Career Advice

As we move closer toward a post-pandemic society, the business casual dress code is evolving. Whether you’re working a hybrid schedule or re-entering the office full time, let comfort be the name of the game. With new casual dress code policies, more and more types of clothing are becoming appropriate. Now, there are plenty of ways to show off your personal style while staying comfortably you.

Assess Where You Work

The professional industry you work in has a lot to do with which types of clothing are deemed appropriate. While a Gen Z/Millennial Tech startup may allow employees to wear graphic tees, a law firm may require employees to wear button ups and dressy shoes.

The biggest difference nowadays is having a client-facing vs non-client-facing job. With this, many companies have become lenient about their business casual dress code since their employees don’t have regular interaction with clientele.

As you consider how to dress for your work, ask yourself these questions…

-Do I have direct contact with customers/clients?

-How do I interact with customers/clients? (In person, over the phone, zoom?)

-How often do I have direct contact with customer/clients? (Once a week, every day?)

By assessing where and how you work, you can feel more confident in dressing for the day. And regardless of where you work, you can find the right clothing that allows you to be comfortable while “dressing the part”.

Dress For the Day

Dress For the Day is a workplace policy that’s emerged as companies move into a post-pandemic workplace. With this policy, employees are encouraged to use their discretion for how to casually dress for the day. Employees should take into consideration any meetings or virtual video calls with clients or third-party business partners.

From The American Society of Association Executives

Dress For the Day is intended to have employees feel relaxed in any clothing they choose to work in, while companies trust that workers will still dress within what’s considered generally appropriate. If you’re a job seeker who’s curious about a company’s dress code, you may inquire about the Dress For the Day policy.

So, what’s the future of business casual dress code in the workplace? Well, if it continues to evolve the way it has, we can be hopeful that more employees will feel comfortable in dressing like themselves. Afterall, there’s no reason you have to leave your personality at home when coming to work– express it in your clothes and feel comfortable all day long!