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The Complete Guide to Business Casual Style for Men

Published on December 10, 2021 by Brock McGoff · Clothing and Style, Popular May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Want to know the dos and don’ts of business casual style? This in-depth guide has all the answers you need.

Table of Contents

  • What is business casual?
  • Too Long, Didn’t Read
  • A Brief History of the Business Casual Dress Code
  • 2021 Men’s Business Casual Wardrobe
  • Business Casual Shoes
  • Are Jeans Business Casual?
  • Common Business Casual Mistakes
  • 21 Business Casual Outfit Examples
  • What About Casual Fridays?
  • Questions About Business Casual Style
  • Closing Thoughts

Business Casual Style for Men

Most modern day workplaces are loosening up their dress codes. Gone are the days when men are required to wear a suit and tie to work every day.

Business casual outfit example
A simple summer business casual outfit

This is great news for most guys. After all, a full suit and tie isn’t exactly the most comfortable outfit, especially during warmer seasons.

But this shift has also left many men scratching their heads and wondering, “What should I wear to work today?”

Sure, a suit and tie might not be the most comfortable outfit. But at least it makes getting dressed relatively straightforward.

You just wear a suit. And a tie.

Business casual, on the other hand, is just…confusing.

What is business casual?

How do we actually define this dress code? Are there actual rules, or a list of DOs and DON’Ts that we should follow?

The answer is, yes. Kind of.

Unlike stricter dress codes like black tie, business casual is very loosely defined. It leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and different offices will interpret it differently.

Business casual outfits
Most of these outfits would be appropriate in most business casual workplaces

It’s like when the invitation to your cousin’s wedding says the dress code is Summer Beach Semi-Formal Casual Cocktail Attire…

What in the hell does this mean, KAREN?

But fear not! If you read this guide to the end (or even just skim through it), you’ll have a clear understanding of what to wear in business casual environments.

Too Long, Didn’t Read

At a minimum, here’s what you need to know:

  • No suits
  • No shorts
  • No jeans (unless you manager gives the OK)
  • No t-shirts
  • No polos (usually)
  • No sneakers
  • No sandals or flip flops (obvi)
  • No casual boots
  • Dress boots are okay
  • Ties are not required
  • Tucked in shirts, always
  • Blazers/sport coats are always okay

Stick with these rules, and you’ll be good to go. If you want to really master the business casual look, read on…

A Brief History of the Business Casual Dress Code

If you look at the entire history of menswear in Western civilizations, business casual is a relatively new concept.

Up until the early 1960s, men didn’t wear casual clothing to the office, even on Fridays. Casual wear was only worn at home during evenings and weekends.

Mens office attire in 1950s
Today’s “Sunday’s best” was everyday office wear in the 1950s.

If you were going to the office, you were most likely dressed in a full suit and tie.

Things began changing when the Hawaiian custom of Aloha Friday started to make its way across the Pacific, spreading east to California and winning over young working professionals who were tired of “dressing up” every single day of the week.

Like many holidays and social traditions, Aloha Friday was basically a marketing scheme.

It was invented by the Hawaiian Fashion Guild to sell more aloha clothing (i.e., Hawaiian shirts).

Tori Richard Aloha Shirts in store
A collection of aloha shirts inside a Tori Richard store (an aloha clothing brand founded in 1956)

In short, a Hawaiian manufacturing association invented a novel custom of wearing casual clothing on Fridays, which paved the way for casual Fridays and business casual dress, in general.

Kinda random, huh?

The fact that it caught on so quickly and gained so much momentum, even though it started in the most remote American state – thousands of miles from most major U.S. cities – goes to show that men really just want to be comfortable, and most men aren’t very comfortable wearing a suit and tie.

Tom Selleck wearing aloha shirt and jeans
Magnum, P.I. star Tom Selleck famously wore Hawaiian shirts on and off the set

Fast forward to the 1990s. Offices are more casual than ever, and many men are wearing jeans, shorts or even t-shirts to work. The idea of “casual Friday” has started to spread to the rest of the week.

