When you’re just starting out in the workforce, deciding what to wear to work can feel like a huge deal. What’s more, when you’re unsure of your work outfit, you’ll be spending valuable energy worrying about your appearance rather than focusing on the important stuff: actually working!
To help you out, the team at Explore Careers has put together a guide to understanding dress codes, types of workplaces, and best practices for putting together an outfit. So, keep reading, and you’ll be looking Pinterest board ready in no time!
Casual vs Corporate
The most important step in mastering workplace style is to research and understand the differences between common dress codes. By doing so, you’ll become familiar with the lingo and be better equipped to dress for the workplace you’re in!
While there will be some offices that use funky phrasing to describe what employees should wear, most workplaces describe their preferred style as falling into one of the four following categories:
Business Formal
This is the fanciest possible dress code required for employees. In short, it’s pretty hard to look too professional in a business formal environment. While it’s uncommon for your first-ever job to fall into this category, it’s still good to know what the term refers to!
If you’re requested to wear business formal attire at your workplace, you should wear something along the lines of:
- A dark-coloured suit with a collared shirt, tie, cufflinks and dress shoes
- A neutral-coloured blouse and skirt combo with closed-toe shoes and tights. Your skirt should also be at knee length or longer!
Business Professional
Business Professional, otherwise known as Smart Business, is a dress code that is a small step down from business formal. It’s a pretty common dress code for people working in fancy office professions (lawyers, etc) and is still considered pretty conservative in the larger scheme of things.
Those of you working in workplaces with a Business Professional workplace should wear work outfits such as:
- A collared shirt, tie, dress pants, dress shoes and a sports jacket
- A dress that doesn’t sit higher than just above the knee, tights and closed-toe shoes
- A blouse, jacket, dress pants and boots with a small heel
Business Casual
Business Casual is one of the most popular and most confounding dress codes out there! While the term itself may imply that jeans or a tee shirt could slide, this isn’t actually the case. In fact, you should also avoid any activewear, sandals, hoodies and crop tops.
If you want to nail the whole business casual thing, you could try putting together a work outfit that is made up of:
- Either slacks or chinos, a polo-style shirt and loafers
- Dress pants, a sweater and boots
- A blouse with capris and ballet flats
Casual
Finally… a dress code that is exactly what it sounds like. The casual dress code is rapidly rising in popularity as workplaces become a little bit more relaxed. If you’re lucky enough to work somewhere with a casual dress code, you’re afforded a lot more comfort and creativity!
If this brief is a little too broad, it’s easier to narrow down your options by setting boundaries. For instance, you should avoid:
- Beach, gym or nightclub-style clothing
- Distressed or dirty pieces
- Overly revealing clothing that exposes too much skin or shows undergarments
Figure Out Your Workplace Type
Now that we’ve familiarised ourselves with the different types of dress codes out there, it’s time to figure out which one is best for your workplace. The best way to do so is to consult your employee manual, but if yours doesn’t list a dress code, you can look out for the following indicators of workplace types and dress accordingly:
The Extra-Corporate Workplace
Walking into the extra corporate workspace is akin to walking into an episode of Suits. Think perfectly pressed shirts, tailored pants and jackets, knee-length fitted dresses and heels that you’d want to kick off under the desk.
Usually, the types of offices that fall into this category are occupied by lawyers and those working in professional services (but obviously, this doesn’t apply to all workspaces).
The Semi-Okay-With-Self-Expression Workplace
This kind of workplace offers the opportunity to show a little bit of individuality but in a controlled kind of way. Essentially, it’s perfect for those of us on the fence about casual Fridays! Usually, these types of workplaces fall into the business casual category (but some claim to be ‘casual’).
Most of these types of workplaces are office-based, but you’ll occasionally see this dynamic in retail and hospitality jobs too.
The ‘Every Day is Casual Friday’ Workplace
This is the best possible scenario for those who love bright colours, self-expression, and pushing the boundaries of fashion. The ‘Every Day is Casual Friday’ workplace couldn’t care less about what you came to work wearing (as long as you follow the ‘casual’ guidelines and get your work done).
While this kind of workplace is pretty rare, they’re most commonly retail and hospitality jobs in funky places!
Our Last Bits of Advice
Remember, it’s important to adapt any work outfit so that you feel comfortable and like yourself! If you’re still in doubt, you can always:
- Be straight up: ask the boss
- Observe others for inspo
- Tailor work outfit trends to your own style
And with all of this in mind, we think you’re ready to go out and lock down your next job. After all, you need somewhere to wear your new work outfits!
To find your next role, head over to our Employers page; trust us when we say we’ve got a perfect employer for everyone!
