a quick overview of business casual/business professional dress code

1. BUSINESS/BUSINESS CASUAL DRESS CODE
Clothes you wear communicate who you are and what you represent. Dressing inappropriately for an occasion can be misunderstood as a
failure to understand social rules: a big disadvantage to have when you are being compared to other candidates.
GENERAL:
 Make sure your clothes are clean, well-pressed, and do not show wear. Carefully inspect new clothes for tags, and all clothes
for loose threads or fading/dirt e.g. at the bottom of pants.
 It’s almost always better to be OVERDRESSED. You can always take off a tie if you notice most people don’t wear ties at the
event.
 The more structure to clothes, the more professional you look
 When wearing pants wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is
visible when you sit down (applies for both men and women)
 When in doubt, stay away from patterns.
Most images: Banana Republic 2012
Business Attire for Men
DOs:
 Suit in solid darks: black, navy
 Invest in quality you can count on during your time at Kellogg and the
first year at a new job.
DON’Ts:
 Suits that don’t fit well
 Suit that make you overheat
 You don’t have to spend a fortune on clothes (in some cases very
expensive clothes might send a wrong message esp. to upper
management).

2. Business Casual Attire for Men
DOs:
 Dress slacks
 Dockers® style slacks
 Monochrome sweaters
 Oxfords, loafers, rubber soled leather shoes or boots
 Sports shirts or polo shirts in the summer; always tucked in.
 Ties are generally not necessary
 Long-sleeved shirts considered dressier than short-sleeved. Best colors: white,
light blue.
DON’Ts:
 Jeans (even dark denim)
 Shorts,
 Novelty tee shirts (those with any printed writing - even ‘Kellogg: Think Bravely’)
 Sweatshirts, sweatpants, tank tops, cropped tops, hats, and flip flops.
 Anything you could wear to the beach, gym or for a hike.

3. Business Attire for Women
DOs:
 Suit: skirt/pants suits are equally good. Charcoal, medium gray, steel gray,
black, and navy blue are good colors and all look good with a white blouse.
 Dresses should be simple in cut and monochromatic.
 Skirt/dress Lengths: Avoid extremes; make sure you can sit comfortably
without the need to pull the skirt down.
 Make sure your jewelry is not distracting in size and color
 Shoes: avoid extremes in heel height. Pumps are safest choice
DON’Ts:
 Anything sleeveless – you can pair it with a long sleeve white/black shirt
 Denim clothing of any kind
 Spandex pants/leggings
 Stay away from shorts of any kind or length
 See through/clingy/reflective materials
 Sandals, sneakers

4. Business Casual Attire for Women
DOs:
 Skirts
 Blouses, sweaters, polo-style shirts - always tucked in.
 Khaki pants, which are neither too loose nor too tight, and which are not
showing signs of wear.
 Dresses
 Flats
 Riding shoes ok if under pants or with opaque tights or not too bulky
DON’Ts:
 Novelty tee shirts (those with printed writing, slogans or numbers)
 Bulky/snow boots; athletic shoes
 Anything from Business Attire Don’t list.