The New Business Casual

As business women start to return to the office, will they dress the same as they did pre-pandemic or is casual attire the new norm? My answer is closer to pre-pandemic, but I do predict a more relaxed style in these next few months, in this transition back to normal…speaking from experience as I dress up for work every day, it feels out of place to be head to toe conservative business attire…this is not to say that I avoid blazers, skirts, or even heels, but my work outfits of late have at least one component that is edgy, casual, or fun…the image portrayed: I am serious and professional, but I am also current and aware of the world around me…

An outfit I wore this week, for example, has elements of conservative as well as fun/casual…starting with the shoes: this is the first time that I wore these shoes in over a year! Until recently they felt too ‘pre-pandemic’ conservative, but with this mix they felt just right…

This white shirt is by Frank and Eileen, the style is their ‘Barry’…it’s a heavy oxford cloth that I previously only wore as casual wear…same as the belt (BRAVE brand) – a favorite casual accessory…now wearing both to work!

Adding a black blazer (Theory) was the last piece to finish the outfit…or so I thought…

At the last minute – literally I had a foot out the door – I ran up to my bedroom and grabbed this scarf…

What do you think – with or without the scarf?

The Bottom Line:

  • Covid has not affected eyesight – if you are out in the world, people SEE you. Dress for the image you want to portray.
  • If you want a more relaxed look, choose one or two more casual elements, not the whole outfit.
  • Here I wore ‘dressy’ shoes with some casual pieces; you could alternatively try ‘dressy’ separates (or a dress) with a leather sneaker.

Work hard. Play hard. Enjoy every day.

candy in your inbox

Enter your name and email below to get notifications
of new blog articles sent via email.

One Comment

  • I went back to work on August 17th of last year after quarantine was over. I haven’t missed a day. But i find myself dressing a bit more casually. Not jeans but chinos and Italian sneakers . Not sure how long this will last.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top