Interview went great! Now how do I dress for "Business Casual"

I GOT THE JOB! thanks for your help with my interview clothes thread.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/287001-Is-this-okay-for-a-job-interview

I am officially an Account Representative for Ingredients Inc. Hooray!

Thank you all for helping me look well put together for my interview/new job. I felt really confident and I think it showed.

They're flying me to Dallas next week for a convention (3 days). I believe it will be for a meet-and-greet and for networking.

This leads me to my next question.... What should I wear for work?

They suggested that I wear slacks and polo. I told him that I have a tattoo on my left forearm from my Navy days. He said that I should just wear a button down shirt to cover it. He also said it's better to be overdressed then under dressed.

What I got from our brief conversation was:
Slacks
Polos (I want to wear polos, but I have a tattoo on my left forearm)
Button down shirt
Ties are only needed when we have a meeting with our big accounts.
Optional blazer.

So I think my best bet is to wear a button down collared shirt and slacks. But my concern is what type of fabric buttoned down would be appropriate?

For example is a J Crew button down shirts too casual? Are Kenneth Cole button downs (slightly shiny) too formal? Should I only wear solid colors? Are stripes ok? Are J crews patterns ok for work?

I'm looking for opinions on what you guys find at work to describe as sharp or class. Also opinions about what is tacky for work would be nice too so that I don't fall into that category.

Thanks! Once again, learning much from B&B members.

What was everyone else in the office wearing?

Go West Young Man said:

What was everyone else in the office wearing?

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Im not sure because it was a lunch interview away from the office.

I have the same dress code. For button down shirts, you can really wear either the casual or dressy ones. I keep my polo shirts solid colors though.
I've been mistaken to work at Target.

BubblesAssassin said:

Im not sure because it was a lunch interview away from the office.

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That makes it harder. I'd spend the first week extremely conservative - dress pants, white dress shirt, shined shoes, basically look like you were wearing a suit but took off your jacket. Get a feel for what people actually wear, and shop for your wardrobe accordingly.

Having your slacks and shirts crisply pressed go along way towards looking pulled together, no mater what your budget along with polished and matching belts and shoes.

You can always drape your sport coat over a chair back, but you cannot put it on if you don't have it.

Congratulations!

I would avoid the Kenneth Cole shirts. They're shiny poplin, aren't they? I saw them the other day in Macy's and I thought they looked terrible. I'd also pass on low end Ralph Lauren, Tommy, etc.--anything with a big emblem on it. You probably can't go wrong with Land's End for button-down collar shirts. I've never bought anything at Jos. Banks, but they're supposed to be reasonably priced too. If there's a Brooks Bros. outlet near you, you might want to check it out. You can often get a deal if you buy three shirts.

Congratulations on your new job!

Like you, I just started a new job with a business casual dress code. (Congratulations, by the way!)

Since my office is air-conditioned, I have stuck with long-sleeve shirts. Orvis and LL Bean fit me best and look good either with or without a tie. I echo the sentiment that your shirts should be ironed to look their best. I find myself wearing a tie at least three days a week, just because I can. It looks nice and can be a fun way to express you individuality (though be tasteful!).

For shoes I will wear Allen Edmonds Memphis cap-toe Oxfords or Sebago penny loafers. I decided that boat shoes are a little too casual for me.

For slacks I wear chinos from Bean or Orvis. In the warmer weather khaki works well though darker colors seemed more appropriate in the cooler months.

Don't forget a nice belt! Ideally it should match your shoes.

A final thought: What do you see when you look in the mirror before you leave home? Do you feel you look professional enough?

Good luck at your new job!

One can get away with a nice tweed style jacket or even a navy blazer with business casual too. IMO
Red Wing Iron Rangers work really well with that style

congratulations! lot's of good advice........here's mine: you can't go wrong being on the conservative side...any button down THAT is "no iron" AND long sleeves is always a good look...and,a blue oxford and khaki's(sp?) is perfect for most any business casual event;

I'd suggest that you don't wear khakis if you are meeting co-workers or clients for the first time. In fact, I'd suggest that you never wear khakis in the office or for work purposes. They just say "I'm the guy who is too lazy to put on proper trousers". To me, a guy in khakis always looks like an appliance repairman. There's nothing wrong with that, but it isn't the image you need to project. That said, get some nice wool trousers for work.

As for shirts, button downs have traditionally been oxford cloth. This is not the finest weave available. Try to see if you can find any with higher thread counts in the material. Don't feel you are limited to a button down collar. Mix in some regular collars as well. Also follow your boss' advice and bring a good sports coat or blazer, and listen carefully when he says about it being better to be over dressed than under dressed. That's why I urge no khakis and nicest material you can find in a shirt.

Congrats on the new job! Now go and rock it!!!

Thank you for the feedback. I took most of your advice and stayed conservative. I went to a Brooks Brothers outlet store and picked out a white, light blue, and light grey collared button down dress shirt. I haven't picked out any slacks yet. I suppose I could go with black, grey, and beige trousers. Although I do like Khaki. Wool would be nice, but is it okay for the summer heat? Are chinos ok for work? Where do I find lands end?

