How to Make Business Clothes More Casual
Business attire has been growing increasingly casual in some fields. While this is good news for most employees, it can also pose some challenges if you have a closetful of formal work clothes. Business suits, skirt suits and corporate dresses can feel too stuffy when your co-workers are wearing separates. But you don’t have to go out and invest in a whole new wardrobe. You just need to use a little creativity and put your mixing and matching skills to work on your existing pieces to give them a new, more relaxed look and feel.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Business suit
- Scarf
- Sweater vest
- Cardigan
- Corduroy blazer
- Boots
- Loafers
- Belt
- Layered T-shirts
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Look at your suits as separates and you will find a wealth of new possibilities in your closet. Consider wearing pants or skirts with sweater sets, stretchy T-shirts and casual cotton blouses. Pair suit jackets with khakis (or even dark jeans if these are permissible in your workplace).
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Wear dresses with textured tights and flats or boots (instead of hose). Consider layering a vest, sweater shell or cardigan over a shirt dress to give it a more relaxed feel.
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Invest in a few structured jackets or tops made out of casual fabrics, such as a corduroy or velvet blazer to soften your tailored pants and skirts. Or, opt for a long cardigan to give a looser, more stylish edge to your outfit.
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Trade in your silk blouses and opt instead for layered T-shirts and wear them with your dressy items to maintain a professional edge but appear more approachable. Add a long scarf wound around your neck to further the casual feel of the outfit.
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Mix and match suit pieces in different textures and prints for a funky stylish edge that has a casual vibe. Wear a striped jacket with herringbone pants, or mix similar prints in different sizes. The key to making such a combination work is to find a similar color scheme in both pieces, so they complement each other rather than clash. You can also add animal print items to instantly relax the look and feel of your outfit.
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Look to stores like Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and J. Crew for high-quality separates (such as embellished skirts, modern-cut trousers and cropped sweaters) that might work with the more classic pieces you already have.
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Mix in a few of your best weekend staples, such as cowboy or riding boots, turtlenecks, denim skirts, corduroy trousers, a wide leopard print belt and loafers to stretch your work wardrobe in new and more casual directions.
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Invest in some funky jewelry and accessory pieces. Look for neutral slouchy bags, bright enamel bracelets, and costume or fine necklaces with large pendants to give more pizazz to whatever you wear.
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Tips & Warnings
Try playing with color to up your wow factor. A drab brown pants suit can get new life when you add a bright green or yellow turtleneck and some gold metallic wedge shoes. Layer on a few gold chains and you are office-ready.
Browse through fashion magazines for some ideas of casual outfits that appeal to you, then shop in your own closet to see how to re-create them with the pieces you own.
Beware of clothes that are out of date. While many corporate items can have real staying power, pants with tapered legs, jackets with too-big shoulder pads and dresses that come to mid-calf can look frumpy no matter what your setting. Plan to edit your wardrobe to remove any fashion mistakes.
