Purchasing

Richard G. Weissman

Business Casual
May 2, 2008

I am attending an event with students next week and they asked me what the dress code would be for the event(they are learning!). I said business casual and they asked me to define what that was. These two words strike fear in the heart of most folks I know, as the definition is often in the eye of the beholder. What is business casual for you is not necessarily business casual for me. Is it a blazer? A sweater? A golf shirt? Yikes. Why does it have to be so complicated?

Back in the day it was easy. A long-sleeved shirt and a tie would cover most office attire needs; maybe a jacket when visiting a supplier. It was just so easy, and predictable. I remember attending a trade show where one booth said that I was the 100^th person to walk by in a blue blazer and grey slacks. Still got 'em, albeit a size or two larger. I also remember having to wear a tie and jacket (and my ID badge) when traveling. Look what passes for dress in the airport these days.

When I worked for a dot.com I needed to staff a trade-show in Phoenix. We all had to wear golf shirts with the company logo. Thin, wrinkled, golf shirts. I'm of the school of thought that says golf shirts, tucked-in mind you, only look good on a few. Yet, that was the required dress of many of us at the show. I'll never forget the guy standing in the middle of the show floor screaming on the telephone to his company that he was a fat guy and fat guys don't look good in golf shirts and Dockers! I'm with you…and in more ways than one.

So, what is the dress standard in your office? Business casual? Dressy? Shorts and flip/flops? How do you handle it?

Posted by Richard G. Weissman on May 2, 2008 | Comments (0)