Style Guide · Own
Business casual
Polished, without the full suit: sport coats, trousers, shirts and knits that work at the office.
Business casual is where most men work now. It means a jacket or a good knit, real trousers, a collar, and no tie needed.
The core
- A sport coat in navy, grey or a soft texture.
- Trousers in a different colour: grey, tan, navy or brown, in wool or cotton. A little room, often a pleat this year.
- Shirts: white, light blue, a fine stripe or a small check. A button-down collar is right without a tie.
- A fine merino knit, crew or roll neck, can stand in for the shirt under the jacket.
Easy combinations
- Navy jacket, grey trousers, white shirt.
- Brown or beige jacket, navy trousers, light blue shirt.
- Grey jacket, tan trousers, a fine black knit.
Shoes
Loafers in leather or suede, or leather derbies. Brown goes with almost everything here.
Where it stops
No jeans with holes, no sneakers with a jacket unless the office truly is relaxed, and no T-shirt alone. If a client is coming in, wear the suit.
Build it slowly: one jacket and two trousers already give you a week.
Outfit ideas.
Blue jacket, open collar
Check sport coat
Tan jacket, navy trousers
Navy jacket, dark jeans
Green jacket, cream trousers
Style tips.
- Jacket and trousers in different colours, never two near-matches.
- A tie is optional. A collar is not.
- Dress one step above the office, not two.
- A fine knit under the jacket counts as dressed.
Colours.
White
Off the rack may work, but it's never yours until it's tailored.
Questions.
- What is business casual for men?
- A jacket or a good knit, real trousers in a different colour, a shirt with a collar. No tie needed.
- Can I wear jeans for business casual?
- Dark, clean jeans that fit well, where the office allows it. Not when a client is coming in.
- What shoes go with business casual?
- Loafers in leather or suede, or leather derbies. Brown goes with almost everything.
Advice from the San Marko fitting room, 718 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY. Family-run since the early 1970s.
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