This post has fall business casual outfits and formulas for professional, easy and stylish looks.
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Maybe you’re heading back into the office after a 2+ year hiatus and have no idea what to wear. Hint: everything is more casual than it was pre-Covid. Thank goodness!
Perhaps you’re still working remotely but want to look and feel better than you have lately.
Or, maybe you want to look more pulled together for your volunteer duties, trips to the grocery store, or various activities.
If you’re looking to get dressed at any point this fall, this post can help you do so in a stylish and easy way. I’ve created 5 fall business casual outfits that have a specific formula that you can repeat when you’re stuck on what to wear. It will help remind you what getting dressed for work looks like, and inspire you to dress your best. Whatever that means to you.
What is business casual attire for a woman?
Webster definition:
relating to or denoting a style of clothing that is less formal than traditional business wear, but is still intended to give a professional and businesslike impression
It’s casual wear that is still professional enough to wear into an office. No sweats, yoga pants, ripped jeans, etc. Here are some ideas:
- Slacks with a blouse
- Loose or flowy skirt with an oxford shirt
- Cigarette pants with a blazer
- Slacks with a cardigan
- Sweater dress
Anything that is not a formal suit is business casual. This does not include jeans except on casual Friday.
How should I dress for work in the fall?
It depends on where you live. But for most the fall is about layered outfits. It can be cool in the mornings and evenings in early fall, while the afternoon is warm. Later in the season as the chill sets in, you can include sweaters, coats, turtlenecks, long pants, and boots in your fall business casual outfits.
This fall color, bright color, is being shown everywhere. Which is fun and different. If you’re not into fall colors, you’re in luck this season. Bold greens and pinks are everywhere. So pull out your bold colors and continue to wear them through the fall.
What I appreciate most about style right now, is that almost anything goes. People are excited to be out and about dressed in anything but sweats, so it’s all working. And as always, you should wear what makes you happy.
What should I wear to a business casual office?
It’s always easiest to use photos when we are talking clothes, so I pulled together a few style boards for you. In addition to sharing photos, I’m giving you formulas so that you can go into your closet and create an outfit with the items you already have. Use these formulas on days when you’re short on time or are not having any wardrobe creativity. These will get you out the door looking your best in no time at all.
Neutral with a pop of color for fall
Outfit formula #1: Colored pants + neutral top. Go bold with your pants or a skirt because the neutral top will balance the whole look out. This is a fun way to make a statement at the office. You can also flip this formula and do Neutral pants + colored top. You could add animal print shoes or a bold color that contrasts with your colored top for a twist.
Fall business casual basic
Outfit formula #2: Printed top and neutral-colored bottom. I cheated on this one a bit. I wasn’t finding a print blouse that I loved, but that is the beauty of style, there is always room for interpretation. I added a striped sweater vest (to get my print in the outfit)to a white blouse and camel colored wide-leg pants. The animal print shoes create some pattern mixing with the sweater vest, and the blazer in a color from the sweater adds a different texture. You can switch up this formula to printed bottom and neutral top.
Wear a print, but make it neutral this fall
Outfit formula #3: Neutral printed dress with pops of color. Pick any neutral print dress, animal print, stripes, geometric pattern, you name it. But make sure it’s neutral. Tan, blue, black, and white. Then add pops of color with a shoe, bold bag, or accessories. For this outfit, I went with a scarf and shoes with tones of light and deep pink.
Fall business casual mix-up
Outfit formula #4: Pattern mixing. Why not make your day in the office fun with a pattern-mixed outfit? For the office, I would suggest sticking with patterns in the same colorway, but make sure the scales are different. This can be subtle by adding a patterned shoe to striped pants, or bolder like this look below. I kept the styles classic so it’s still professional, but it’s unexpected.
The same color for fall office wear
Outfit formula #5: Monochromatic. This one is so much fun. Pick a color, any color, and go for it head to toe. As you can see, my two pieces are not the same exact colors (they are two different brands) but it works. I could add a slightly different pink sweater or blazer for my layers. I break it up a bit with a neutral bold necklace and shoes, but if you have the right office setting those could be in pink as well. For a more traditional setting try using navy, gray, or taupe for this look.
Let me know in the comments, what are you wearing this fall?
Kim
XO
