Business Casual Outfit Guide
Fellow boss babes, this one is for you. I earned a dual Bachelor’s degree in business and psychology and during my time as an undergraduate, I thrived on the business casual “dress up” days for class. Upon graduation, I followed a non-traditional career path so my work wardrobe certainly looks a lot different than most. However, I thought it may be helpful to serve up a dose of outfit inspiration in case you’re finding yourself needing to dress up for work and stuck in an outfit rut. First, let’s define business casual to make sure we’re on the same page.
Oxford Dictionary defines the term as "a style of clothing that is less formal than traditional business wear, but is still intended to give a professional and businesslike impression." This is pretty ambiguous, as fashion style are subjective. It’s important and can be challenging to strike that balance between business and too casual. But as Oscar Wilde once said, “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” True that.
Of course, every functional wardrobe MUST start with properly fitting undergarments. In case you haven’t invested in those, highly recommend checking out this post on getting properly fitted in 2021 and this post on no-show seamless panties before continuing further.
OUTFIT DETAILS ARE LINKED HERE!
places I love to shop business casual:
As a curvy size 14 body, it can be tricky to find appropriate styles that fit well. If you’ve had no luck with any of these spots, I’d encourage you to consider tailoring. Invest in a few staples (for me that would be pants and blazers) to get tailored and supplement with less expensive blouses and dresses.
LARK & RO | great professional pieces on a budget, especially love their tops and dresses. I wear XL
LOFT | great blazers, dressier pants, dresses and blouses with petite and plus options which you can always find a good sale on. I wear L/14R. Also their sister brand, Ann Taylor.
J CREW | love their blazers, dresses + blouses, many styles up to size 24. I wear L/14R
NORDSTROM | Forever one of my favorite destinations for inclusive blazers, coats, dresses, jumpsuits, shoes, accessories. You can also find the looks and similar pieces for less at Nordstrom Rack, especially for shoes. I wear L/XL/14
OLD NAVY | If you’re just starting out or not looking to spend a lot they are a great destination for blazers, sweaters, pants, dresses and blouses. I wear L/14R. I also love their sister brand, Banana Republic.
SPANX | Their perfect black pant collection are pricey but well worth the investment for a great pair of black dress pants. I wear L and you can use CARALYN10 for a discount. I wear L/regular length
ATHLETA | While I consider them more of a sporty line, their Skyline Pant has been in my wardrobe for years and they finally extended their sizing to up to 26. They have some great pieces that can be worn to work and on the weekend. I wear L/14
TALBOTS | Their entire website screams “business casual” to me and they get an A+ for size inclusivity, even offering plus petite options.
GENERAL TIPS + TRICKS:
Understand the type of dress code appropriate for your industry. My friend who is an engineer may have a different level of appropriateness over my friend who works in fashion, my sister who works in news or my mom who works in education. Be sure to take these images as a starting point and feel free to re-create them, swapping out dressier or more casual items based on your specific situation.
Styling denim. If you work in a place where jeans are accepted, stick to a pair that is polished and classic. You can check out my favorite pairs of denim here. You’re always safe with darker denim (the most dressy) and close toed shoes or boots.
Fit is important. When it comes to being in a professional setting, outfits that are generally too snug or too oversized are not what you’re striving for either. Balancing your proportions and layering can be tricky, this post explains it into further detail. Don’t be afraid to get things tailored, there is no shame in that!
Undergarments are important. I know I repeat myself often but the foundation to any wardrobe (professional or not) include properly fitting undergarments. They make it easier to get dressed which leads to a more seamless
OUTFIT INSPIRATION:
Get ready to scoll, keep in mind many of these looks are old (pre-pandemic times) so I’ll do my best to link similar items underneath each look. You can click on the text below each image to shop the items / similar looks directly. Feel free to use these images as inspiration and to re-create them in your own way!
I hope this was helpful! Curating this post definitely made me miss getting dressed up for work-related events. Feel free to leave any questions below and as always, thanks for reading! xx CMK