I'm always interested in seeing proper business casual capsules and looks! My own work dress code is nonexistent but I opt to dress on the spectrum from smart-casual to creative-business-casual. I usually wear "jeans" between 0-2 times a week, otherwise I'm in trousers, skirts, and the occasional dress. But I don't wear a lot of blue denim as it is, so that often means black or white denim with my blue flares coming in only on (the rather rare) dry spring/summer days. I'm still (oh-so-slowly) making the transition over to Team Trouser, but I have definitely noticed my work outfits decrease on the jeans front since adding more trousers and am quite happy for it.

I always dress a bit dressier than everyone else. In the office it makes me feel more in charge to be dressed professionally so I make sure Mon-Thurs I wear a blazer always, suits for meeting days. Casual Friday allows me to use denim but I still don' t feel comfortable in the workplace in faded or distressed denim and without some structure like a jacket and heeled shoes/booties. I am always stunned at people who have similar jobs that look like they just rolled out of bed (ponytails, minimal makeup, flowy cheap knit tops and pants and comfort shoes - even flip flops!) Sorry. I guess I'm old school where you earn respect by acting and dressing in a respectful (professional?) manner.

My office is business casual, supposedly jeans on Friday only. However several people wear jeans all of the time. I could get awat\y with it, but choose not to, I enjoy dressing business casual and looking polished and professional. Even when I wear jeans, I like to dress them up for work. And I admit that I can justify buying more clothes this way!

Interesting about the uniform. I wore a Black Watch plaid tunic with coloured turtle necks or mock T's, but formal events required the white turtleneck. Boys wore the Black Watch plaid jacket and grey trousers.

Now I had two tone (light blue/navy) spectator lace ups that were quite swish!

I don't do casual very often, but this year there have been some really bad weather days, when just getting to work was an adventure. Just the same, I wore my darkest wash jeans, best boots, and a sharp top.

Jeans are for after work, and weekends.

I might whine about the lack is style in lab on occasion but I am thankful every day that I have no dress code! I don't wear jeans every day like many lab rats but I would be lost without them!

Most of the days I can wear whatever I want to work including jeans but I don't wear them everyday. I think I am closest to Aida where I wear jeans up to 2 times a week at the most and wear trousers, skirts and dresses for other days.
I hated my school uniform, Angie! I think it was boring and ugly (brown dress and black apron for everyday and white apron for holidays and special events) but most of all I hated to wear the same outfit as everybody else every day! i remember in the last 2 years of school my mom made me a navy dress and I was much happier with it because it was different

Such a great discussion. Like Diana, I do not have a dress code. But at times that comes with its own challenges.

At home, of course, I wear whatever I want (and you have all seen how much denim that includes -- a lot!)

But this week I am travelling for rare in-person business meetings. What to wear???

Here are the parameters: Bigger city than my home city. Fancy hotel. Fashion district location! Want to make a good impression on my (all younger) colleagues.

Meanwhile -- we're a start up company. Fitness oriented. Everyone works at home so is unused to "dressing up" and nobody is "corporate."

How to strike the right note?

It was a real dilemma. In the end, I did opt for denim, and was super glad I had the option -- especially since every single person in the room did in fact, wear jeans. There were different washes, different colours, different styles...but all denim.

I also wore my Reiss jacket and a silk blouse, and I think it was the right call. I looked fully professional while seated. "One of the gang" the minute I stood up.

I do think being able to choose jeans made my life a lot easier. I really have no idea what I might have done if jeans were not really an option.

Interesting point Angie. I have never had a dress code pointed out to me in my current job. Truly anything goes. I find it a little irritating at times because I love seeing people looking smart and professional in the work place:) I could wear jeans daily for work, and many of our staff do (and in very casusal ensembles) but I just cannot bring myself to do that. I have the occasional day where I either specifically feel like wearing jeans, or I know I have a day at my desk with no meetings etc and I take advantage of not being so 'dressed up". After years of corporate work I have developed a strong personal dress code for work irrespective of the organisation's guidelines and do tend to be the most dressy person in the office:) Thinking about this post and the blog post, I am a little tempted to have a play and perhaps actually put together some jeans based outfits for work.

