Perfect Guide on Business Casual for Women

11 months ago / by Team SEEMA
Image credits: artursafronovvvv via Freepik

Business Casual Women

In the contemporary workstation, it can be challenging for women to know what business casual is. There are several possible business casual dress codes, depending on your position, your work, and your location. Business casual dress code varies depending on which towns and parts of the world you reside or work in. Since dressing correctly can often make or destroy a person’s career, we advise you to adhere to several rules for business casual clothes for women.

This blog post will go over several important details, like what to wear for daily business casual, special events, and business travel. For more fashion advice on business casual female clothes, we have listed what not to put on when it comes to business casual attire for women.

So, how about we get started?

What is Business Casual for Women?

The best way to think of business casual is to mix casual wear and business professional. A strapless sundress is not acceptable for business casual, nor is a full-fledged suit. It is more about combining traditional workwear, for example, a suit skirt, or a blazer, with more normal clothes, such as leopard print flats or floral shell tops.

Business casual is an everyday necessity for a lot of companies. Hence, knowing how to bring together smart work attire is important if you do not work remotely.

Most of your important professional attire should be in neutral tones, for example black and grey. Begin with basic things that are neutral coloured, and bringing on board a burst of colour can lend your workstation clothes personality while ensuring that you obtain a lot of wear from them. You can put on a pair of navy blue trousers several times a week and swap the jewellery and top. If you purchase a pair of brightly coloured trousers, you are limited to wearing them only once a week as they are pretty unforgettable.

Are Jeans Considered Business Casual?

There is great news for you today – yes, jeans are a suitable business casual look for women if they meet the given requirements.

There is no way you cannot wear stylish denim for a business meeting. Provided you do not don your everyday distressed jeans with rips, though. Your jeans should imitate a more elegant style; hence, go for coloured or dark washes, the trending flare designs, or trouser silhouettes. In addition, the other way to make your denim work as business casual is by improving the quality and elegance of your tops and accoutrements to achieve the look.

What to Search for in Business Casual Women Outfits

One of the many puzzling features of work attire is determining the appropriate business casual attire. The first part of the challenge is finding business clothing; the second is bringing the pieces together in work outfits which are both attractive and comfortable.

Below, we have listed the most critical rules for nailing the perfect business casual women look in the contemporary world:

  • Skip distressed fabrics. You must look refined and elegant, so if the denim you love is trending due to its ingenious distressing, you should not put it on to work.
  • Inclined towards modesty. Nowadays, most necklines are good to don at the office, but you should avoid anything with a deep V-neck or showcases excessive cleavage.
  • Go for colours. Although the classic look is continuously refined and neat, the way you dress says a lot about your personality. Hence, there is no reason why you should not inject a neon into your accessories or put on a pink-coloured shirt that is well-tucked into a chic pair of pants or skirts. The same applies to prints, provided they are not off-putting.
  • Blend in your work-from-home pieces. It is okay to don your favourite t-shirts and leggings if you plan to work from home that day. You can use these pieces for layering at the office. Your much-preferred t-shirts can go under the cardigans and blazers, while leggings can go below a work-applicable jacket or blouse.

If you want to stock up on business casual outfits, we will provide some proposals in the categories below.

Business Casual Pants

Pants are a simple option and the first choice for most women in a workstation. Ensure that they perfectly fit, are free from wrinkles, and do not have tattered hems or torn seams. We suggest you make gabardine, wool, linen, polyester, and wool a part of your wardrobe. Plus, at the moment, there is a fantastic selection of coloured denim at your disposal; hence, ensure the colour is high-grade and does not fade. And it would help if they had a slight elongate in them to make them quite comfy for when you have to sit for long durations. You can try out neutral pants with different coloured tops. Nonetheless, you can also use a dark muted colour on the pants, for example, forest green. We recommend that you also give small plaid or pinstripes a try.

As a stylish woman, you can also change your business casual pants’ style with the change of the seasons. In the winter and fall seasons, search for dark, thicker materials and motifs which are pretty in sync with the season.

During the spring and summer season, search for lighter pants in colour and material. There are also many alternatives during this period of the year. Relying on your flair, you can even try out the wide-leg cropped pants in crimson or white.

Shopping for Business Casual Pants

When purchasing your business casual trousers, you can search for wider waistbands since they are supportive and keep your belly tucked. In addition, if you do have a belly fat challenges, you should avoid low- or high-rise fashions as they make it seem more prominent. But if you do not have such a problem, you can select a thinner waistband.

