You’re a businessman! Or just a man. And at some point in learning how to dress like a man or a businessman you probably think you learned how to wear business casual.
And you’re not wrong! But you could be so much more right.
Business casual doesn’t have to be as monotonous as everyday life in that job you head to every morning. And it doesn’t even take a wardrobe overhaul to change your big & tall business casual game. Using our unique method, you can reap the benefits of minor tweaks to make sure you’re looking your business casual best.
We call our method … SLALEF.
We’re still working on the acronym.
Scheme
Picking out a nice shirt color shouldn’t be the end of your business casual journey every morning. Sure, the shirt covers your torso, which is near your face, which is what most people will look at during the workday. Logic!
But the shirt color is just one cog in a big business casual machine. Break out of the norms at each point in your suit style, match appropriately and you will win the day at work.
Everyone wears blue and white to work. Wear purple or pink or orange instead. You’ll actually be surprised how many different pants colors (think dark brown, deep olive or white cotton) go with each of those shirt shades and how different you’ll feel wearing them.
Layers
We’re talking sweaters and SPORTCOATS.
Sportcoats are great because they can fit right in whether it’s a classy or casual setting. And once you decide to take it off, you can keep your outfit looking fresh by having a classy tie to show off.
Sweaters are almost better because they let you insulate from the cold weather while not looking over-bundled. Consider a cardigan or v-neck sweater to wear over your bright tie and lightly-colored dress shirt.
Attention
And by that we mean accessories. Maybe we should’ve just changed attention to accessories. We regret the oversight.
At any rate, special attention must be made to your belt, TIES, and shoes in any outfit. They can be quite the high-wire act to pull off, for sure. Just remember to keep it simple. Monochrome Ties, as are a nice variety of dark brown or black shoes to rotate each week. Those colors are so common because they’re just so easy to match with.
Accessories can make or break your whole outfit, so pay attention to them.
Look Expensive
The key is to do that without actually selling your house for a nice suit. This is where fabric comes in.
Aim for something with significantly more natural fabric like wool polyester in the winter and cotton in the warmer months. It looks better and it lasts longer. Good combo! Watch for those buttons on the collars and sleeves as well. See if they’re stitched on well; a loose button will drive the look of your clothing down faster than most things.
Fit
This, above all, is the most important thing whether you’re trying to spruce up your business casual game or not. But especially if you are!
If you don’t feel comfortable with what you’re wearing then you’ll look bad. Plain and simple. So much of how you look is down to confidence, which is why finding the right fit is so hard: it’s just important! Especially for big and tall men.
But the standards for big & tall business casual are the same as any other guy. Pants length is good if your trousers lightly rest on your shoes. Shirt sleeves cover the wrist bone. Waistband at natural waistline. Etc.
The problem might be with tightness. You’re used to wearing clothing baggier than normal because that’s just how North Americans do it. Don’t be afraid to slim your fit down a tad. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but when you get used to it you’ll notice how much slimmer you look and feel. You can also try a shirt or a sportcoat with STRETCH for an even more comfortable look and feel.