The denim behemoth, Levi’s, notices a gap in the menswear market, and they decide to fill in the area between jeans and suits with their new line of khaki pants called Dockers.

They marketed these pants aggressively with hilariously “relatable” commercials like this one:

Even if Jerry hated these commercials, which at the time were very unique, they worked. Guys everywhere fell in love with relaxed fit cotton Dockers.

Levi’s even created a visual pamphlet for its customers (department stores) called “A Guide to Business Casual” that showed younger professionals in more casual clothing, including plenty of Dockers khaki pants.

Guide to business casual Levis
Believe it or not, these outfits were considered cool and edgy at the time!

These preppy pants walked the line between dressy and casual, and brands like Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers and J. Crew took notice.

Men started wearing khakis, chinos, polos and casual button up shirts to work instead of full suits, and the business casual dress code quickly swept through corporate America, taking over men’s closets for the next 3+ decades.

2021 Men’s Business Casual Wardrobe

Even though the business casual dress code traditionally required a jacket, that’s just not the case anymore.

These days, business casual offices typically expect you to wear a button up shirt tucked into chinos or slacks (any “dress pant” that’s more formal than chinos).

Modern business casual style

Most business casual workplaces don’t require jackets, and they’re almost all okay with chinos, as opposed to dressier wool trousers.

Let’s say you work in a standard 9-to-5 corporate office that requires business casual dress. You’re somewhere between entry-level and top management. Here’s what your outfits might look like:

Monday with a presentation to your boss’s boss:

Business casual office Monday meetings

  • Grey wool trousers
  • White dress shirt (no tie)
  • Navy sportcoat
  • Black loafers or Oxfords

Tuesday – Thursday without any big meetings:

Business casual uniform

  • Chinos or cotton trousers – tan, olive, navy
  • OCBD or “sport shirt” (button up), tucked in – solid colors or patterns (no bold prints)
  • Sweater optional for fall/winter
  • Chelsea boots, loafers, bluchers or wingtips

Casual Friday:

Casual Friday uniform

  • Slim, dark wash jeans (no distressing)
  • OCBD, sport shirt or fitted polo, tucked in
  • Sweater optional for fall/winter
  • Chelsea boots, chukkas, loafers, bluchers or wingtips

Couple of things to keep in mind…

First, you can always wear a wool or cashmere sweater (or cardigan) over your button ups if weather permits. This is actually an excellent outfit for business casual offices during fall and winter.

Basic Business Casual Outfit
You can’t go wrong with a Merino wool sweater over a casual button up shirt.

Second, many offices allow for very casual Fridays, meaning you can wear your shirt untucked. For example, you might wear jeans or chinos with a casual button up shirt, untucked.

Spring casual with Jay Butler loafers
Your casual button ups shouldn’t go past your fly when worn untucked.

Just make sure it’s the right length. You don’t want to be that guy who just wears his dress shirt untucked like he’s performing some sort of walk of shame.

Of course, when in doubt, just ask your manager what’s appropriate.

Business Casual Shoes

In general, casual shoes aren’t really appropriate for business casual settings. I’m talking about sneakers, sandals, flip flops, work boots, boat shoes, driving mocs, espadrilles, etc.

Almost any type of “dress shoe” is okay, barring velvet slippers or patent leather whole cuts, of course!

Business casual shoes
The shoes in this graphic are from Beckett Simonon.

The sweet spot consists of:

  • Bluchers
  • Oxfords
  • Brogues/wingtips
  • Loafers
  • Dressy chukkas
  • Chelsea boots

When in doubt, you really can’t go wrong with a more casual lace up (like wingtips) or any kind of loafer.

Rajesh's black brogues
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Tapered leg opening
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

The biggest mistake I see men make with business casual shoe choice is wearing shoes that are way too casual.

