Business Formal. Business Professional. Business Casual. Casual. Odds are, your professors have been spouting off terms like this for the last couple weeks. With career fairs and internship interviews quickly approaching, it is time to figure out what differentiates these terms and how to create the best possible outfits for everything from the interview to another day in the office.
Business Formal: Reserved for major, formal occasions e.g.: important presentation to the company or potential clients.
-Your staple items: pencil skirt or dress pants.
-Pair them with: a well-fitted blazer.
-Accessories: close-toed shoes. Heels should be no higher than 2 or 3 inches. No dramatic jewelry or edgy makeup.
-Colors: Mono-chromatic neutrals and solids.
Business Professional: The rules are a little less rigid for this category and, most importantly, suits are not a necessity.
-Your staple items: pencil skirt, dress pants, or a structured yet conservative dress.
-Pair them with: a well-fitted blazer, dressy blouse, a simple cardigan for the dress if needed.
-Accessories: Close or open-toed shoes. Heels or flats are acceptable. A little more jewelry is acceptable but do not go overboard.
-Colors: Solids, neutrals, and a splash of color are all acceptable.
Business Casual: This is the most common for your everyday work outfit. Do not wear this style of clothing for an interview or career fair.
-Your staple items: skirts, pants, dresses, blouses, blazers, cardigans.
-Pair them with: Anything you want! As long as it looks put-together and tasteful, anything is fine.
-Accessories: Again, anything goes; as long as it is not too flashy or gaudy. The simpler the better.
-Colors: Solids, neutrals, colors, patterns are all acceptable.
Casual: Come as you are! This is typically reserved for Casual Fridays or, depending on the company you are interviewing with or working for, what is acceptable every day. Still, it is important to make a good impression and look somewhat modest or conservative.
-Your staple items: Jeans, skirts, pants, khakis, thick leggings, dresses, blouses, t-shirts.
-Pair them with: Anything that looks polished yet is still comfortable for you.
-Accessories: Bold makeup, jewelry and shoes are perfectly acceptable.
-Colors: All colors are welcome but nothing too flashy.
You do NOT need to wear a suit to be taken seriously or look professional. As long as you carefully style your outfit and keep it on the simpler and conservative side: you are fine. Furthermore, you do not need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on a whole new wardrobe. Buy a few basics and staple items and mix and match with what else you have in your closet. How you dress is merely a first impression and a fragment of who you are and is not indicative of what you have to offer. An employer will always take someone with more intelligence and personality than someone who can dress well. If you are still unsure what to wear: the simpler the better.