Help me get dressed for work (professional business casual)

In My Humble Opinion
1

I don’t need to wear suits but I don’t have anything appropriately less formal right now.

I don’t have a lot of time or money to spend on a wardrobe and I suck at it, so mixy-matchy stuff is good for now until I can eventually expand on this foundation.

I’d like a few pair of business pants, perhaps navy, grey, and tan. Machine washable is a plus. Are Dockers bad?

I’d like to start with one navy coat because it likely matches all kinds of pants. I’d keep the coat handy with a couple ties just in case I may need them for the occasional professional meeting that pops up once every couple months.

Where is a good place to shop to get started on this? Other tips (e.g., no pleated khakis)?

2

How old are you, where do you live (bigger city?), and how would you describe your shape?

3

42, Sacramento, bigger waist than I’d like …

4

Macy’s comes to mind first but not sure how they stack up to other places

5

Do you have a Kohls?

Go get kakhis of different collars (tan, gray, navy, etc.) that FIT! Try to get the ones that stay pressed, but can be washed and dried at home. It doesn’t matter if they are pleated or not, just so they sit right (pleats don’t spread wide.)

Get broadcloth shirts of different collars (light blue, white, pink, yellow, maybe some subtle stripes.)

These aren’t necessarily stylish choices, but guys have been wearing them for a long time and they work.

Next you need a high quality pair of dress shoes. Brown lace up, with thin to medium soles. Nothing too clunky or chunky.

All this stuff “matches,” is easy to maintain, and “fits in.”

When you say Navy coat, do you mean a blazer? If you like wearing blazers, get corduroy. It will be warm and looks good with kakhis. Plus you can wear with jeans if needed.

6

Dockers makes a decent chino. You can shop around at a local department store and find something, I’m sure. In terms of color, I’d go for a darker khaki, a pair that’s light gray, and something in navy. Nothing that’s pleated. Since anything in chino cloth is on the lower rung of business casual already, I’d avoid a product that incorporates too many casual styling elements. Dockers’ “Alpha Khaki” is the kind of pants that step just over the business casual line, and they come off as too comfortable and too jeans-like.

Choose a cut that flatters your shape. Avoid classic or relaxed fits. You don’t want a sheet of fabric billowing around your thighs, but neither do you want something that clings to your legs. Try to find a nice slim-straight cut, or maybe even a straight. It depends entirely on your body shape.

The type of shirting you choose will depend largely on your shape. You want a tail that can be tucked comfortably. Unless your proportions are quite generous, you might try looking for shirts that are darted (or even double-darted in the back). Again, avoid classic or relaxed fits. You don’t want excess fabric wafting around your waist. A clean tuck is very important. No outrageous patterns or colors. Oxfords are nice. Nothing that has a sheen to it. Broadcloth is a good fabric, but it can have a shine.

Do you already have a jacket, as a part of a suit that you already own? You might be able to re-purpose it, depending on the style and fabric and color. Unless it’s seriously formal, you probably can.

Otherwise, I’d recommend getting a nice gray jacket. Preferably tweed, and maybe herringbone, if you can find it. I know that you said that you were looking for a navy blazer because they can go with anything, but a gray jacket (provided that it’s neither too light nor too dark) will coordinate even better than a navy jacket. It also looks better, IMO.

If you’re buying a tie, don’t buy any ridiculous patterns. Try to avoid a tie that’s too wide, but most of them will be. Don’t buy a tie that’s too narrow, either. I know that’s not great advice. I think 2 1/2 inches at the widest point is just about the perfect size for a tie. You can go a little slimmer, but I wouldn’t go much wider.

You can find most of this stuff in a department store. I’d recommend J. Crew, but I know you’re on a budget. I asked your age because ordinarily I might recommend something like H&M, who make fashionable, well-fitting clothes that work well inside a business casual setting. Their target consumer is a little younger, however. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to look around, though.

7

Where is a good place to shop for this?

Your local grocery store.

Where do you think a good place to shop for these items would be?

ANY department store.

Sears.

Target.

Walmart.

The Limited.

The Gap.

Old Navy.

Just make sure you have mom or dad take you.:rolleyes:

8

Try JCrew or Banana Republic - both has a Personal Shopper option so someone can help you choose what works together and with your shape.

9

Hope you never find yourself on the raw end of serious misfortune. :rolleyes:

10

Welcome to the SDMB..there is a rule here about not being a jerk, a rule you’re currently stepping on the other side of. If you have a problem with another member, we have a forum called The BBQ Pit, which you are free to use to call out and insult anyone you wish. But these type of posts are out of line for this forum, so please dial back the sarcasm and jerkitude.

11

These chains don’t offer the same variety, size range, or selection. Not just that, but all these qualities can vary from store to store.

“Any department store” is shitty advice. I’m a big guy in my '40’s, and I buy business casual wear primarily from Kohls, and JC Penney’s. Best selection, IMHO. (See what I did there? Why don’t you try it?)

What’s smart, and grown up, is recognizing what your limitations are, and seeking help from experienced people, to compensate.

What’s childish, and mean spirited, is loading snark on someone who is doing the mature thing.

