by Bridget Webber

Created on: December 13, 2008   Last Updated: March 22, 2011

Put the words business and casual together and many women enter a foggy area with regards to what is appropriate fashion to wear to the office, and what should remain in their wardrobe until Saturday night.

It isn't unusual today to discover that many businesses allow both men and women the freedom to let their hair down with regards to what they wear on a Friday, if not during the rest of the week. They are encouraged to express a slightly more relaxed appearance that hints of personal preference and style.

For both sexes it can prove difficult entering the spirit of the occasion without accidentally going over the top, or balancing on the edge of what is best not to wear to the office. But for women the dilemma about what is suitable to wear on this occasion can be extra difficult because of the diverse range of clothing styles and individual clothing items they have available to them.

What is best chosen as casual wear for a women depends largely on what is seen to be acceptable in her particular area of work and work environment. To get this right she can observe how others employed in the business dress, and steer her own clothing choices in a similar direction. However, there are general unspoken rules it is sensible for women to follow, no matter what their contemporaries are sporting.

The first rule to remember is that by allowing their workers to dress in a more personal style employers are not meaning to give free reign to employees to adopt a sloppy approach. Casual, doesn't really mean laid back or fun when it comes to clothing worn at work. Cartoon or slogan based tee shirts, skinny, low rise jeans, sports shoes and anything meant for dancing in isn't appropriate.

In fact, any style of jeans are rarely a good choice for business casual wear as they send out an unprofessional signal to observers that says that the wearer isn't serious about their work. and is so laid back that they may not be efficient.

The second rule of thumb is that by encouraging personal expression to be seen in workers clothing employers do not mean to bring about total rebellion against smart clothing. If you are a Goth when at home, a Punk Rocker or a Hippie then there's nothing wrong with this. However, if you wear black make up, ripped shirts or flowery pants to the office it is unlikely to go down a treat.

The third and main rule of casual work fashion is that there should be more emphasis placed on the fact that your clothing is to be worn at work than there is on the word casual. Attire which shows you are respectable, and covers you adequately plus a little more, is suitable. Mini skits, blouses unbuttoned too far and low cut tops are to be avoided at all costs.

The idea of casual wear being worn at work is that it will allow employees to loosen up and be themselves. It isn't that they dress to impress members of the opposite sex, inspire clothing envy in others or treat observers to a hint about what their intimate hobbies are.

The key to dressing successfully while remaining casual is for women to stay focused on their job. If their clothing doesn't represent the business at hand sufficiently in a good light then it is a bad choice to wear.

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