Boat shoes with khaki pants and blazer
This outfit could be improved by swapping the boat shoes out for loafers, bluchers or dressy boots – and getting the pants hemmed (Source: Lookbook.nu)

I’ve seen so many guys wearing boat shoes to the office with chinos or even wool dress pants. It just looks…wrong. The boat shoe is way too casual for that type of outfit.

Remember: it’s always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed, so when in doubt, choose the more formal shoe.

Are Jeans Business Casual?

Technically, no. Menswear purists would never wear jeans in a business casual environment. But many modern offices are okay with jeans, even though this often backfires.

The problem is, most men don’t understand the difference between casual and dressy jeans.

Business casual jeans
If your manager says jeans are okay, they’re probably talking about jeans like the ones on the left, not the right.

There’s a huge difference between light wash, relaxed fit jeans with faded knees and frayed hems, and fitted dark wash jeans with no fades or distressing.

If you’re going to wear jeans to a business casual office, make sure they’re dark, fitted and free of any sort of distressing.

And please…please…make sure your jeans are hemmed to the proper length.

Common Business Casual Mistakes

Here are three easily avoidable mistakes men make with their business casual attire:

The first mistake is when guys wear suit jackets as sport coats.

Suit jacket with jeans
This is an extreme example from a Dolce & Gabbana runway show, but you get the point.

It’s okay to mix and match jackets and dress pants (e.g., charcoal suit pants w/ navy suit jacket), but suit jackets can look a bit off when worn casually (e.g., with jeans).

If you’re going to wear a jacket with jeans or chinos, wear a blazer or sportcoat.

Casual sport coat with business casual outfit
Khoi from Gentleman Within wearing a casual sport coat with a business casual outfit.

Go with something more casual (less structure, less shoulder padding, less lining, more textured fabric, casual details like patch pockets).

The second mistake I see a lot is guys wearing shoes that are too casual for the office.

Boat shoes with business casual outfit
This guy should ditch the tie, hem the pants and swap the boat shoes for loafers.

As mentioned above, boat shoes are not the same as loafers and shouldn’t be worn in business casual settings. If you wear chukkas, go with something formal, rather than a Clarks Desert Boot.

The third mistake I see all the time is guys pairing casual accessories with business casual outfits. The most obvious example of this is the backpack.

Back pack with business casual outfit
The back pack is the nail in the coffin for this business casual getup.

A backpack is a very casual bag, and it’s usually not the best choice for the office. Instead, go for a canvas messenger bag or leather briefcase.

If you do prefer a backpack, get one that looks nice with business casual outfits. Consider brands like Everlane, Tumi or Herschel.

21 Business Casual Outfit Examples

If you’ve read this far, you now have a thorough understanding of the business casual dress code for men.

Keep all of these principles in mind as you look through these 21 business casual outfit ideas (note: all photos are from TMM or Reddit’s r/malefashionadvice community):

How to wear M Gemi Sacca

Tan raincoat olive chinos

Eric in grey coat
Source: @ericrnycstyle

Classic Business Casual

Smart 2 David wearing a floral print with a suit
Source: @threadability
Business Casual Blues
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

Business casual summer outfit

Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Rajesh wearing blue shirt, navy jacket and gray pants
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

Navy Harrington jacket with chinos

Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

Tan raincoat with grey trousers

Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice
Khoi in NYC wearing smart casual outfit
Source: Reddit r/malefashionadvice

Now we know what business casual attire looks like, but what about casual Friday?

What About Casual Fridays?

Just like the business casual dress code, casual Fridays vary widely from one office to the next.

If you work in a formal environment (suit and tie Mon-Thurs), casual Friday usually means business casual Friday. Basically, you can ditch the suit and tie but may still need a jacket (or at least a tucked in shirt).

Business casual style
In a formal office, this might be as casual as “Casual Friday” gets.

