Untucked business casual?

Okay so I'm going to a business casual workplace from one where nice jeans and untucked shirts was acceptable. I'm a bigger guy and don't look super great in tucked in shirts. So, I have quite a few shirts similar to this that fit me well and don't look sloppy. I also tend to wear long sleeve shirts like this untucked with the sleeves rolled up

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/mens/shirts_polos/button_down/shortsleeved/PRD~898170/SONOMA+life+++style+Striped+2in1+Casual+ButtonFront+Shirt+Set.jsp

Is it acceptable to wear docker-type khaki pants with this type of shirt untucked for business casual wear? I wore the following type of shoe with my nice jeans so they should work fine with the khakis as well, correct?

I would not.

Business casual is always going to be dress pants and leather shoes/belt. Now the top can vary from just a dress shirt to a dress shirt and blazer, no tie, always tucked in.

Mr.Oak said:

Business casual is always going to be dress pants and leather shoes/belt. Now the top can vary from just a dress shirt to a dress shirt and blazer, no tie, always tucked in.

Click to expand...

this doesn't seem all the casual.. business casual varies, in our Hosp IT dept it was pretty much anything goes. jeans, chinos, polo's, sport shirts (tucked or untucked, socks/no socks. it was very rare to even see the CIO or assorted VPs in a sport coat or blazer. I would ask whomever your boss to be is what their business casual means.

I would consider business casual to mean chinos are OK. Shirt should be tucked in with a belt. Shirt out means the pub...

+1

While that shirt was designed not to be tucked (no tail), it would not fall under "Business Casual"
I would agree with Oak's line of thinking, though would add that in some situations, polo/golf shirts may be acceptable (but still tucked).

But ultimately, as Raccoon indicated, what is acceptable for a certain business is going to be determined by what is acceptable for that business, regardless of what they call it.
Generally, "business casual" means doff the tie, jacket based on weather. Very common, Dockers would be acceptable. Anything more casual than that, I would wait until I had a good feel for what is and isn't acceptable.
You don't want to start a new job and be looked at as "that trailer park guy". You're always safer overdressing.
Likewise, when getting a feeling for what is acceptable, in addition to seeing what others are wearing, keep an ear open for opinions about those people. Also, the "brown noser" will usually get away with things others can't, so just because someone seems to be close to the boss doesn't mean you should follow his lead.

In some places that I've worked, "business casual" was loosely interpreted as "don't be naked". In others, it meant "dress pants/shoes/shirt with unbuttoned collar".

As has already been suggested, it's better to overdress than underdress when you're new.

All of these guys look casual to me - they aren't dressed appropriately for business. They're all wearing jeans but the gentlemen on the bottom does it subtly. Images from thesartorialist.com

If you don't look good in tucked shirts, why don't you wear a blazer or a coat over it? Khakis seem appropriate for business casual to me.

What's appropriate for business depends on your business.

I work in the gaming industry and any of the above three men would be considered 'dressed up'.

Typical workwear being sandals, shorts and t-shirts, MAYBE a polo.

I tend towards t-shirts and polos with cargo pants, generally tucked in, and am considered somewhat uptight/old fashioned. The fact i'm prior military means they understand that's simply how I am, though some of the other veterans look like total beach bums.

The fact that the CEO (of the entire multibillion dollar empire) usually walks around in a hoodie and jeans (in his late 40s) and most of the very senior staff tend towards polos and Levis....

And this is very much normal for the business in general. At GDC (Game Design Conference, one of the several large meet-n-greet type setups around the world per year) that dress code was still pretty much in place. Anything beyond a polo and dockers was 'very dressy'.

Blue Raccoon said:

this doesn't seem all the casual.. business casual varies, in our Hosp IT dept it was pretty much anything goes. jeans, chinos, polo's, sport shirts (tucked or untucked, socks/no socks. it was very rare to even see the CIO or assorted VPs in a sport coat or blazer. I would ask whomever your boss to be is what their business casual means.

Click to expand...

