Help me purchase "business casual" clothing!

Off-topic
1

So, I finally got one of those real, professional jobs. I’m going to be doing something I really love (product design engineering), so I need to dress the part. My instructions are:

“Our dress code is business casual. Khaki pants are acceptable, although cargo pants (with the big side pockets that can get caught on equipment, are not acceptable).”

I’m pretty much starting from scratch here, so I need some recommendations. I’m looking for khakis and button down shirts that are wrinkle and stain resistant. I can find a lot that are one or the other, but I’d like both.

Any help that anyone can give me would be awesome! Thanks.

2

I would hit up your local salvation army, MCC cloths basket, or value village to see what they have. They may not have exactly what you want but you can walk out with 3 or 4 complete outfits for what you might pay for one pair of business causal pants at an upscale store.

Play around with different styles before going out and buying the more expensive new stuff.

3

Good call!

I love the Salvo and Goodwill stores around here, CT is a good place for second hand stuff. I’ve actually gotten most of my “professional” clothes from those places already, which has been awesome.

I’m at the point where I want to step it up and get some clothes that are going to be exactly what I want, and will last me for a while. I’m trying to avoid having to iron, hah!

4

Starting “from scratch” as you are is a good place to be. Don’t get intimidated, as you don’t need a lot to look good! With just a couple jackets, a couple shirts and a couple nice pants, you can look good year round without much investment.

If you can afford it, buy the nicest clothing you can find. Well-made clothing will last you a long time if you care for it… although your requirement for stain-and wrinkle-free clothing sounds as if you don’t care for your clothes. Try to find a clothing consignment store if you can, as this is the best place to get well-made clothing at bargain store prices. Even if it takes a long drive to a major metropolitan area, it’ll be worth the trip. I’ve found $1500 jackets for $50 and $250 jeans for $30 at such stores… and often times they weren’t even worn!

At the very least, be sure to wash your clothing in a front-loading machine with cold water and a gentle detergent, dry the clothes as little as possible (don’t dry them if your stains didn’t come out in the wash!), and store them on sturdy hangers in a closet. Warped hangers can warp your clothes over time. We could start an entire thread on clothing care, now that I think about it. It’s easy to care for your clothes with little effort if you know what you are doing.

I’ve been a big fan of sport coats lately. They allow you to look dressed up with naught but a cheap/plain button-up and some nice jeans or khakis. They usually never need ironing, and they can hide the wrinkles and/or stains in your button-up very well! Go for patternless jackets in muted colors (I have a black, a dark grey and a light grey jacket), and they’ll match with most any shirt/pant combination you can pick.

Just a pet peeve of mine: FOR CHRIST’S SAKE TUCK IN YOUR SHIRT! Most button-ups have “tails” for a reason… so they stay in your pants! If you’re going to make the effort to look good, go all the way. An un-tucked shirt looks slovenly IMO, unless it is designed to be worn as such. These shirts will have a level hem in front and back… they’re pretty easy to spot.

While you’re shopping, find a couple nice close-fitting graphic tees. You can substitute these for your button-ups when you want to “dress down” and you can still look very sharp.

As to “nice jeans”, this is a narrow definition IMO. In order to get away with jeans in a business envrionment, they mustn’t be torn, faded or stained in any way. They absolutely must fit you without any bulges or bagginess… this takes some hunting, but you’ll only need one or two pair to last you a while. Ideally, they’ll be as dark as possible, even grey or black.

Complete the look with a nice pair of dress shoes (even slip-ons can look sharp) and you’ll get compliments everywhere you go. It’s amazing how little it takes to look good!

Good luck, young Jedi.

5

Remember, you can always ask questions in a “real” clothing store, even if you don’t end up buying anything there. Asking the right questions will help you get an idea of the type of stuff to look for.

6

no jeans qualify as business casual.

biz casual shirts need collars, so tee shirts are out, but they need not be button down. Izod-style (Polo-Lacoste) shirts have collars and are the epitome of business casual. They also look nice with a sports coat, if you want to overdo it and still be biz casual.

7

I guess I’m in a bit of a bubble here in the SF Bay Area. I worked for CEOs who made $MM deals in flip-flops and shorts.

Again, it could just be me, but polo shirts just don’t look sharp. If you’re gonna make the effort to dress nicely, don’t go half way.