12

Go to J. Crew, the Gap, or Banana Republic (as taste, budget, store availability, and fit dictate). Buy some chinos and long-sleeved button-down shirts. Et voila, business casual (under most interpretations–some places may frown on chinos and prefer wool trousers, in which case you can get those at these same stores).

ETA: No reason to get a coat if it isn’t specifically required or other guys aren’t wearing a jacket. That is, “business casual” does not require a jacket.

13

I like Macy’s. I used to get a lot of stuff there. I would usually find stuff that fit my waist, but not my length (talking about slacks), but buy them anyway and then go to the tailors to get them taken in. I’m fat, but I’m short. So the butts and thighs usually look big if they fit in the waist.

My current fave: Casual Male XL. They have stores everywhere, but I mainly use them to find stuff in the store where I can find a size/style to fit my shape and then order other colors of stuff to fit my taste. You can usually find something that will fit comfy and look good, and try it on in the store. If not, you can try on one that fits your waist and one that fits your rest of the body fit, and then mix and match sizes online. I do this a lot with shirts. I like a long/tall shirt so I can keep it tucked in (over my big gut), but don’t need the extra long sleeves that they come with (because I’m short). Once you find a manufacturer/style/size combo you like, I say stick with it. I’ve bought the same style/size shirt for over 10 years, and I’ve never been happier. And I look good, for a fat boy. :slight_smile:

14

I threw Kohls out there to save some money. If you can afford J.Crew, by all means buy whatever fits you there. They tend to be stylish but not too trendy.

15

Thanks for the tips so far. Just to clarify, I have business suits but this job doesn’t require them. I don’t want to wear suits if I don’t have to. The only condition is that I need to be able to throw on a tie and coat on short notice in the event of an occasional meeting or whatnot.

No professional job I have ever had was business casual, so I’ve never been in the market for it. I have either been in a place with mandatory business suits or I have been self employed, where *pants *were optional.

Now that I’m in the market for it, my budget won’t allow it (much).

16

Oh, Ok. Dockers or any other perm press chino. Perm press long sleeved dress shirts (I like Eddie Bauer), blues are good. Get two blue, one blue striped, one white, one some other pastel color (green?). No tie. On hot days or Fridays wear a nice polo shirt instead.

You can buy this stuff cheap on ebay, slightly used. Or a thrift store, but finding your size is easier on ebay.

17

Do you have a good female friend? They are usually the best place to start IMO. Partly because women are often more used to buying clothes in general and partly because they are good at knowing what looks good on you.

Most guys (again IME) are terrible at buying clothes. Shirts too tight, pants too short, colour combinations guaranteed to induce vomiting etc. Ladies are much better than we are at this trust me.

If you don’t have any close female friends, go to Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus or some such swanky store and get yourself measured. No need to buy a $300 shirt, but you will come away with very useful information. A few months ago, I was asked to buy an outfit for my nephew. Once I knew his correct size, I was able to buy him a jacket, two or maybe three shirts, a pair of pants and a pair of shoes for just over a hundred bucks at Target (hey, I was on a $100 budget!). The first time he tried them on, his two sisters’ were extremely confused as they had no idea why a handsome stranger was seated at their table :smiley:

18

I second Banana Republic and/or J. Crew. They are on the pricey side, but they both take a lot of the guesswork out of things. Basically everything you get there will be office-appropriate, and the pieces are designed to work together well. It’s not mix-and-match or anything, but you’d have to work hard to make bad combos. The staff knows their products well, and dress enough people that they can give good advice on which pieces work for which level of formality.

I recently built my professional wardrobe at Banana, and it a lot easier to manage that department stores where you’ll find varied sizing, varied fits, etc. At these stores you can walk in and walk out with a good basic wardrobe made of quality pieces with minimal fuss. Never pay full price at Banana, though. Sign up for their emails and you’ll 25%-40% off at any given time. Generally I only buy when I see a 40% off sale.

19

Forget Dockers. Way to casual even for Sacramento. (sacstate alum :D) I prefer Stafford from JC Penney. I have six pair of dress slacks two black, to navy blue and two gray. They are machine wash and dry. I keep a black sport coat and a tie on a coat hanger on the back of the office door. Dress shirts can be found on sale.

20

My office is business casual (our HQ is the only formal office, and they even in the summer allow folks to drop it down a notch since it’s hot here) and the men tend to wear (well the ones that look decent and/or like the clothes they are wearing may have been purchased in the last 10 years):

Slacks: black, grey or khaki. Pressed/nice ones. Mostly modern, flat front fit.

and either a long sleeved button down (solid color - no plain white usually, or stripes) or one of those nicer golf-type or more upscale, well fitted, nicer polo shirts that looks good tucked in. No one wears ties, because they don’t have to. In the wintertime, you’ll see sweaters over the button-downs sometimes, and less polos.

Most shoes are black, but regardless they tend to match the outfit/belt.

If you’re interested in somewhere like Kohl’s, sign up for the emails, they send coupons often, 15-20% off or more and they’ll let you know of the sale weekends. All of the big stores will send out coupon emails and whatnot, then you can unsubscribe or just plain set up a junk email account for all emails like that if you don’t want them to clog up your normal account. Macy’s also has a lot of nice button down shirts, many with colors and patterns and whatnot, and not just in the suiting section - so probably more likely to find a better, modern fit? No billowing. They send out coupons too.