I feel lucky that I can wear whatever I want these days, as a self-employed artist. Anything goes!

But I sure wish YLF had been around back in my office-wear days.

So very true. I work in a smart casual workplace (and the 'smart' modifier is pushing it). Jeans with Converse and a basic pullover is totally acceptable. I've seen people wear leggings and a chambray top, and our ED sometimes wears athletic shoes. This is pretty typical for my field and my geographical region and I only think about it when I read threads like this.

I am definitely one of the dressiest people there, even in simple black pants and a silk-blend pullover sweater, or harem pants, RATE oxfords and a drapey tee. Fine by me.

I wear jeans all the time on my non-work days as a MOTG so I rarely wear denim to work. I love the chance to wear my more delicate clothing.

I wish I had the luxury of wearing blue jeans every day. We can on Fridays but sometimes I would rather wear denim during the week, I would still dress up sometimes but oh to have the option...

No jeans at my workplace, ever. We are supposedly business formal but that went by the wayside long ago. The men do mostly wear coats and ties (though not always suits) but the women wear anything and everything -- except jeans! I call the way I dress "business semi-formal" but I find I am getting more and more casual -- I even wear ankle pants to work these days! But the one line I will not cross is "no denim at work." And that includes chambray shirts, which I will admit is sometimes pretty painful! LOL

My place is between smart casual and business casual as well, but I simply don't do the blue jeans thing because I currently don't own a pair decent and dressy enough to meet my own estetics. BUT I do black jeans in winter and the white ones from spring-to fall, and also wear a few (no distressing) jean skirts all the time (ink, grey, red, and white) on which can't rave enough for versatility, plus I have now a dressier chambray shirt, too-and so-I am able to satisfy my denim teeth at work:-).

Part of what drove me to YLF and kept me coming back, was the jeans issue. I'd go shopping,love something but be unsure how to style it, and the SA answer was also, it will look great with jeans. While, yes it would, but I can't wear jeans Monday- Friday. So not much help. But I also find great advice,helpful hints, and real life examples here.

Thank you for understanding Angie!

Jeans are allowed only on Fridays at my workplace, but Mon-Thurs the dresscode does veer towards business casual, unless I am conducting a training. It is so tough to figure out what to wear - when you don't want to be overdressed yet my personal style goals include preppy & sharp lines... In recent times I have got a lot of ideas & thoughts from this post as well the post where we featured Classy Cubicle blog as inspiration.

We're pretty casual at my office and I probably could get away with jeans nearly every day if I wanted, as long as the outfit was reasonably polished-looking. The thing is that I don't want to because I'm so much more of a skirt/dress person. I do like to wear jeans to work once in a while, though, so I can wear all the tops and shoes that don't really go with much else. I've kind of fallen into a thing where I sometimes wear jeans on Fridays, but not any other day. I'm actually not quite sure why. Some attempt at consistency, maybe? Or because fewer people are in the office, so people are less likely to notice me in an outfit that looks fine in the mirror, but feels borderline too-casual once I leave the house?

I almost wish I could donate my everyday jeans-wearing option to a Fabber who'd appreciate it more and pull it off better!

My work place is challenging because I need to look professional (and being youngish doesn't help) but need to have clothes that stand up well to constant kneeling, washing, reaching and stretching and needing a great range of motion, occasionally being abraded by rough surfaces, and deal with climatic swings all while looking more polished than the wealthy retirees that take great pride in their appearance who come volunteer with me. Add in limited refined shoe options, limited jewelry, limited scarves, even limited belt buckles and a low budget.

Since I wear black my buisness casual capsule that doesn't have to stand up to rigors was much easier to put together once I found pieces to fit.