Business Casual for Men: What to Wear to Work

Business casual for men is a workplace dress code: a collared shirt, chinos or wool trousers, and leather shoes. A sport coat is optional. You do not need a tie or a matched suit.

Business casual sits between business professional and casual. How formal it is depends on where you work. At a law firm, business casual is close to a suit without the tie. At a software company, it is closer to chinos and a clean knit.

Key takeaways

• Business casual is a collared shirt, chinos or wool trousers, and leather shoes. A sport coat is optional and makes the outfit more formal.
• You do not need a tie or a matched suit. A matched suit reads as business professional, with or without a tie.
• Dress one step above your office's norm. On a client day, dress one step above the client's norm.
• Jeans, polos and sneakers work only in relaxed offices, and only in their cleanest form.
• Fit matters more without a tie. Check the collar, the open jacket and the trouser hem.

What is business casual for men?

Business casual for men is office clothing without a matched suit or tie. You keep the collar, the tailored trousers and the leather shoes. You drop the tie. The jacket becomes optional.

Business casual is the most common way Americans dress for work. In a 2023 Gallup survey, 41% of US workers said they usually wear business casual, and 3% said they wear business professional. Men are split more evenly: about a third wear business casual, a third wear casual street clothes and a third wear a uniform.

Two dress codes sit on either side of business casual. Business professional, one step up, calls for a matched suit and usually a tie. The business casual vs. business professional guide explains the jacket and tie tests that separate them. Smart casual, one step down, is a social dress code that allows dark jeans and clean sneakers by default. The business casual vs. smart casual comparison shows where that line falls.

Business casual attire: what to wear

Business casual attire has four parts: a collared shirt or fine knit, chinos or wool trousers, leather shoes, and an optional jacket. Each part has a dressed-down, a baseline and a dressed-up version.

• Jacket: dressed down, none or a knit layer; baseline, an optional sport coat; dressed up, a navy or gray sport coat or blazer. A hoodie, fleece or athletic jacket is not business casual.
• Shirt: dressed down, a fitted polo or knit; baseline, an oxford button-down; dressed up, a pressed point-collar dress shirt. A graphic tee or tank top is not business casual.
• Trousers: dressed down, dark, clean jeans where they are allowed; baseline, chinos; dressed up, wool trousers. Shorts, cargo pants and joggers are not business casual.
• Shoes: dressed down, clean leather sneakers where they are allowed; baseline, loafers or derbies; dressed up, oxfords or monk straps. Running shoes, sandals and flip-flops are not business casual.

Shirts and knits

A business casual shirt needs a collar that holds its shape without a tie. The oxford button-down is the baseline. Its collar points button to the shirt, so the collar stays up under a jacket and does not collapse when the top button is open. A point-collar or spread-collar dress shirt is one step more formal and works best with collar stays.

White and light blue are the safest shirt colors. A fine stripe or a small check adds variety. A fine merino crewneck over a collared shirt is business casual in most offices, and in relaxed offices the knit can replace the shirt. Custom dress shirts let you choose the collar style, which matters more when you wear no tie.

Trousers

Business casual trousers are chinos or wool trousers. Pick a flat front or a single pleat, with a hem that touches the shoe without bunching.

• Wool trousers, also called slacks, are the safer choice and work in every business casual office.
• Chinos in khaki, tan, navy, olive or gray are the everyday choice.

Charcoal or mid-gray wool trousers make a polo or a knit look sharper. Khaki chinos make a navy blazer look more relaxed. The pants and chinos collection has both.

The optional jacket

A jacket is optional in business casual, and it is the quickest way to make an outfit more formal. The most useful business casual jacket is a navy or gray sport coat in a textured wool. The texture keeps it from looking like half of a suit.

A suit jacket can also work with different trousers if its fabric has enough texture or pattern to stand on its own. That is the idea behind broken suit combinations. A sport coat and a blazer are not the same thing, and the sport coat vs. blazer vs. suit jacket guide explains the difference. The casual jackets and blazers collection has the softer, textured jackets that suit business casual best.

Shoes

Business casual shoes are leather loafers, derbies, oxfords, monk straps or Chelsea boots. Clean leather sneakers work only in relaxed offices. Brown leather in any shade is the most versatile choice. Black is more formal and suits finance and law.

