Jeans for Business Casual Workplace - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Jeans for Business Casual Workplace

MicheleS

Hi everyone, LONG time lurker and reader but this is only my second post. My office has been business casual for years but we were just told that we are going to a casual dress code, including jeans. Since I'm a product manager, I still want to look dressy but I absolutely love wearing jeans. I wanted to know what jeans you think work best for the office? I'm thinking straight leg dark rinse, trouser jeans, skinny jeans with a dressy top and jacket.

I'm excited to retire some of my "dress" clothes and move into a more casual look. I'd love to hear your ideas!

For the record, I'm 44, a size 16W, rectangle shape with a large bust and shoulders. I'm 5'5" but I'm short waisted and have a 32" inseam. I tend to wear cardigans and soft jackets instead of blazers, my shoulders and bust can make me look like a football player in a classic cut blazer. And I wear a lot of black, white and gray, like things with a bit of an edge,

Thank you everyone!

Dressing

14 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

Elly

Veteran

Don't forget the medium to dark bootcuts! I have a pair from the GAP that look very professional.

rachylou

Veteran

Dark to me is dressy. Also coloured denim and polished shoes. If you're allowed a slightly artsier look, I think some of "acid washes" could work. Esp. if the jeans are like more like trousers of some sort.

Aida

Veteran

Without actually knowing the company or culture, I would say that as a PM I'd stick to dressier jeans in darker washes along with white and black, especially since you wear cardigans over blazers/jackets. Any of the classic cuts would be fine (straight, skinny, boot, trouser). If your field is more creative, of course you could be more creative

Zibbets

Veteran

I love my AT Loft lightweight trouser jeans for a situation like you're talking about.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

As someone who's a similar size, I would tend to avoid skinnies at least until you know how casual the environment really gets. I think dark wash bootcuts and straight legs are the safe bet at first. And I agree with the others that a topper of some kind makes things more formal: a cardigan with some shape or a knit blazer works if a traditional woven blazer isn't your thing.

MicheleS

Great suggestions! Thank you so much for chiming in!

DonnaF

Veteran

A collarless blazer may also work for you as they don't add the bulk that collared ones do. You sound sorted on the jeans front!

Tessitura

I work in a "smart casual" office in the greater Seattle area, and for roles like yours, I tend to see mostly trouser-cut and bootcut jeans, and sometimes "boyfriend" jeans (especially on the technical side of things). I'll sometimes see someone more senior in skinnies and/or low rise, but most of the time, the cuts are fairly conservative. And I do get the impression that darker washes are dressier, but now that colored denim is back, I think the main thing is to avoid heavily distressed or otherwise worn-looking fabric. "Bling" on the jeans also seems to be avoided by most, for the workplace.

My go-to strategies for dressing up jeans, especially if you don't do blazers, are to make sure that the shoes are very nice, and keep the accessories deliberate, understated, and classic. As someone who skews dressy, I had to "learn" to wear jeans at the office, and my freshwater pearls and collection of scarves have gone far to help me still feel professional in denim. You might find that you still get plenty of use out of your business-formal accessories, since you can use them to balance your most casual pieces.

misapb

Trouser jeans definitely.
I just purchased these and they're great. They go up to a size 16 and currently 40% off. http://bananarepublic.gap.com/.....=899280002 They are great for my apple body type because they have a higher waistline and slight flare at the bottom and the material has a bit of fluidity so they hang like nice trousers.

And I think you can do skinnies if you balance them with a boot. I love a dark skinny with high boots in camel, taupe, or grey.

Anonymous

Oh how I wish we would get this memo at work. I would wear jeans every.single.day. LOL! Pairing what you've previously worn on top and for footwear with jeans would be a really smart casual look. We are allowed to wear jeans on Fridays and I've worn cropped skinnies, bootcuts and boyfriends. It's all in how you style them that makes them look professional. Agree about the darker washes looking more professional, too.

christieanne

Veteran

I wish we had not changed away from this dress style to the all business attire lol. I like the idea of dark trouser and straight leg jeans. Skinny reads to casual but could depend on how you dress them up. Colored jeans are fun for variety (like a dark red or cobalt). Have fun with it!

trendincl

yeah jean can look professional , perfect as a Friday wear or for a casual meet, but should not be skin tight

Nebraskim

Veteran

I just retired from a workplace with this type of dress code. I think the women who most successfully pulled this off skewed a bit more "dressy," aka darker wash, trouser rather than 5-pocket styles, toppers, etc. Or they wore colored denim (not acid/neon but cobalt, red, mustard, black, brown, white). I would avoid "skinny" jeans as they feel too casual to me but straight leg work fine. Pay attention to the rise. Low rise, especially if they reveal too much in the back, are a danger zone. And if you are constantly adjusting tops to pull them down, that's an indicator something is awry with the fit. Pay attention to shoes and accessories as they can pull a look from too casual to professional, or vice versa. Good luck on this transition. I think that in most situations, it's best to err on the side of dressy.

shiny

Veteran

I think the key is to keep your jeans polished and crisp - no rips, fading, or distressing. I'd stick to dark wash, black or white. Not sure I'd do colored jeans, except in a creative environment. As for styles, you can't go wrong with a trouser cut, and bootcut and straight legs are also classic. Skinnies can also work but this one is trickier and an "it depends." I would not wear boyfriend jeans to work -- too casual. I would also not wear acid wash jeans.

The rest is all in how you style them: just swap out your usual skirt or dress slacks with polished crisp jeans -- keeping all the other elements of your outfit the same (work-appropriate handbag, shoes, belt, watch, blouse & topper) and you've got a smart casual outfit.

Where things can go wrong, I think, is if you dress down everything else as well -- not just the bottoms. So keep the top dressy - a crisp button down, or a silky blouse, or better/high-quality knit with some details (i.e., not a plain tee shirt). A suit jacket/blazer can elevate the outfit as well, but a leather topper can also work. Leave the fleece and hoodies at home. Keep shoes professional - no sneakers, but leather loafers are just fine. And add a structured handbag or laptop tote. Don't forget a chunky watch.