If you work in a business casual office where men rarely wear jackets or ties, it’s probably okay to wear jeans – and maybe even sneakers – on casual Friday (ask your manager). During fall and winter, any casual boots are probably fine.

Casual Friday outfit example
In many offices, this would be an appropriate casual Friday outfit.

Even if you wear jeans, you should stick with a polo or casual button up shirt, tucked in (don’t assume untucked is appropriate unless you see other doing it, or your manager gives explicit permission).

Casual Friday outfit idea
Casual Friday usually means smart casual not sloppy

T-shirt, shorts and sandals are almost never appropriate for the office unless permission is explicitly given by management.

White sneakers smart casual outfit
This would be an appropriate casual Friday outfit for many modern offices, but don’t assume sneakers are okay.

The key here is to ask your hiring manager what’s appropriate, and when in doubt, always aim to overdress rather than underdress.

Remember: you may feel a bit silly if you’re overdressed, but you will look bad if you’re underdressed!

Questions About Business Casual Style

Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about the business casual dress code for men:

What is a business casual dress code?

Business casual is a loosely defined dress code that gained momentum in the 1960s after a Hawaiian phenomenon called Aloha Friday gained popularity in mainland U.S.

These days, business casual vaguely defines a professional-but-not-formal dress code used in most American office workplaces.

Can you wear jeans in business casual settings?

Traditionally, no. Jeans are not part of the business casual wardrobe. Practically, some jeans (dark wash, fitted, no distressing) are acceptable in many modern offices, especially on casual Fridays.

What is not business casual?

Here’s a list of items that are not business casual: open toe footwear (sandals), t-shirts, distressed jeans, full suit and tie, athletic sneakers, shorts.

What shoes are business casual?

Business casual shoes include Oxfords, brogues, bluchers, dress boots (chukkas, Chelseas, wingtips) and loafers.

What type of pants are business casual?

Business casual pants for men include chinos, cotton dress pants, wool trousers (think suit pants), linen trousers and sometimes dark wash jeans.

Do you have to tuck your shirt in for business casual?

Yes, your shirt should always be tucked in inside a business casual environment. The exception here is casual Fridays, on which untucked shirts are usually okay.

Closing Thoughts

You now have a solid understanding of what business casual means and how to dress in a modern business casual workplace.

Now that you don’t have to worry about making any dumb style mistakes at the office, you can focus on what matters: crushing it at work, soaring up the corporate latter, and working up the courage to finally ask out that new cutie from human resources.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!

Clothing and Style, Popular business casual, casual Friday, dress codes

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. Brad Payne says

    January 18, 2023 at 11:02 pm

    Apparently you have trouble following your own advice. More than half your business casual examples were wearing pants rolled up or too short. Get the pants or jeans hemmed to the correct length!!! Rolled up slacks or jeans are not ‘business casual’. Pants showing your ankles or with no break are too short and look stupid. So do work boots with slacks. Very few examples exuded class.

    Reply
    • Brock McGoff says

      January 19, 2023 at 10:16 pm

      There is no “correct” length for pants, as it’s subject to trends. This article is aimed at a modern 25-44 crowd. No break pants and cuffs are perfectly acceptable in most of today’s workplaces.

      Reply
  2. Chris says

    December 31, 2022 at 6:27 pm

    Great content. Actionable. Clear. Thanks

    Reply
  3. Bill Doyle says

    August 4, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    Nice article, helpful. One minor disagreement… a good quality pair of boat shoes are perfect for casual business attire.

