriate and are comfortable to walk and sit in and can transition from season to season, just wear tights during the colder months, and there’s a dress style that works for any pair of shoes. Boots and Booties? Wear something with an A-line or a pencil skirt that reaches just below the knee, but no longer than your mid-calf. Flats or heels? All of the above. If you’re showing more leg, balance it out with longer sleeves on top, so you’re more business than casual. Similar to your blouses, your dress neckline shouldn’t be too revealing, or too tight. Sheath dresses are great as they come in different sleeve lengths, they fit any body type well, and necklines are work-appropriate. Dresses are easy to style as you don’t need to pair them with anything but adding a thin belt or scarf to add some color and structure to your outfit.
3. Stick to neutral colors and patterns for your bottoms
Neutral colors are easy to mix and match, as they tend to go with everything. But neutral doesn’t only mean black and grey and the occasional khaki. Navy, jewel tones like copper and bronze are also neutral colors. Patterns like glen plaid, which is very on-trend now, tiny checks, pinstripes and tweed are neutral patterns that are great to build a work wardrobe with. Jeans can work too, but avoid a faded wash, as dark wash looks more polished and professional. Leave the distressed clothes for your days-off, so no frayed hems or holes in your bottoms for work. Bright colors aren’t entirely ruled out, but if you wear brightly colored bottoms, try and balance it out with neutral-colored tops, to avoid being too flashy and distracting. Straight leg, wide-legged or paper-bag-waist pants are great for business-casual, as they are versatile, and fit all body types, and work with blazers, tops, or sweaters.
4. Choose comfortable yet corporate shoes.
Flashy pumps that are almost impossible to walk in may not be the best option for work, especially if you spend a considerable amount of time on your feet. Instead, opt for shoes with heels less than 3 inches and provide some support, so your feet won’t get tired quickly. Work-appropriate shoes don’t have to be boring, you can add some color to your wardrobe with your shoes, as long as it’s not too flashy. Avoid flat strappy sandals, that you would wear to the beach or a barbecue, instead wear a block heel sandal that gives more of a polished look, but is still comfortable to move around in. If you want to avoid heels altogether, wear loafers or slip-ons that don’t look like sneakers.5. Have fun with your layers.
Sweaters, cardigans and jackets are also a great way of adding some fun to your work wardrobe. Sweaters can be worn on their own or over a button-up, so if you’re looking to add a pop of color somewhere in your wardrobe, sweaters are great. However, the fit of your layers matters because if they’re too baggy, it might make your outfit look sloppy. Adding a jacket or sweater over a NUMI shirt works for days you don’t want to think about your outfit, or you’re running late. Scarves are also great ways to accessorize for the office, as they come in so many different colors and prints, and they can keep you warm if you’re feeling cold.
How to Dress Business Casual for Women
- Choose modest-fitting tops and blouses that flatter your figure
- Wear skirts and dress that aren’t too short or revealing, but comfortable
- Stick to neutral colors and patterns for your bottoms
- Choose comfortable yet corporate shoes
- Have fun with your layers
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Has it hit you that it's mid-August already?! If you're stressed over how to spend these last summer weeks, we've got some helpful ways to make you feel a little more satisfied by the end of it. But don't let sweat ruin the fun - stay dry and stress-free with a NUMI!
1. Keep your brain on its toes
Studies show that when we experience or learn something new, time feels slower. A quick way to learn something new is with Blinkist, a new app which provides the key takeaways from the best books out there.
Engage both your mind and your body by cooking or trying a new cuisine, exploring your city, or booking a weekend getaway. The list is endless!
2. Indulge yourself
While doing and learning new things is important, dedicate some time to pampering yourself while you still have time!
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3. Make the most of your summer closet
Organizing your closet can help you take inventory of what you already have. You'll be able to style more outfits and reduce the need to buy more.
Also, you can wear your favorite summer pieces over and over - without worry or dry cleaning - by protecting them with a NUMI underneath.
4. Psych it up!
As Doctor of Psychology John Grovol puts it, "Summertime is a great time to relax, recharge and re-organize your resources and life. Not just your outside life, but your inner life as well." Take his 5 personal tips on how to make sure you end the summer on the best note possible.
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How To Prevent Body Odor
Body odour is totally natural and nothing to be ashamed of. But let’s be real, no one wants to be the person who realizes they smell 10 minutes into the work day. In the summer, it seems almost too easy to wear the wrong top or forget to put on deodorant and then find yourself sitting at your desk realizing you don’t smell the best.
Ever wondered what body odor is exactly? We’ve got the answer for you; it’s the perceived unpleasant smell our bodies can give off when bacteria that live on the skin break down sweat into acids and these smells contain powerful clues about our body’s health.
So if you’re thinking, ‘Please! Someone! Give me some body odour control tips!’ well, we’ve got your back. Here are our 3 best tips for fighting body odour.
Tip #1 - Go for Natural Deodorants
To start, we want to clear something up for good...the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant is that; deodorant controls body odour while antiperspirant cuts down on the amount you sweat. So, deodorant = odour and antiperspirant = sweat. Whilst deodorants and antiperspirants can both help in tackling B.O, beware of the harmful chemicals that can be hiding like; aluminium compounds. These aluminium compounds have been linked to the development of breast cancer, prostate cancer and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Yikes. Here at NUMI we are very passionate about women’s health so we like to go for an all-natural deodorant that doesn’t contain any aluminium or harmful toxins. A great place to check up on toxic, unhealthy ingredients is the ‘Environmental Working Group's cosmetic database.
Check out our graphic for more chemicals to avoid in your deodorants.
Tip #2 - Wear Breathable Clothing
Did you know that your choice of outfit could be responsible for smelling ? Often, we unknowingly self-sabotage ourselves by wearing shirts that don’t breathe and actually hold onto our sweat. It’s tempting to do, especially when your outfit looks so good. Sadly, clothes that don’t breathe lock in body odour which causes the clothes and ourselves, to stink! Our trick: wear natural fibers. They are breathable and won’t retain odour, unlike synthetic fibers.
P.S did you know that NUMI undershirts are made with TENCEL®; a supersoft and breathable fabric that is regenerated from ethically sourced eucalyptus trees!?
Tip #3 - Cut down on these body odour inducing foods
Yes, you read that right. We are now telling you that some of your favourite foods are making you smell, sorry! It’s true, foods are another culprit in the fight against B.O. The type of food you eat can alter your body odour to smell worse. Food affects body odour because food byproducts are secreted as our bodies break down the food and then the byproducts react with the bacteria on our skin. Some research-backed foods that are known to cause odour for most people: red meat, alcohol, garlic, onions, cruciferous vegetables and asparagus. Now obviously we aren’t suggesting that you eliminate certain foods because it could make you smell, we’re just providing you with the information to arm yourself against the culprits of bad odour. Keep drinking that wine if you so please! If there’s a special occasion coming up where you’d want to be as smell-free as possible, then staying away from these foods a few days beforehand will only help you.
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References
https://www.health.com/skin-conditions/food-causes-body-odor?slide=503429#503429
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/what-your-body-odour-could-reveal-about-your-health-andmood/article35943923/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173478.php
http://www.naturalcosmeticnews.com/toxic-products/dangerous-chemicals-in-deodorant-antiperspirant-a-detailed-review-of-the-chemicals-research-avoidance-tips/
