it’s like you got one patent leather pump on the corporate ladder and a really hot electric blue platform planted firmly on the old grey carpet. what does this business ‘casual’ mean anyway? can i wear my 6 inch heels, they’re louboutin’s you know. can i wear boyfriend jeans but with a blazer and pumps, hot right?! i totally can do silk harem pants right?, they’re totally in right now!

sometimes being in a business casual environ can cause confusion when it comes to appropriate office style. one thing i’ve learned, likely from watching what not to wear, is that you should dress for the environment you’re working in. so business casual may mean different things for someone who works in an small tech company, fashion mag, or downtown corporate office.

i really believe how you dress – for the cube – really impacts on your overall attitude and the message you convey about yourself to your coworkers and management. so if you’re dressed more “casual” that is appropriate the “business” it’s probably like you’re walking around with a big yellow post-it note on your forehead that reads:  ”i so don’t give a crap, right now!”

tip:  when in doubt, pay attention to those around you and senior management (unless everyone around you dresses terrible, then you have my permission to make your work-style set the bar and shows them how to be professional and stylish).

the way i see it is if you want to be taken seriously, maybe even to climb that corporate ladder, then aim for dressing professionally and avoid looking like you’re always ready for the weekend or trying to get photographed for a hipster street style blog *this last part is debatable, i do find inspiration from those blogs, but you know what i’m sayin’*.

me