If you have full hips and thighs, search for minimizing darks and structured fabrics, for example tropical wool that downplays the curves. And stretch makes them still more forgiving. Wide or straight legs are the best.

If you desire a slimmer fit, stay away from super-pegged legs and go for a pair with extra breadth at the hem to balance out your hips. We advise you to stay away from pants with pleats and avoid trousers with vertical pockets along the side seams. The vertical pockets are bright and make your hips look broader than they are.

Putting on a belt with your pants can make your posterior more pronounced if you have ample behind. And the unnecessary attention is one of the reasons we recommend you go for trousers with no belt loops.

Shop for Business Casual Pants

The most critical bit of nailing the appearance of the dressed-up pants is feeling comfy.

  1.  M. LaFleur Colby Pants
  2.  M. LaFleur Colby pants give Audrey Hepburn vibes devoid of the pressure of shrinking fits.

Highlights:

  • Frequent and petite-appealing inseams
  • High-rise waist
  1. WHBM WKND Knit Straight Pants

These pants are the most mystic mix of sweatpants-level charm and trouser-forward fashioning.

Highlights:

  • Sweatpants-like cosiness
  • XXS through XXL sizes are available

Business Casual Blouses and Tops

Think tops and blouses to inject pop, colour, and pattern into an attire. There are many options in attractive colours, complementing your eyes, hair colour and skin tone. Jewel tones, plaids and prints are all up to par.

For fall and winter, we propose you wear long sleeves. And for warmer months, go for short or cap sleeves, and you can even put on a wide-strapped tank. In summer and spring, look for light shirts that are sleeveless or have cap sleeves.

Wear a collared or a square neck to have your neckline moderate to a given level. If you wear a V-neck or a scoop, ensure that the cleavage is not seen. Always tuck in your shirt or ensure it laces your waistband by several inches if you choose not to. You should never wear a sheer blouse without a bra, and make sure to wear a tank top or camisole.

Shopping for Business Tops and Blouses

Tops and shirts are a class where you have more or less unrestricted options. Due to the low prices and diversity, one can easily get carried away. You will part with more money in blazers and trousers as they are the fundamentals you will wear throughout the years. But with tops, there is no need to part with a lot of dimes as you will most probably buy a few new blouses each year.

Look for tops and blouses in lively colours and exciting prints during the warmer months—for example, lace, stripes, polka dots and leaf prints. For colours on the lighter side, go for crimson, baby blue or cream. Go for the green, orange, bright blue, yellow, and pink blouses if you like bright.

During the cold seasons, we understand that the temperatures within the office tend to nosedive, so even if you put on a sleeveless silk top, we recommend you layer with a blazer.

Shop for Business Casual Tops

  1. Trina Turk Owl Top

Select the navy blue shade, an impeccably suitable casual option, and then put it on loosely tucked into your favorite trousers or pencil skirt. The dishevelled give a little personality and thrill.

Highlight:

  • Soft, environmentally-friendly material
  • Available in two elegant colours
  1. Skinnytees Mock Turtleneck

The Skinnytees mock turtlenecks are the winter staples that will make you feel confident donning about anything in your wardrobe. Ensure that you tuck it in if you wear a pair of pants to get that balanced silhouette. Also, you can deploy it as a layering piece, or you can complement it with some fantastic accessories.

Highlights:

  • Offered in more than ten neutral colours
  • Many online reviewers term the fabric as “close to the feeling of your skin.”
  1. Grey State Vivienne Top

This silky, form-fitting blouse gives the feeling of accessories devoid of authentically having to put on any. Gold emphasis hooks and extended sleeves make it look amazing.

Highlights:

  • Available in three neutral colours
  • Appealing gold accents
  • You can use either button up or down to change your style from day to night
  1. Lilysilk Round Neck Silk Blouse

This glossy top shares attributes from original charmeuse silk and is priced within your budget. Its modern features, such as elastic cuffs and a round neck, make it a valuable and fashionable addition to your wardrobe. However, ensure you understand how to wash silk at home to keep this top in its most fabulous shape.

Highlights:

  • Available in nine neutral colours
  • Lilysilk blends perfectly with everything from skirts to denim
  1. Maurices Crochet Long Sleeve Top

With its summery crochet accents on the neckline, this top truly distinguishes itself from other blouses and is a piece that goes with everything. Select from two neutral colours, which complement almost all complexion.

