Professional Style Guide for the U.S.
Even though recruiters are now dressing down (branded t-shirts/polos, jeans, tennis shoes), students should conform to the “Business Standard” dress code to play it safe.
If you ask someone what the dress code at their office is, they’ll generally give you one of four dress codes in the glossary below. Today, we also must include attire for video calls because of remote jobs.
Glossary
- Business Professional
- Business Casual
- Smart Casual
- Casual
- Casual Friday
- Online Attire
- Additional Industry Dress Codes
- Tech Casual
- Creative Casual
- Uniform
Business Professional
Keywords:
- Dressed Up
- Traditional
Industries:
- Government
- Finance
- Law
Attire Pieces:
- Tailored suits and blazers
- Dress shirts
- Leather shoes/professional flats
- Belts
- Watches/appropriate jewelry
Business Casual
Keywords:
- Polished but comfortable
Industries:
- Media and marketing firms
- Non-profits
- Education
Attire Pieces:
- Dress slacks
- Knee-length dresses or skirts
- Collared shirts
- Blazers, cardigans or sweaters
- Leather shoes/loafers, closed-toe flats or heels
- Avoid sneakers
Smart Casual
Keywords:
- Individual
- Dressed down
- Neat
Industries:
- Think tanks
- Tech companies
- Business start-ups
Attire Pieces:
- Tailored pants
- Well-fitted jeans, chinos or skirts
- Casual-yet-stylish button-down shirts, blouses, or stylish knitwear/sweaters
- Optional sport coats or blazers
- Trendy flats, ankle boots, or clean, stylish sneakers
Casual
Keywords:
- Comfortable
- Informal
Industries:
- Small companies
- The arts
- Tech companies
Attire Pieces:
- Tailored pants
- Well-fitted jeans, chinos or skirts
- Casual-yet-stylish button-down shirts, blouses, or stylish knitwear/sweaters
- Optional sport coats or blazers
- Trendy flats, ankle boots, or clean, stylish sneakers.
Video Call Dress Code
Video calls are becoming very common practice in business and figuring out what’s an appropriate look is often tricky. Neutral colors that are smart and well-fitting will always work on screen. Be wary that not every clothing item you own will look good on screen — patterns can be distracting, and some colors can reflect light differently.
For online meetings, bad colors to wear include bright, saturated colors like neon shades, pure white, deep black, and colors that clash with your skin tone, as they can be too distracting, reflect too much light, or appear washed out on camera; opt for muted tones like blues, grays, and soft greens instead.
Key Points about “Unfavorable” Colors for Online Meetings:
Highly saturated colors:
- Bright yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, and vibrant greens can be overly distracting and appear jarring on screen.
Extreme contrasts:
- Wearing pure white or black can cause issues with lighting and contrast, making it hard to see facial features clearly.
Busy patterns:
- Stripes, checks, and complex patterns can blur and create visual noise on camera.
Colors that don’t match your skin tone:
- Certain colors might wash out your complexion depending on your skin tone, so choose colors that complement you.
Recommended Colors for Online Meetings:
Muted blues: A safe option that looks professional and is easy on the eyes.
Soft greens: A calming color that can be flattering on most skin tones
Light grays: Neutral and provides good contrast
Creamy tones: Softer shades that are less harsh on camera