That's probably because IT dorks don't ever face clients and don't need to look halfway presentable . I think a nice pair of jeans (undamaged, not faded, preferably dark wash) should only be worn on company time if you are having some sort of field day/picnic/etc. So yes it really depends on what your boss deems "business casual".

yep, a very well paid dork who was the only Cisco certified wireless engineer to cover 5 hospitals and a bunch of outpatient clinics. usually dealt with nurse managers, maint managers, executive secretaries who called to complain about wire dead spots, certain equip not working in certain areas, etc. so after talking with these folks I would parade up and down the hallways checking rf, talking with staff trying to determine what actually was going on (or not). certain areas required climbing in and out of 'bunny suits'. running joke was I didn't need a desk as I was never in the IT building. Then we added Vorcera voice communication and had to deal with everyone from doctors to maint folks.

To me "business casual" means a tucked in collared shirt and slacks/khakis with leather shoes. Blazer/Sport coat optional but would be somewhat unusual. Anything less than that would just be casual. There are plenty of businesses and even industries where casual dress is normal. But just because it is appropriate workplace attire some places doesn't make it "business casual" And yes, I consider the three men verdict posted to all be casual.

I'm a lawyer and almost all the firms here expect business casual attire on a day to day basis as I defined above. Jeans and untucked shirts are usually allowed on fridays and weekends (casual days).

Blue Raccoon said:

yep, a very well paid dork who was the only Cisco certified wireless engineer to cover 5 hospitals and a bunch of outpatient clinics. usually dealt with nurse managers, maint managers, executive secretaries who called to complain about wire dead spots, certain equip not working in certain areas, etc. so after talking with these folks I would parade up and down the hallways checking rf, talking with staff trying to determine what actually was going on (or not). certain areas required climbing in and out of 'bunny suits'. running joke was I didn't need a desk as I was never in the IT building. Then we added Vorcera voice communication and had to deal with everyone from doctors to maint folks.

Click to expand...

Did you not see the " " sarcasm smiley?

IT dork chiming in here

I'd say feel it out. When I started my last job, I showed up wearing $300+ of new attire from Men's Wearhouse. I found out within a week that jeans, hawaiian shirts, hell even shorts were acceptable. I've since moved up the chain a bit, and now I am "restricted" to jeans and anything with a collar (even polos). But as they say, dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Unless the job you want is to be Jimmy Buffett.

Generally speaking, I am against untucked shirts in the workplace. Heck, generally. Anywhere.

If a shirt is made to be untucked ... a flat-hemmed bottom that falls just below the belt/waist ... then it can be a very striking casual look. But IMHO not for work.

You say you are a "bigger guy" which I take as code for a larger stomach, making a good tuck-in harder. If you can get away with wearing sweaters over a tucked-in shirt (IIRC you are in Texas? Probably too hot for sweaters?) that will obscure a lot of the problem. Maybe what you need to do is find pants with a higher waistline, so that your belt goes around the belly, rather than under the bulge, making a neat appearance easier to maintain.

maxzoran said:

Okay so I'm going to a business casual workplace from one where nice jeans and untucked shirts was acceptable. I'm a bigger guy and don't look super great in tucked in shirts. So, I have quite a few shirts similar to this that fit me well and don't look sloppy. I also tend to wear long sleeve shirts like this untucked with the sleeves rolled up

Click to expand...

Nowadays, "business casual" can mean almost anything. One place it will mean jean shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops ... another place they let you wear a blazer and slacks ... and a coloured dress shirt with tie ... instead of a navy suit and white shirt with tie. What your particular workplace is like will determine your dress "code".

Strive to be the best dressed guy there, within the range of that code.

(So if everyone wears Dockers and polo shirts, don't go get a cheap suit & tie to 'one up' them ... get the best-looking khaki pants and polo shirt you can find ... not just anything off the rack like everyone else.)

It really depends on the workplace. How does everyone else dress? Do you see any untucked shirts?
Not to be a drone and go along with what everyone else is doing. But that is usually the best way to get the temperature of a workplace.

Mr.Oak said:

Business casual is always going to be dress pants and leather shoes/belt. Now the top can vary from just a dress shirt to a dress shirt and blazer, no tie, always tucked in.

Click to expand...

(IMHO I also subscribe to this)

I hate the look of untucked shirts.

Do you live in Hawaii or the Phillipines? If not, then NEVER UNTUCKED! When I see the untucked shirt I fully expect to see a stream of toilet paper hanging out of the back of the pants as he walks away!

Doc4 said:

Generally speaking, I am against untucked shirts in the workplace. Heck, generally. Anywhere.

Click to expand...

Doc226 said:

I hate the look of untucked shirts.

Click to expand...

So ... would that be "+222"?