Question about Regional Differences in Business Casual

Last night at dinner, one of our employees found himself in a conversation about the regional differences of business casual clothing and how it's impossible to provide a single definition for all instances. Another dinner guest mentioned that in California Jeans might be acceptable business casual attire while a third said that on the East Coast anything less than dark wool pants would be considered casual. There are some valid points here since business casual does vary between geographic region, industry, company, and even between different groups at the same firm! To make things a little more clear, here are some general guidelines we follow.


Always Considered Business Casual:

• Dark Wool Dress Pants
• Long-Sleeved Button-Down Shirts
• Black Dress Shoes

Usually Considered Business Casual

• Light Colored Dress Pants
• Nice Looking Chinos or Khakis
• Brown Shoes

Rarely Considered Business Casual

• Polo Shirts
• Jeans

Never Considered Business Casual

• Suits
• Ties
• Tuxedos
• Shorts
• Tennis Shoes
• Sandals
• T-shirts

If you have a different opinion or would like to let us know what "business casual" means in your region/industry/company, please leave us a comment. We'd love to hear from you and plan to compile all the information we receive into a guide that can help everyone who's wondering what they should wear!