Collar, real trousers, leather shoes. Everything else is negotiable.
Screenfits earns a commission on some links below, at no cost to you. We choose the garments first and find where to buy them second — never the other way round.
Business casual means a collared shirt or a smart knit, trousers that are not jeans or shorts, and leather shoes. No tie, no suit required, but nothing you would wear to the gym or the beach.
The test is simple: could you walk into a client meeting at short notice without apologising for your clothes? If yes, it is business casual. Most offices land on chinos and an oxford shirt; the blazer is what you add when the meeting is with someone who outranks you.
The everyday default. The outfit nobody notices for the right reasons. Light blue oxford, khaki chinos, brown loafers and a belt that matches them.
Light blue or white, button-down collar, regular fit. Tucked, always.
★ 4.4 · 19,856 reviews
Light blue or white - the button-down collar is the business-casual tell
Flat front, straight or slim through the leg, no break piling on the shoe.
★ 4.2 · 45,359 reviews
Khaki - wrinkle-resistant, so it survives the commute
Leather, plain vamp. They carry the whole outfit from casual to business.
★ 4.3 · 5,166 reviews
Brown - cushioned, so you can walk in them all day
Same family of brown as the loafers. A plain buckle, nothing branded.
★ 4.6 · 51,741 reviews
Brown to match the loafers - no holes, so it always fits
Client meetings and presentations. The same rules, one level up: a navy blazer over a white shirt, grey trousers and boots. No tie, and it still reads as the best-dressed person in the room.
Single-breasted, slim, softly structured. It should fit across the shoulders without pulling.
★ 4.2 · 6,546 reviews
Navy - check the shoulder seam sits on your shoulder, not past it
Crisp, non-iron if you hate ironing. Collar open, no tie.
★ 4.4 · 42,627 reviews
White - collar open, no tie
Mid or charcoal grey, flat front. Grey with navy is the safest pairing in menswear.
★ 4.4 · 9,192 reviews
Choose Grey - flat front, sits well with navy
Leather, slim profile. They read smarter than sneakers and easier than oxfords.
★ 4.5 · 16,285 reviews
Brown - slim enough to sit under a trouser hem
Fridays and no-meeting days. Get dressed in two minutes and still pass. A quarter-zip over a tee, grey chinos and clean white leather sneakers - only where your office already allows sneakers.
Navy or charcoal, fine knit. Zip half-down over a tee, never fully open.
★ 4.6 · 5,767 reviews
Navy or charcoal - a knit, not a fleece
The stretch is the low-effort part. Still flat front, still a clean hem.
★ 4.3 · 33,156 reviews
Grey - stretch for comfort, flat front for the office
Plain leather, no logos, kept white. The moment they scuff, they stop being business casual.
★ 4.5 · 9,444 reviews
White - plain leather, no logo
White or grey, worn under the quarter-zip so the neckline stays clean.
★ 4.5 · 114,311 reviews
White or grey - the layer under the quarter-zip
Business casual is not a list of banned items, it is a level: one notch below a suit. Every outfit here keeps the three things that hold that level - a collar or a smart knit, proper trousers, leather on the feet - and changes only how much effort shows. That is why the low-effort version still works and the sharp one never looks like you misread the invite.
Only dark, clean, straight jeans and only if your office already does it - and then with a collared shirt and leather shoes. If you have to ask, wear chinos.
No. A tie moves you into business professional. Leave the collar open, one button undone.
Plain white or black leather sneakers are accepted in many offices, never running shoes. For interviews and client meetings, wear loafers or boots instead.
A plain knit polo in a dark or neutral colour is, in most offices. A logo-heavy sports polo is not.
Business casual for women · Cocktail attire for men · Semi-formal attire for women · All dress codes