BubblesAssassin said:

Thank you for the feedback. I took most of your advice and stayed conservative. I went to a Brooks Brothers outlet store and picked out a white, light blue, and light grey collared button down dress shirt. I haven't picked out any slacks yet. I suppose I could go with black, grey, and beige trousers. Although I do like Khaki. Wool would be nice, but is it okay for the summer heat? Are chinos ok for work? Where do I find lands end?

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I'd say khaki colored trousers are fine. Just avoid things like Gap or Old Navy Khakis, quite a bit of difference in a nicely creased set of trousers and "khaki's". Lands End has a number of shops all over, however Most Sears will have a Lands End section, I've found a number of nicely priced oxford shirts and such there, they just tend to not cater to us larger (XXL/40w) fellows.
LL Bean and Eddie Bauer will have similar clothing lines. I've also had good luck with Men's Wearhouse and JosABank, which you can simply walk in saying I need business casual stuff and they'll usually set you pretty well.

Blue Raccoon said:

when the office is business casual and you show up in wool slacks and whites shirts imho that ain't good.

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I completely agree with, except that this is his first week and he doesn't know what 'business casual' means for this specific company.
Better to be overdressed for a week and then scale back than to be the 'Guy who showed up looking like a bum on his first day' if the company is more formal than expected.

Yes, you can buy long-sleeved polos ...

BubblesAssassin said:

Thank you for the feedback. I took most of your advice and stayed conservative. I went to a Brooks Brothers outlet store and picked out a white, light blue, and light grey collared button down dress shirt. I haven't picked out any slacks yet. I suppose I could go with black, grey, and beige trousers. Although I do like Khaki. Wool would be nice, but is it okay for the summer heat? Are chinos ok for work? Where do I find lands end?

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"Khaki" is a colour, and a type of pant that is often that colour ... aka Dockers/chinos. Chinos are fine for work ... if they are fine for work. That is, they're fine for places that accept them as part of the dress code. You'll get a better feel for that once you have a few days/weeks under your belt at the new office. (A different colour other than khaki/tan can go a long way to make them seem better ... say a nice olive.)

Skip the black pants ... too much "I'm a waiter" vibe. Olive and tan work well.

Wool is just as fine for pants as cotton ... in both cases it's a case of whether it's done in a 'winter weight' or a 'summer weight' fabric. Lightweight wool is fine for summer.

That 'optional' blue blazer isn't really 'optional' ... you know that, right? No, you don't have to wear it all the time, but you do need to have it on hand (and a decent tie ... but you got one of those already) just in case.

IIRC the office is in Chicago or some such place? You have lots of options for fall/winter, but let's get you through the summer first, and then once you have a few months of observations about your particular office we can talk winter clothes.

General rule ...
baggy = too casual/slob
decently form fitting = good professional look

+1, worked for me!

Go West Young Man said:

I completely agree with, except that this is his first week and he doesn't know what 'business casual' means for this specific company.
Better to be overdressed for a week and then scale back than to be the 'Guy who showed up looking like a bum on his first day' if the company is more formal than expected.

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Doc4 said:

That 'optional' blue blazer isn't really 'optional' ... you know that, right? No, you don't have to wear it all the time, but you do need to have it on hand (and a decent tie ... but you got one of those already) just in case.

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I know that.... now....

Thanks again Doc, as always your advice is always spot on and appreciated. I've never seen a long sleeve polo shirt before. If you saw that at work would it be "appropriate?"

Does it have to be a blue blazer? Can it be that dark grey one I just bought. I'm at my budget right now with acquiring all these new work clothes and I haven't even set up my direct deposit yet...

On another note, I was ironing my dress shirts for this upcoming trip and I must say, there is quit a bit of difference in quality between my Marshalls dress shirts and my Brooks Brothers. Even though the Brooks Brothers was much more expensive then I am ready for, I figured I would think of them as an investment. They seem to be of thicker material and feel higher quality. Also it took me no time to iron them compared to the other shirts which took almost 3 times longer. This is a plus for me considering I'll be living out of my suitcase.

Speaking of suitcase.... should I ask here or start a new thread? How do I properly pack my business travel suitcase without getting wrinkles on them. I've never packed a suit before. I also don't understand how a person can keep their shirts pressed on the over-night 8 am meetings. Seems like setting up for failure to me... That also reminds me, I need to find that "how to take razors through the airport thread."

So far this is my business clothes (put together with your advice)

White, Light Blue, Light Grey button-downs.
Grey, Olive, Khaki Trousers.
Black & "Is that black?" Brown dress shoes
Grey Suit

I think this is pretty conservative to start...

Roll your shirts! Don't fold them.

You mentioned that the first week is a meet and greet. I would take a couple different types of pants from dress to chino, with that said your new boss called for slacks and that to me is dress. I would also take a couple long sleeve polos that you can get from somewhere like a Dilliards or Macys.

You might not fit in the first day if you are over dressed and will feel more comfortable the second day knowing that you have the clothes that everyone else does. Most conventions are fairly casual events and the place where people dress up can be the evening meal.

The only thing I would say is if you drink watch the alcohol consumption, I have seen many a promising career get off to a bad start by having a couple too many. That first impression is critical and you want to put your best foot forward by being alert and not hungover.