Dressing for the office and looking professional can be a real challenge. Factors such as the image of the company, the average age of the work team, and even the sector of economic activity where the company operates must be taken into account. Therefore, we present some tips so that you know how to dress for the office and not suffer in the attempt.

Dressing for the office
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What are the professional styles when dressing for the office?

There are five different professional style codes for creating an office look based on the different profiles of a company.

Casual style.

This style is designed for an informal work environment, where it is not necessary to have direct contact with clients. There are some companies whose dress code is very formal, but they have “casual Fridays” which is the opportunity for employees to dress more comfortable and sporty.

Dressing for the office

The ideal clothes for a casual style are wide blouses, cotton t-shirts, jeans. Footwear must be very comfortable, so the favourites are short and sports shoes. With regard to jackets, blazers are optional in a casual style. But, these are a good option to give a more formal touch to jeans with sneakers.

In terms of colours, the range is much more open and less limiting. They try to leave out neutral tones such as black, grey, white and dark blue. Although these colours can also be combined with a striking tone.

It is important to note that casual or informal does not mean badly dressed. Therefore, you should avoid very tight dresses, shorts, ripped or worn pants and tops with spaghetti straps.

Smart casual style

In this look, the office dress is less sporty than the previous one, but still informal. It is a dress code widely used in offices of young companies, with employees under 40 years of age and a dynamic professional approach. The smart casual style is a mix between the informal and the elegant.

There are used garments that give a professional appearance, but without looking too formal. For this style, blazers combined with pastel blouses and knee-length dresses or skirts are the basis of this style. In smart casual, they bet more on neutral colours combined with more pastel tones. Jeans, preferably dark, can be worn combined with jackets and heels or ballerina-type shoes, sports shoes are ruled out in this style. As well as t-shirts with logos or phrases prints.

Casual business style

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This is a “semi-formal” style of office. Gone are t-shirts, sports shoes and jeans. The business casual dress code is about lightening the seriousness of a very formal suit or dress a bit, but without looking too relaxed or informal. In style it is very important to look professional, although there is room for comfort and to play with clothing.

The casual business style will depend on the companies. There are some very strict ones where you always have to go to the nines. While others are less rigid and open more towards casual. In general terms, the ideal garments in this style of dress for the office are knee-length skirts and dresses, soft or straight cut pants, blouses in soft colours, such as pink and cream. As for the shoes, all are valid except the sports or very informal ones.

Business style

This is the quintessential office wardrobe. The dress code is the professional wardrobe characteristic of companies, suit with jacket and tie (in the case of men). It is ideal for those who work in large companies. But, it is also a very good option for formal occasions. Such as important meetings, congresses, workshops and conventions, that is, any event that deserves a formal dress.


It is important not to be excessive in terms of elegance. It is a very formal style, but simple. In this style of dress for the office, the blazer or jacket is the centrepiece. This can be skirt or pants. The dresses are very valid, always below the knee or at least 10 centimetres above it.

The ideal colours are black, blue, grey or beige. Closed shoes, with heels, preferably no more than 10 centimetres. This style can also be chosen to wear skirts or pants only with blouses, without the need for jackets.

Formal business style

The formal business dress code is the most classic of office looks. This is an extremely formal outfit, leaving little room for creativity. It is the type of professional clothing that is used at the highest levels of management and on official company occasions.

The ideal is a dark jacket and skirt suit or a jacket and pants suit with a white shirt, or a knee-length black dress. The accessories will be of quality and the shoes will be classic. For women, stockings are essential, even in summer.

What to avoid when dressing for the office

Although the nature of your work environment allows some freedom, there are some options that you should avoid in professional clothing. Specifically:

  • Shorts and bermudas
  • Ripped and washed jeans
  • T-shirt with lettering, slogan and images
  • Thin tank tops
  • Plunging neckline blouses
  • Skirts and dresses that are too short or too long
  • Colours too bright
  • Eye-catching accessories
  • Strong and exaggerated makeup
  • Too long nails and shiny polishes
  • Too intense perfume
  • Heels that are too high, but do not exceed 10 centimetres
  • Boots above the knee
  • Sandals or flip flops
  • Sneakers, only allowed in casual style

Now that you know your office dress styles, you can create the ideal professional dress code for your work.

ALFA