Create your business look

Alongside family, friends and leisure time, work is a significant aspect in our lives. It is estimated that we spend one third of our lives at work. How can we make this time even more pleasant? What is the best way to start the journey to work? With a fashionable and elegant business outfit! If you think that the perfect business outfit is only black or gray, you are wrong. Business fashion is lively, elegant and serious at the same time. The dress code is not broken! With a stylish business outfit and fashionable accessories you start fashionable and always well dressed in your everyday life.

What is a business outfit?

If we create a mindmap about business outfits, then definitely one of the main branches would be rules and dress code. Of course, if you are in daily contact with customers, for example, you can't wear ripped jeans and a tank top. Your appearance should be a combination of neat and serious and also you should exude confidence. That's why in this blog post, we're going to feel out what makes the perfect office outfit.

The classic business outfit in general for the ladies consists of a pantsuit, a skirt, a blouse or a dress. The shoes are to be chosen closed such as closed pumps. This is the business attire dress code. You need it if you work in banking or have a meeting in a law firm. With the look for men in business attire is also little room for maneuver as a classic combination is expected. That means, to meet the dress code, men should wear a suit and tie with fancy, closed shoes.

As you can see, there is not much room to let inspiration flow in with these office outfits. Still, it is possible to make a fashion statement. By experimenting a bit with the color choice of your business attire, for example with soft pastel shades. Another option is with elegant and subtle accessories. A briefcase Milano from PICARD certainly enhances any business outfit.

Eyes open when choosing your business outfits

When choosing your business outfit, you should always consider what kind of occasion you are dressing for. Clothes make the man and so the first impression also counts in business. If it is a formal occasion such as important meetings or customer visits, you should play it safe when choosing your business outfit. You should rather leave the casual outfit hanging in your closet and go for a formal and elegant business outfit.

If we are talking about semi-formal occasions such as dinner with colleagues or the usual lunch meeting, it is allowed to dress more casually. There, the dress code is smart casual. A combination of a casual, yet elegant business outfit. You can find out exactly what this means in the next section.

Dresscode Smart Casual - What does it mean in the lexicon of business attire?

For all those people who love it casual, business fashion in smart casual look is the salvation. Because a formal business outfit is softened with a sporty, yet elegant look and thus spiced up.

The dress code Smart Casual has its origin in the USA, the Casual Friday. The day of the week when the strict office outfit is exchanged for more casualness and the ties and suits stay in the closet. Many companies have taken a liking to the smart casual look. The dress code instantly creates a more relaxed and laid-back atmosphere. Many start-ups or marketing companies are going for the casual and smart office outfit. The idea is, whether it's after work drinks or spontaneous meetings, with the casual, yet elegant office outfit, you are both in the office, as well as at a subsequent meal suitably and fashionably dressed.

The art here is to create a balancing act between a typical casual look and yet elegance is always at the top of the list. It can be tricky, but if you rely on elegance, such as noble and fine accessories and muted colors, you can turn a casual outfit into a super suitable business outfit.

What is business attire for men?

If you think of a law firm or a typical bank office, then it is clear that men should wear a suit and tie and smart, dark and closed shoes. In that case, there is also not much scope for the business outfit for men. In a chic and elegant suit with tie, you start your work day life in the office. Here, cloth pants, shirts and an elegant jacket in slim-fit look are a must-have.

However, if we look at a business casual look for men, then we have as well as for the ladies room for creativity and inspiration. Because in this business outfit even classy and elegant blue jeans are welcome. In combination with a shirt or in the summer with a polo T-shirt you are casual, but still elegant at work. If you choose colors that go well together, such as light blue to dark tones or beige for a change, you also bring a little zest into your business outfit. As you can see, the times of the classic striped tie and the black suit are over. Nowadays, colors like blue and beige are trend colors that turn every business outfit from a 7/10 into a 10/10.

A secret tip from PICARD to those who want to bring some leisure into your business outfit, choose as a shoe a fashionable and modern sneaker. As long as the sneakers are clean, you can combine them perfectly with chino pants. With fine accessories such as a noble wristwatch or an elegant leather briefcase you can upgrade your business outfit. This way you create a combination of a casual, elegant business outfit. Always remember that the first impression counts, especially as the clothes are the most important criterion within that.

Golden rules for the perfect office outfit

With these rules you will always have a stylish, confident and elegant appearance in the office. For a successful business look for women: a blouse, a pair of trousers, a skirt or a dress always goes! With these fashion pieces you will always be well received. As well as elegance is essential, it is very important for a fashionable office outfit for ladies that you have a well-groomed appearance. Therefore, it would always be good if you choose clothes in which you feel comfortable and which also fit you well. How you manage this is entirely up to you. Here you have the freedom to be creative and combine different accessories and pieces.

Let's put it into practice and imagine a stylish and elegant business outfit in a business casual look. A great look would be a simple and light white blouse, combined with a casual blazer in a great pastel color such as mint green and a pair of simple 7/8 fabric pants. So you are top-styled in the office as well as during after-work drinks!

Attention, from too short skirts or dresses you should refrain. If it is a dress or skirt, you are always on the safe side, if they go to your knees. In the summer you should also refrain from open shoes such as sandals. These are very comfortable in the summer, but do not belong to an elegant business look. Rather opt for loafers, they look very chic in the summer. As you can see, despite these rules, you have a lot of room to get creative and bring the looks from Paris, London and New York into your office.