8

See bold–some workplaces have NO dress code, which is what you are talking about

From Wiki:
The New York Times cites job search engine Monster.com’s definition:
“In general, business casual means dressing professionally, looking relaxed yet neat and pulled together.” [3]

An employment counseling office at an American university defines business casual dress as a middle ground between business formal wear and street wear.[4]

The following are examples of appropriate workplace apparel from some organizations with a business-casual dress code:

full-length trousers of a non-jeans material combined with a top (such as a dress shirt, polo, or sweater set) is considered acceptable. An informal dress with appropriate skirt length is also acceptable.

for men: A combination of collared shirt (such as a dress shirt or polo shirt), cotton trousers (such as khakis) with a belt, and dress shoes (such as loafers) with socks is generally acceptable

Unacceptable for either gender: gym clothes, rumpled or ripped clothing, miniskirts, underwear as outerwear, inappropriately revealing attire such as bare midriffs, and flip-flops. [3] Many corporations also frown upon open-toed shoes and any shorts.
Neckties and cufflinks are not required for business casual dress.

9

I think you have to ‘dress the part’. From my experience IT/Engineering types are good to go in khaki style pants and a polo shirt. People on the business/marketing end should be in a dress shirt and a little nicer slacks and at least something aproaching a dress shoe over loafers and the like. If you leave where it is a little cooler, than the advice about a sport coats is good advice.

I also think people need to dress for the job they want. If someones goal is management then they should dress like management.

And lastly start a little dressy until you see what the company culture is. I have travelled quite a bit and companies on the west coast go more casual than companies on the east coast. If I am travelling to the east coast, I am in slacks and a dress shirt. In California I am more likely to go with khakis and a polo. Don’t cheap out on Polos. Buy nice ones they look much nicer and keep their shape much better than the $19.95 one on sale at your local department store. I’m sick of polos so I don’t wear them much anymore, but a nice polo can look nice and dressy. Wash them in cold water, on a medium cycle and dry on a medium heat and pull them out before they are hot. This will keep polos looking sharp for much longer. It’s already been mentioned buy use wide hangers so that the shoulders stay looking nice on both dress and polo shirts. Little things like this keep you looking better than the guy who does the cable runs for the IT department, in old faded Dockers and no shape, faded polo shirt.

For a man a belt helps set the tone. A nice (dressier) belt picks up a little more casual outfit. Same goes for creases in pants. Watch sizes as well. Polo’s hanging off the shoulders makes them look much more casual. If can be tough depending on body shape. I have to buy large polos so they will stay tucked in but then they are long in the shoulder.

Thats all I can think off off the top of my head. I think the advice you have gotten above is good sound advice.

10

Jeans are often made from cotton. Is the NYT saying we should all be decked out in polyester or something?

The rebel in me hates this advice, thinking skills and experience should get you the job you want, but as long as the boomer generation is running the show, we’ll need to play by their rules.

Now that you mention this, what Billy said makes sense. Every time I’ve travelled out East, I’ve never seen anyone in less than slacks and a dress shirt. …and I just thought we had fancy customers!

Again, my bias, but just skip the polos altogether if you can stand it. They’re the uniform of department store employees. Wear dress shirts for a bit and you’ll feel just as comfortable in them as you would a t-shirt.

YES! If you’ve got fabric hanging away from your body, your clothes are too big. You don’t need to go out and get girl jeans like all the emo kids, but you should have pants that follow your legs, and not the breeze. The ladies WILL take notice when your clothes fit well.

11

If you’re on the East Coast, you should shower daily even if its business casual.

Don’t listen to maestro8 about jeans or you’ll get sent home.

and do NOT wear your hair like maestro8’s. That will definitely get sent home.

12

Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

I’ve pretty much decided to go with khakis and full button down shirts. I’ve already got a nice pair of steel toe hush puppies for my feet, and I’ll pick up two nice (leather, apologies to my vegan girlfriend) belts, black and brown at the goodwill thrift store. I don’t see myself ever needing sport coats, at least not on any kind of a regular basis.

Don’t worry, I’ll tuck the shirts in. In fact, one of my big concerns is that I’m tall and thin, so I have a weird size for shirts, if I want them to stay tucked in all the time, which I do. I agree with the “don’t half ass it” advice. I’m also not a fan of the polo shirts, I prefer to just button them all the way down. I won’t wear blue jeans, that definitely would not work here on the east coast (most places around here anyways). I have no aspirations of being management. I like engineering.

I was hoping for maybe some additional advice on brands I should be looking at for nice khakis or shirts that will last me a while. And yes, I’m still looking for wrinkle and stain resistant stuff. I’m clumsy (I can juggle, ride a unicycle, and walk a slackline, but I still spill my orange juice from time to time), and I really don’t ever see myself ironing, if I can avoid it.

Thanks again!