Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
In summary, the concept of business attire is the clothing that one wears to a formal business environment. It cannot simply be stated as clothing worn to work, because different jobs require different outfits. When we discuss business attire, we are primarily referencing typical “white collar” work — and in the past it meant suits, ties, dress pants, blouses, dress shirts and long skirts. This page explains the term and how it has eased over time.
In summary, the concept of business attire is the clothing that one wears to a formal business environment. We can't simply state that it is clothing that is worn to work, because different jobs require different outfits. For example, a person cleaning chimneys does not wear the same clothing as a doctor. They are both obviously doing important work, but they do not both need the same type of clothes. When we discuss business attire, we are primarily referencing typical "white collar" work. Stereotypically, a white color worker is someone that works at a desk the majority of the day.
In the past business attire meant suits, ties, dress pants, blouses, dress shirts, long skirts, etc. The term has become more complicated in modern times.
In the past the most common business attire for men was dark suits, dress shirts, neckties and dress shoes. International dress standards for the office have certainly changed over the years.
Business attire is clothes that is appropriate for the work place.
Learn about dress codes.
Each company sets their own corporate policy for a dress code. It is important to respect the opinions of your employer.
Clothing worn to work has eased & become more casual.
Casual Friday had a large impact the company dress code for many companies.
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Because every company sets its own policy, the practical skill is translation. “Business attire” or “business formal” in a policy means the traditional kit this page lists: suit, dress shirt, tie, dress shoes. “Business casual” is the eased version the Casual Friday era produced — dress trousers or chinos, collared shirts, sportcoats or blazers, no tie required — and it is now the default in many offices, which is why the older term confuses new employees: the words stayed while the standard moved. When a policy is silent, the safe rule is to dress at the formal end of what colleagues wear until the local norm is clear.
The individual pieces have their own entries in this directory's wider glossary: suits and suitings, sportcoats and blazers, and neckties are each treated in the clothing definitions, and the casualwear entry linked from this page covers the informal end of the spectrum. Business attire remains the reference point against which those casual categories are defined — even a company that has abandoned it entirely describes its dress code by how far it has relaxed from the suit-and-tie standard.
Clothing appropriate to a formal business environment — for white collar office work, traditionally dark suits, dress shirts, neckties and dress shoes for men, and suits, blouses, dress pants and long skirts for women, as this page describes.
No. Different jobs require different outfits — a person cleaning chimneys does not wear the same clothing as a doctor, though both do important work. Business attire refers to the formal office end of work clothing, governed by each company's dress code policy.
Yes. Clothing worn to work has eased and become more casual — Casual Friday had a large impact on the company dress code for many companies, and international dress standards for the office have changed over the years, as this page explains.