Highlights:

  • Reasonably priced
  • You can dress it up or down
  1. Carve Designs Sawyer Twill Tunic

For those days when work-from-home is more about comfort than style, wear this loose tunic-style top with pants or skirts to look polished. This loose tunic is available in several timeless colours with understated print to infuse texture and dimension to otherwise traditional business casual female attires.

Highlights:

  • Available in sizes XL through XXS
  • It has three neutral prints
  • Open collar enhances ventilation and style

Business Casual Sweaters

Sweaters can also be worn in several ways, either as tops or on top of a blouse if you wish to layer over a dress or with skirts or trousers. The sweater fir is important here.

The everyday cardigan is indispensable within the business casual wear. The cardigan can be a simple waist length-sweater or a longer one. The sweater can have or lack buttons or possess swathed front collar. When wearing longer cardigans, you can put on a skinny belt for added definition and a unique look for attire.

We recommend business casual sweaters as a team since you can layer a button-down blouse beneath and pop out the collar over the cardigan. Another casual sweater, which we presume is crucial, is the basic long black cardigan. We say this because you can layer it with a variety of attires, and it is also pretty comfy.

Shop for Business Casual Sweaters

It is generally proposed that you stick to the fundamentals of sweaters. Neutral hues like white, black, and camel shades will ensure your appearance is relevant for quite a long time. Never exaggerate with conspicuous colours and safari prints when it comes to sweaters. Preserve that for accent trims.

  1. GSTQ Cozy Cowlneck Sweater

The GSTQ Cozy Cowlneck sweater is longer than your average tunic-style sweater, made of a cashmere-wool mix that feels like a blanket all through the cold months. The comfy drop shoulders and relaxed fit make it a fantastic option, which you will love blending with black leggings to offer the impression of longer legs.

Highlights:

  • Extra soft
  • Available in red and black
  • Extended tunic style
  1. Carve Designs Aurora Sweater

The Aurora is simple to wear, which you can pair with a V-neck and gives the feeling and cosiness of your much-preferred sweatshirt with the casual business meticulousness of a well-made knit. The sweater is available in four lively colours and is created from anti-pill wool that you will forever treasure for years to come.

Highlights:

  • You can wash it using your hands
  • The fabric has anti-pill properties
  • It has a slightly stretched hem at the back
  1. Summersalt Luxe Funnel Neck Sweater

This sweater will take your outfit to the next level, featuring soft and buttery-soft fabric. The sweater is made from a blend of cashmere and wool, which keeps you warm while letting your body’s largest organ, the skin, breathe.

Highlights:

  • You can get it for less than 100 USD
  • Easy to pull it off
  • Available in sizes small through 2X
  1. Boot Barn Molly Bracken Sweater Vest

The Molly Bracken sweater is more fun than you would imagine at first glimpse. During the day, it is a layering piece intended to cover your classic ribbed t-shirts and white blouses. By night? Well, that is entirely another story. Try donning it on your own or over a bandeau-style top with a black flared denim or a dark pencil skirt.

Highlights:

  • Multipurpose
  • Reasonably priced
  1. Rainbow Stores Ribbed Knit Turtleneck Sweater

This beautiful and affordable turtleneck sweater gives warmth devoid of sacrificing flair. This fashionable stretchy fabric is a great match for loose pants and oversized skirts with its body-hugging properties. The greatest bit? It is available in numerous colours, and it is one of the reasonably priced items in this blog post. Since you understand how to dress business casual women, you must add several of these to your cart as fundamentals to live through the cold months.

Highlights:

  • It goes for less than 10 USD
  • It comes in multiple neutral colours
  • Chic ribbed fabric

Business Casual Blazers or Jackets

Blazers or jackets are necessary during the cold seasons to keep warm as you head home, not essentially to put on in the workplace since it is a business casual outfit. However, that does not mean you can put on anything and get away with it. Hence, you cannot get away with putting on a denim jacket. Your outerwear still requires to be executive-looking because you never know when a business lunch might come up.

To reap the most from your dime, become loyal to neutral hues; navy, black, brown and charcoal are the best. Nonetheless, if you want to try something slightly different, go for a jewel shade, herringbone motif or slight pinstripe; very classic.

