Business Casual: What's In My Closet

I’ve recently gotten a lot of requests to share my daily work outfits and where I shop for dress clothes so I thought I would make this post linking all of my favorite basic items in addition to sharing my daily outfits on Instagram stories (when I’m not running late in the morning!).

The dress code when I’m in my main office (as opposed to manufacturing plants) is business casual. What business casual means varies from company to company but in my office we can wear open-toed shoes, short sleeve (but not sleeveless) tops, and jeans on Fridays.

Jackets & Blazers:

I try to pick jackets and blazers for work that I can also wear casually. The black blazer I’m wearing in the picture above I’ve actually worn out to drinks more than I’ve worn it to work. I like to layer a tucked in cami or bodysuit underneath and pair with straight leg jeans or a cropped pant.

Tops:

For tops I prefer button downs in a flowy fabric, wrap tops, camisoles for layering, and blouses that can be tucked in. Below are a few of my favorites.

Pants:

I have the worst time shopping for dress pants - I’m too tall for petite and “short” inseams but too short for most “regular” inseams. Because of this I have tried on (probably) every brand of dress pant you can think of and narrowed down my favorite styles below.

Here are a few things I pay attention to when looking for dress pants:

  • Rise: I always look for a rise of at least 9.5 inches (mid-rise) to 11 inches (high-rise).

  • Length: I look at the inseam length so I know where they will hit on me and if I’ll have to get them altered. For nicer dress pants with a really good fit, alterations are worth it to me but if I can find pants in my inseam that’s even better.

  • Fabric: I always look at the fabric content so I know if the fabric will stretch, sag, wrinkle, shrink, etc. The two things I always stay away from are 100% polyester (uncomfortable) and fabrics with a rayon/viscose content higher than 30% (shrinks 5 sizes).

*all dress pants linked are the exact pairs (brand/style) I currently own

Shoes:

When I’m shopping for shoes I like to buy nicer pumps and sandals in neutral colors and then buy “fun” shoes from Zara or Mango. My absolute favorite staple shoe brand is Schutz - every pair I’ve owned from them has been comfortable enough to wear all day at work and even walking to dinner after.

I hope this post makes shopping a little easier for my fellow office girls! xx