Suede makes any of these shoes more casual for a dressed-down day. For a ranking of each style by formality, and a full answer on sneakers, see the business casual shoes guide. The Italian leather dress shoes collection has loafers, monk straps and oxfords.

Belt, socks and accessories

A business casual belt matches the shoes in color and finish: brown leather with brown shoes, black with black. Socks match the trousers or stay a quiet dark color, so the leg reads as one line when you sit down. A simple watch on a leather or metal strap fits the dress code. A heavily branded bag or a sports watch does not. The shoe and trouser color guide lists belt and sock pairings for every trouser color.

Business casual by workplace

Business casual changes with the workplace, and the safe rule is to dress one step above the office norm. On a day with clients, dress one step above the client's norm instead.

• Tech or startup: a sport coat is optional and a tie is not worn. A polo or knit can replace the shirt, and chinos, dark jeans, leather sneakers and loafers all pass.
• Creative or agency: the same range as tech, from an optional sport coat down to dark jeans and leather sneakers, with no tie.
• Corporate office: a sport coat is recommended and a tie is optional. A knit goes over a shirt rather than replacing it, chinos and loafers pass, dark jeans are for Friday only, and leather sneakers do not pass.
• Finance or law: a sport coat is expected and a tie is often worn. A collared shirt is the floor, chinos pass in dark colors only, loafers pass, and jeans and sneakers do not.
• Client-facing day: a sport coat is expected and the tie follows the client's own team. Wool trousers replace chinos, loafers pass, and polos, jeans and sneakers do not.

To find your own office's level, look at what the most senior people wear on an ordinary day. That is the ceiling for everyone else. Then watch what changes when clients visit, and keep that outfit ready. Video calls show the floor: the minimum the company expects to be seen in.

In your first week, dress at the dressed-up level, and step down once you have seen a full week. For an interview, the floor is a sport coat, wool trousers and leather shoes with a collared shirt, or a fine knit in creative fields. The guide to interview attire for men covers when a full suit and tie is the better choice. Hybrid and remote work keep the same standard from the waist up, because the camera frames little more than the collar and shoulders.

Business casual outfits for men

The seven business casual outfits for men below run from most formal, a client meeting, to most relaxed, a knit polo in a relaxed office.

1. Client meeting: a navy sport coat, a white point-collar shirt, mid-gray wool trousers, dark brown oxfords and a brown belt. This is the closest business casual gets to a suit.
2. Presentation: a gray textured sport coat, a light blue oxford button-down, charcoal wool trousers and brown monk straps.
3. Everyday office: a navy sport coat, a light blue oxford button-down, khaki chinos and brown loafers. This is the most versatile of the seven and the one to build first.
4. Office with no jackets: a white oxford button-down, navy chinos, a brown leather belt and dark brown derbies. Without a jacket, the shirt has to be crisp and the chinos pressed.
5. Cold-weather office: a fine gray merino crewneck over a white collared shirt, charcoal flannel trousers and brown Chelsea boots.
6. Casual Friday: dark unfaded jeans, a light blue oxford button-down, a navy sport coat and brown leather loafers. The jacket and the leather shoes keep the jeans business casual. The blazer styling guide has more ways to wear a blazer with denim.
7. Relaxed office: a navy knit polo, tan chinos and brown suede loafers. Wear it only where polos are already common. In a corporate office, wear a collared shirt instead.

Jeans, polos, sneakers and ties

Jeans, polos and sneakers are business casual only in relaxed offices, and only in their cleanest form. A tie is optional everywhere.

Are jeans business casual?

Jeans are business casual in relaxed offices when they are dark-wash, unfaded, undistressed, and slim or straight. Wear them with leather shoes and a collared shirt. In finance, law, client-facing roles and your first week anywhere, wear chinos instead. Black jeans follow the same rule as dark blue ones. Light-wash, ripped or baggy jeans are not business casual in any office.

Is a polo business casual?

A polo is business casual in relaxed and creative offices when it is a solid knit with a collar that holds its shape. Tuck it in or choose one cut to sit at the belt, and wear it with chinos or wool trousers. A long-sleeve knit polo looks dressier than a short-sleeve one. A loose cotton golf polo with a large logo is casual wear. In a corporate office, finance or law, a collared shirt is the floor.

Are sneakers business casual?

