Business Casual

I find this style confusing, but it's the norm in the place I'm going to start work in a few weeks (a manhattan law firm). Help me put together a wardrobe or at least give me ideas where to shop. All I have right now is a handful of brooks brothers slim fit (i.e., slightly baggy) shrits and one pair of gray slacks from filene's. I would like to err on the side of conservative but still look put together and slightly stylish.

Polyvore is awesome for brainstorming and shopping, but it is much more difficult to navigate if you're a guy.

more help please

im kinda in shock you dont have to dress more formally @ a manhattan law firm

if you already buy and like their stuff brooks bros. has some reasonably nice tailored wool trousers & if you get their 'slim fit' (milano iirc) they tend to look p stylish and current w/o being overbearing

idk for stuff like this i tend to think construction & fit makes the biggest difference, if you have the money it can be worth getting your shirts made or at least tailored. atm i can p highly recommend filippa k's formal dress shirts theyre casual but v clean looking and fit well. also its kinda boring but if you find something you like and that fits you well dont be afraid to buy lots of it? idk if this is a thing other ppl worry about but it took me some time to realize having multiples of simple basics that look good on me is super valuable

im kinda in shock you dont have to dress more formally @ a manhattan law firm

― Lamp, Saturday, July 2, 2011 11:48 PM Bookmark

Actually business casual is the standard even for the big guys. Actually, ESPECIALLY for the big guys. You're more likely to find suits required in a smaller firm, which this is, but my firm is business casual. Obviously you wear a suit if you have to deal with clients or court, but most days you don't, especially in your first year.

I find Brooks Brothers shirts to be, eh, ok. I guess maybe I should get mine taken in b/c even the slim fits are a bit billowy. They do have this "extra slim" fit I've been meaning to try. I will check out the milano stuff.

haha now i feel like ppl were getting dressed up just to meet me for dinner! although i guess 2/3 of the ppl i knew worked for smaller firms & probably had slightly more client-facing positions than they wouldve in BIG LAW

i only have one brooks bros. shirt that i found in a goodwill (lol) so i cant really comment. the only trousers of theirs i have are gimmick-y ones with dogs one them but the fit is p good im almost sure the style is milano. also i got a couple of pairs of philip lim 3.1 trousers at the barneys coop sale like three summers ago that are really nice - they were p much my default pants when i had a proper office job. they also cost me hardly anything.

sorry if this is drunk rambling but again i think mostly looking to be individual or stylish or w/e in small details & just focusing on stuff that fits and wears well is the best...

Maybe I just need to hit a department store and then make sure I get stuff tailored. Just don't really know where to go to find relatively reasonably priced stuff. Have never had good luck with places like Banana Republic.

club monaco. reasonably priced, well fitting mall gear. maybe jkrew. i like some of their shirts, but they might be a lil too americana for business casual. also i think h&m makes some skinnier dress shirts.

i'm not even sure what business casual means because i've never had a job that requires it. is it jeans and a tucked in button up (long sleeve, short sleeve?) w/non sneakers? is it slacks? chinos? polos? i mean, the whole hipster prep look is pretty nice, and you don't feel like such a schmo. i mean, APC and Band of Outsiders make a bunch of well made, super nice looking clothes. go to barneys. not super cheap, but stuff you'll wear a ton.

jeans and a tucked in button up w/neon sneakers

"i mean"