tips to “casually” rip the (office) runway.

The results from our workplace fashion study are in — and casual is king. A combined 79 percent of Americans surveyed said their current employers’ dress code policy is either business casual (26%), casual (33%) or non-existent/no dress code at all (20%). But what does casual look like in today’s work environment? The way in which employees work has changed drastically within the last five years, and traditional office environments may no longer be needed to get the job done. That said, there still seems to be some confusion about where to draw the line between casual and business casual given how dramatically personal style can vary from person to person — one person’s t-shirt, after all, may be another’s tuxedo depending on the wearer’s personality.

And while we don’t claim to be fashion experts, we do know a thing or two about career advice and workplace development. Creating an office look and style that’s all your own can help you gain confidence at work and boost your performance — especially for younger workers where the term “dressing for success” is even more true. Most younger employees associate dressing up with more confidence and better work performance, but nearly 40 percent have also reported they’ve had a manager speak to them about dressing more professionally. 

This continued lack of clarity around acceptable workplace attire is why we’ve teamed up with a few fashion influencers to get their opinions on what “biz-cas” looks like in today’s workplace— both in and out of the office.