Casual Friday Dress Tips for Men
Many offices today allow their employees one day of relaxed dress codes, hence the invention of Casual Friday (and other variants besides). The term, however, is something of a misnomer because Casual Fridays do not give one the license to be absolutely casual. It’s true that you’re permitted to make a more casual fashion statement, but the attire is still more or less formal.
So men’s fashion draws a line between dressy casual and too casual. Why should you care? Even the offices that have Casual Friday still enforce some minimum dress code, and you’ll want to stick within that. Besides, you never know when you have to look impressive for a presentation with the boss or a meeting with a potential new client.
Crossing the Casual Line
The term ‘casual’ is easily one of the fuzziest buzz words in men’s fashion. In theory, it’s relaxed attire; the dictionary definition typically uses adjectives like ‘comfortable’. It’s in practice, however, where casual can (and usually does) go awry. Men cross that too-casual fashion line in countless different ways, and you likely crossed it yourself before.
Slippers and flip-flops are some of the most frequent accessories for the crime of crossing the line, and they’re also the most egregious of them all. Slippers are inappropriate casual clothing for men unless you’re vacationing in the Bahamas or staying anywhere near a body of water. Even sandals are given a tough time in the men’s fashion press, so don’t expect anything better for footwear that’s a step down in formality.
Other men feel that collars, like neckties and leather shoes, are entirely optional once the dress code turns casual. The notion is unfounded. There’s a very big difference between being less dressy and being too casual, and losing the collar with an office-bound outfit crosses those bounds. In short, don’t lose your collar.
Sticking to Style
We’ve established so far that Casual Friday might not require neckties and tailored shirts, but it also requires more than slippers and collarless tops. How do you strike that balance between dressing comfortably and looking sufficiently put together?
First of all, a collar is always a requirement when you’re going to the office. A workplace deserves formal attire, and the collar satisfies the bare minimum of formalness in men’s fashion. You won’t be wearing your most expensive silk necktie, but you’ll look much more impressive than the hobo in the ripped up tee hanging out at the corner.
Showing too much skin is one of the most obvious symptoms of wandering into an outfit that’s also too casual. If the outfit you’re planning requires you to show more skin than the next guy – whether it’s your shoulders in a sleeveless top or your feet in slippers – then you’re trying too hard and displaying too much. Go for something simpler; casual classic pieces look good too, once they’re paired right.
Too many guys feel that any shoe is a good shoe for Casual Friday. While it’s true that your leather lace-ups can take a breather on this day of the week, there are still certain qualifiers for the ‘appropriate’ shoe. Loafers, for example, straddle that border between formal and casual most admirably. If you’re not wearing leather, at least go for classic designs and streamlined silhouettes, like the timeless Chuck Taylor styles.
Going casual is never an excuse to look less than your professional best. A good outfit for Casual Friday is the one that does double duty of being once-a-week comfortable yet good-enough-for-everyday dressy.
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