The Ultimate Guide to Business Dress

Women in business. A phrase the world should get used to. We women are on our way to tackling the business world. But, in order to do this, we must know how to look the part as well as act the part. This is your one-stop-shop guide to dressing like the badass businesswoman I know you all are.

~Business Casual~

Business casual is where your average businesswoman is going to have a little more flexibility in their clothing options. This would be where one can incorporate a little more color into their style, showcase their personality and stand out a little more. Options may include patterned pants, colored blouses, fun earrings, patterned shoes (close-toed is a must!!) and pantsuits that are not matching on the top and bottom.

*An important difference between business professional and business casual is if your pantsuit matches, you are dressed professionally, and if you are wearing two different colors, it’s considered a more casual dress.

One of my favorite combos for the business casual dress is my black-and-white checkered slacks from Marshalls, my plain black V-neck blouse from T.J. Maxx and my black pointed-toe flats from target. As you can see, buying business clothing does NOT have to be expensive. 

Here are some of the places with my best business casual finds:

• Target
• T.J. Maxx / Marshalls
• Thrift Stores
• H&M
• Macy’s
• Belk

I personally love that with business casual you can make your style your own, and I think we women should use this to our advantage at events where this style of dress is needed. 

~Business Professional~

With business professional, unfortunately, there is a lot less leeway with clothing options. A pantsuit is required in almost all situations. It can be a jacket and skirt or a jacket and pants, whatever you are most comfortable with. I also have a business professional dress that can be paired with a jacket to fill this requirement as well. The only important thing to note is that your skirts and dresses MUST be an appropriate length, meaning certainly longer than your regular going-out clothes. Extremely close to, if not touching, your knees is essential, however close-toed pump heels are allowed to elevate your look and height with both pants and skirts/dresses, too. The color palette is also, unfortunately, stricter, with usually dark colors like black, grey, navy, and sometimes brown. Nice blouses are essential under your jacket and must have a conservative neckline. It is essential to not distract from you, so facial piercings, excessive makeup, or crazy hair are definitely not the way to go either. 

It’s super important to note that business professional clothing can definitely be expensive and is definitely an investment, but one that is worthwhile and will be essential to your success as a businesswoman. Here are some of my favorite places for some nice business professional clothing:

• Macy’s
• J. Crew
• Banana Republic
• Loft / Ann Taylor
• Nordstrom

*The golden rule for business dress is that if you have to question if it’s appropriate and/or conservative enough, it probably isn’t, so maybe don’t wear it. 

**If you’re ever in a situation where you are unsure of the dress code, ALWAYS dress up versus down if you’re unsure!

Now you’re prepared to conquer the business world. I can’t wait to see what you do. Because you can do anything.

• business
• casual
• professional
• women in business