Nonetheless, one must note that blazers and jackets have a challenge when it comes to fit. Ensure that the blazer does not gape when fastened. As a substitute for blazers, you should try wool moto jackets.

It is good to layer jackets and blazers overall business casual attires since you never know how cold the workplace will be. Hence, rather than looking cold, you are ready and look fantastic.

Shop for Business Casual Blazers or Jackets

Investing in several great-looking blazers and jackets gives your wardrobe basic staples you can get to from time to time.

  1. Lilysilk Classic Double Breasted Slim Blazer

This double-breasted blazer is a must-have since you can put it on during any season, and you will never feel bad about purchasing it. Combine it with flared pants, tapered denim, or pencil skirts. The gold-hue buttons make any outfit look superb, and its interior lining is made from natural silk to make it flexible and easy to put on.

Highlights:

  • Tailored fit
  • Available in three timeless classic hues
  • Double-Breasted button closure

Business Casual Skirts or Dresses

Even if trousers are your go-to business casual outfit, never shun dresses and skirts. The tops you pair with your trousers will most probably blend well with a skirt. Try a pleated or a pencil skirt in pinstripes or solid colours. If you love slits, ensure they are modest and proper when sitting. Try several prints and colours to see the style you love the best.

On the other hand, dresses are a realistic option for business casual attire. It is a single item you put on, and you are ready to tackle the day. The beauty of dresses is that you never have to worry about what skirts or trousers impeccably match your top. Plus, they perfectly work with blazers and cardigans when it is cold. Hemlines for both dresses and skirts can vary from a few inches above or below the knee.

Shop for Business Casual Dresses and Skirts

As a person who loves smart business attire female, you should think of dresses and skirts as layering pieces which change from day to night in a breeze. Skirts and dresses are fun, but always remember that you will want them hitting an appropriate length when you are sitting.

  1. Time and Tru Midi Skirt

This resourceful knit gem that you dress up or down gives a form-fitting take on the classic pencil skirt. The greatest bit? It is reasonably priced.

Highlights:

  • Sold for less than 11 USD
  • Available in three timeless hues
  1. Quince Fit and Flare Knit Dress

We are confident that this piece will become your most preferred layering gem. The dress’ design somehow makes your waist look smaller, thus giving you an hourglass figure whilst offering you space to breathe. Hence, when we talk about business casual clothes for women, this dress should always come to mind.

Highlights:

  • Sold for less than 40 USD
  • Flexible midi length

Business Casual Shoes

There are many options available to you when it comes to shoes. Wedges, boots, heels, and flats are appropriate for winter and summer business casual womens outfits. Flats are a comfy alternative, majorly worn with trousers. Heels are majorly worn in a work environment. If you are going to walk around quite a lot, then go for flats or thick block heels.

Knee-high boots change into best women’s business casual outfits in the winter season since they do wonders. However, the boots should be leather and in a timeless colour. Although stocking is not necessarily business casual appearance, they can be put on, as can tights with boots.

Shop for Business Casual Shoes

In shoes, comfort is the name of the game.

  1. Naturalizer Kayden Mule

This pair is a logically priced take on the designer’s substitute, which everyone has waited for.

Highlights:

  • Exclusive designer style at an affordable price
  • Authentic leather
  • Large size span
  1. Naot Nefasi Booties

Only Nefasi and a few other companies have embraced the removable, anatomic cork and latex footbed technology. Courtesy of this tech, you will enjoy wearing this show the whole day. You can pair these booties with printed smart business casual female dresses or dark denim.

Highlights:

  • They come in 6 colours and prints
  • Vast size range
  • Low heel and authentic leather

FAQs

Can I wear sweaters for business casual for women?

Yes, you can wear sweaters to work. Within the business environment, suits are becoming more and more optional. Hence, the sweater is coming forward to fill the suit blazer’s absence.

What colours are best for business casual women?

Select timeless colours for example black, beige, navy, and white. Bold colours lace your outfit with charm. However, go for subtle pops of colour rather than the whole attire.

Can I wear wedges for business casual for women?

If your job requires business wear, you can put on wedges. Go for closed-toed wedges because they are more executive. And ensure that you stick to timeless classic colours like grey and black.

Can leggings be business casual for women?

A casual business environment can be leggings-friendly if you pair them with a stylish shirt, boots, or ballet flats. Never wear them with sneakers. However, if your office has a formal dress code, please leave the leggings for the weekend.