7 Fashionable Business Casual for Women Looks: Learn How to Dress Smart Casual

What is business casual? What is smart casual? And how do you make business casual look fashionable yet still business casual?

Business casual doesn’t have to look boring, frumpy, or unfashionable. Traditional business attire looks are just as boring a traditional business casual attire. Therefore, at Sterling Personal Styling, we are here to show you how to create sustainable yet fashionable business casual looks as seen on fashion bloggers. You might interpret fashion blogger outfits as smart casual. However, our goal is to illustrate how to dress smart casual or fashionable business casual for women.

So let’s get started.

We’ve selected a few looks from @lornaluxe to demonstrate how to look city chic smart casual and business casual for women. So, if you travel from LA to New York and DC, to London and Paris, and other parts of Europe you’ll always look put together.

Color Clarity

It’s key to build a business casual wardrobe around neutral colors. What are neutral colors? Black, white, grey, and beige, perhaps you might like navy. While it might sound a bit dull, it does make it easier to mix and match your wardrobe for sustainability, variety, and flexibility.

Business Casual Checklist

Now let’s make a list of key pieces that are a must-have to build a fashionable business casual wardrobe.

1. Melton wool coat
2. Raincoat
3. Black blazer
4. Grey blazer
5. Black sweaters
6. Sweater vest
7. Sweater dress
8. White oversized button-down shirt
9. White button-down shirt
10. Black pants
11. Mom jeans
12. Leggings
13. Mules
14. Sneakers
15. Long boots

With just 15 pieces that are basic yet fashionable, you can mix and match these pieces to make multiple looks and update your business casual wardrobe for Fall just by clicking on the images and shopping our looks. For some of you, sneakers may be too casual to wear as business casual, so we’ll throw in some comfortable booties options to complete the looks.

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Many of these items also look like @lornaluxe raided her husband’s closet. So if you’re looking for an oversized blazer or white button-down shirt, you can start there. If not we have included some options to learn how to dress smart casual in our smart casual capsule wardrobe.

Business Casual Looks

For Business Casual Look 1, pair your black oversized blazer with a black turtleneck (we chose a cut out turtleneck), mom jeans, and heels. You don’t need to wear stilettos to complete this look. You can also wear flats, loafers, or chunky pumps, or heels with this look.

For Business Casual Look 2, swap out the mom jeans for black jeans, the turtleneck for a black sweater or t-shirt, and white sneakers to look comfortable yet business casual for women.  You can always swap out the sneakers with loafers, flats, or booties if the sneakers are too casual for your business casual wardrobe. This look is timeless and you can wear it for years to come like a uniform if that’s easier for you.

SHOP THE LOOK TO GET THE LOOK

For Business Casual Look 3, swap out the black blazer for a charcoal grey oversized blazer. If you’re not into the stir-up leggings, you can wear regular leggings or skinny jeans to get the look with some mules and a black bag. We’ll show you some other options for mules and a bag other than Balenciaga and Chanel as we are trying to present you with fashionable yet affordable business casual for women options. This is also a great look for real estate agents.

For Business Casual Look 4, let’s pair an oversized heather grey blazer (or you can use the same charcoal grey blazer) and layer it on top of a sweater vest and an oversized white button-down shirt that looks like a shirt dress. Make sure to purchase a sweater vest that’s in your size to give your oversize shirt some shape. Said another way, the sweater vest can reduce the puffiness of the oversized shirt. However, to simply the look we have included a sweater shirt-dress option that you can purchase and layer it with the oversized blazer and long boots to get this fashionable business casual look.

For Business Casual Look 5, let’s move on to coats. A raincoat is a perfect piece for fall and rainy weather at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Take your same black sweater and your mom jeans and add some stiletto sandals to get her look. But to keep this look business casual for women it’s better to wear this with stiletto heels (not sandals), chunky heels, loafers, flats, or mules. Her mom jeans have pleats – not a big fan of that. Moreover, you may be wonder what mom jeans are since they haven’t made a big entrance into the United States yet however they are popular in Europe. Mom jeans are basically jeans that fit at the top like pants (so there’s no stretch) and they have space throughout the leg. If you’re not into stiff jeans or are curvier, you may not like this jean option.

SMART CASUAL PARIS

For Business Casual Look 6, a melton wool camel coat is a staple for many as it easily goes with black, white, and grey. Pair this coat with your black sweater, fitted white button-down shirt, or oversized white t-shirt, add black pants, and your white sneakers and you have a dressed-down business casual look or a smart casual look for women. This is an ideal outfit to wear if you want comfort. If you want to dress up this look a bit, wear loafers, flats, or mules instead of sneakers.

SHOP OUR COAT EDIT FOR MISSY, PETITE, AND PLUS SIZES

For Business Casual Look 7, go beige. A monochromatic (one color) look always looks pulled together. You can wear this sweater dress with a camel coat, camel boots, and a black bag if you don’t want to buy new pieces. However, if you love this winter white/beige look, go for it and purchase the items as this is a great outfit to wear for smart casual or dressed down business casual for women to work and also for happy hour or dinner.

When in doubt, get the help of an Online Personal Stylist

Our online personal shoppers are skilled in putting together looks for clients according to their own style. So, if you’d like a more personalized selection of clothing according to your own personal style that is business casual for women according to your industry, where you live, and your taste, please schedule an Online Personal Stylist appointment with us. We will curate a selection of clothing that meets your needs, taste and fits your body, budget, and lifestyle for $197.

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Michelle T. Sterling is an award-winning American, internationally renowned image consultant, personal stylist, and online personal shopper.  She’s available for virtual consultations if you’re not located in New York, DC, San Francisco, Miami, or Dubai. Her style advice has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Huff Post, and Forbes, among others.

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