Sneakers are business casual only in relaxed offices, and only as plain leather sneakers in white, black or brown with no visible branding. Running shoes, chunky soles and colored midsoles are not business casual anywhere. The business casual shoes guide explains which details push a sneaker out of the category.

Do you need a tie for business casual?

A tie is not required for business casual, and most business casual offices go without one. A tie is still a good choice in finance or law, or on a client day when the client's own team wears ties. A matched business suit in smooth suiting wool reads business professional with or without a tie. The suit without a tie guide covers when the tieless suit works.

What business casual excludes

Business casual excludes anything made for sport, the beach or sleep. That rules out shorts of any kind, graphic or slogan tees, tank tops, hoodies and sweatshirts, joggers and track pants, cargo pants, distressed or light-wash denim, running and training shoes, sandals and flip-flops.

A correct outfit also has to be in good condition. A wrinkled shirt, scuffed shoes or trousers bunching over the shoe undo it.

How business casual should fit

Business casual fits well when three points are right: the collar, the open jacket and the trouser hem. Fit matters more here because there is no tie or matched jacket to give the outfit structure.

Collar. An open collar should stand on its own and sit under the jacket lapel, not spread over it. A button-down collar does this by design. A point or spread collar needs collar stays and a collar band that fits the neck closely. Every custom shirt from SARTORO comes with removable collar stays and a choice of collar styles, so you can pick the collar that works best without a tie.

Jacket. A business casual jacket stays unbuttoned most of the day, so check the fit open as well as closed. Worn open, the front edges should hang straight down from the chest. If they swing apart at the hem, the jacket is too tight across the stomach or chest. The sleeve should end where about a quarter inch of shirt cuff shows.

Trouser hem. The right hem length depends on the shoe.

• With loafers, a shorter hem with little or no break keeps fabric off the low front of the shoe.
• With oxfords and derbies, a slight break, where the hem just touches the shoe, is the business casual default.
• With Chelsea boots, a slight break should be long enough to cover the top of the boot.

A tapered leg opening helps in every case.

Without a jacket, the shirt carries the fit on its own. The shoulder seam should sit at the edge of the shoulder, and the body should tuck in without ballooning over the belt.

Business casual in summer and winter

Business casual keeps the same structure all year, and the fabrics change with the season.

• Summer: cotton and linen shirts, lightweight wool or cotton trousers, an unlined or lightly lined sport coat, and suede loafers. A short-sleeve collared shirt is one step below long sleeves, so keep it for relaxed offices.
• Winter: a fine merino or cashmere knit over the shirt, flannel trousers, and leather boots or derbies.

Navy, gray, brown and tan work in every season.

When to wear a suit instead

Wear a suit when a role, a client or an event calls for business professional. The business suits for men collection covers that step. The full range of dress codes, from casual to white tie, is laid out in what dress codes really mean.

Frequently asked questions

What is considered business casual attire for men?

Business casual attire for men is a collared shirt or fine knit, chinos or wool trousers, and leather shoes, with a sport coat optional. A tie and a matched suit are not required.

Is a sweater business casual?

A sweater is business casual when it is a fine knit, such as merino or cashmere, worn over a collared shirt or on its own in a relaxed office. A chunky, athletic or logo sweater is not.

Are khakis business casual?

Khakis are business casual in almost every office. Choose a clean, pressed pair in a slim or straight cut, and wear them with leather shoes and a collared shirt.

Is a blazer required for business casual?

A blazer is not required for business casual. Adding one is never wrong, and a blazer is expected in finance, law and on client days.

How do you dress business casual?

To dress business casual, wear a collared shirt, chinos or wool trousers, and leather shoes, then add a sport coat on days that need more polish. Match the level to your workplace: relaxed offices allow a knit or dark jeans, and finance and law expect the jacket.

Is a quarter zip business casual?

A quarter zip is business casual in relaxed offices when it is a fine knit in a solid color, worn over a collared shirt. A fleece or athletic quarter zip is casual wear.

Are cargo pants business casual?

Cargo pants are not business casual. The side pockets mark them as outdoor or casual wear, so wear chinos instead.

Are tennis shoes business casual?

Tennis shoes and other athletic sneakers are not business casual. Plain leather sneakers with no visible branding are the only sneakers that pass, and only in relaxed offices.