    Reply
  4. Akpomuode loony Joseph says

    June 22, 2022 at 9:53 am

    Hi Brock, I wanna say it’s a beautiful and lovely write-up… Really gonna transcend from normal to superb now.
    Thanks

    Reply
  5. Martin B says

    January 29, 2022 at 6:32 pm

    Hi Brock, Excellent, practical guide. Hey, what’s the brand and model of the burgundy briefcase that you’re holding in your left hand in the featured photo collage? It looks nicely proportional to your stature and I’d like to buy it as I’m 5’5″.
    Thax as always!
    M

    Reply
  6. sarah charles says

    December 29, 2021 at 12:50 am

    Hi Brock, Amazing content! all the choices and combinations given by you look amazing. You have done great a job. Thanks for sharing such amazing information. Keep on writing.

    Reply
  7. Chris says

    July 30, 2021 at 11:22 am

    It seems that body and age inclusion hasn’t made it to menswear yet. No photo or advice for anyone with grey hair or real world weight.

    Reply
  8. Jerry D McCartney says

    February 17, 2021 at 12:14 pm

    Perfect! Perfect!
    I am about to do a presentation to a number of new men on our team and your article will help tremendously in getting us all on the same page for todays men’s casual dress.
    Thank you

    Also, if you have an article you’ve done on how to dress for travel when you have personal meetings with clients would be a big help as well.

    Reply
  9. JB says

    February 2, 2021 at 8:58 pm

    Do colors really matter for business casual? Dark brown pants with black shoes/boots or black pants with brown shoes/boots? Does the belt always have to match the shoes/boots?

    Reply
  10. Sean says

    December 10, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    Good article but you really need to link to all of the products in your pictures. I love the jacket right above the “What About Casual Fridays” section but can’t find it, or anything similar enough to meet my needs anywhere online after about a half-hour of searching. I know that showing several product images as examples is a trend that many articles use but it really needs to stop. If you’re going to include images of shirts, shoes, jackets, sweaters, etc. especially, please be sure to provide links to purchase them. Nothing worse than finding a style you really like only to not be able to purchase it.

    Reply
  11. Rajat says

    January 11, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    Damn such a great article I have been following your articles for some time! Even I have interviews next week and I didn’t had any idea layering up with so many things would be required have to do my shopping and learning! and look with jacket looks this best!

    Reply
  12. Adam Berkley says

    June 23, 2019 at 6:49 pm

    I saw a few (very few) creased pants. I guess those are a concession to older men but not the preferred choice. Too bad. They really project tasteful elegance.

    Reply
  13. Ron says

    June 21, 2019 at 10:34 pm

    Another excellent article on this subject Brock. You have done some extensive research on this subject. I live in New Zealand and work in a menswear clothing store, this article has taught me some new things, other things confirming what I already knew and lots of new things that I can now share with my customers. Thank you for sharing your great knowledge on this subject with us

    Reply
  14. George says

    June 20, 2019 at 6:20 pm

    Hi Brock, you mentioned it’s never ok to wear a suit jacket with Jean’s. Have you ever seen the game show “Common Knowledge” hosted by Joey Fantone of boy band fame (not sure what band)? Anyway, he wears a suit jacket with jeans almost every show. I agree it’s a no, no but wouldn’t you think his Hollywood wardrobe people would know better?

    Great topic and I really liked the black and white wool chevron patterned jacket paired with the light brown corduroy pants.

    Sincerely,
    George

    Reply
  15. Joshua Adamson-Pickett (@JoshuaRAdamson) says

    June 20, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    Excellent content! What are you thoughts on polos, specifically whether they should be tucked or untucked? My office dress code is somewhere between casual and business casual. I wear polos often, but I’m never sure whether I should keep them tucked or not. Maybe tucked with chinos/dress pants and untucked with business-appropriate jeans?

    Reply
  16. Simon Miles says

    June 20, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    Great article, Brock, one of the best on the subject I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing. I’d be interested to know what you think about the pocket square in a business casual environment? Something you see a lot of on style blogs, but few men actually wear them in the real world.

    Reply
  17. gentlemanwithin says

    June 20, 2019 at 4:56 pm

    Excellent write up, Brock! Loved the outfit inspo and the bit about casual fridays.

    Reply

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