Men's Business Dress Codes in the US

Men's Business Dress Etiquette in the US - A 101 on Different Business Dress Codes

It should come to no surprise that our series titled "Office Dress Around the Globe" starts out on our home turf. In fact, it is the US that offers the widest range of different business dress codes. For those who work in the professional sector, there’s truly nothing more important than understanding how to dress in the correct manner for work. Many people refer to this as “business dress,” although dress codes differ not only from business to business, but from country to country as well. Indeed, understanding as much as possible about the differences in business dress around the globe can be essential for getting a better idea as to how you should dress for work each day. In the United States, business dress is quite well understood, and those who are looking to shift into a professional career can get a lot of mileage out of understanding how to dress in the correct manner; consider the following characteristics of American business dress if this applies to you.

Traditional Business
Traditional business attire is one of the more popular forms of dress in America, and is important to consider if you’re working in an environment in which you are expected to look your very best. In most cases, you’ll be wearing a full suit when trying to embrace traditional business attire, accompanied by a dress shirt and tie. That said, a lot of people lump “business-formal” dress into this category, which happens to be a bit more specific than traditional business attire. Men typically wear white shirts with French cuffs, along with silk ties, cufflinks and handkerchiefs. This is the perfect form of dress for attending awards ceremonies, important dinners and other, similar events. While not exactly “black-tie,” business-formal dress connotes professionalism in a way that many other styles simply do not.

General Business
While traditional business attire is no doubt extremely popular in the U.S., “general business” is a subset that certainly has made itself apparent over the course of the past few decades. More often than not, this look is characterized by the tie and dress shirt found in traditional business attire, except paired with a well-tailored sports coat and trousers instead of the full suit that is most typically associated with traditional business dress. This is fast becoming one of the more popular styles of business dress in America, and can be quite attractive while at the same time being just a fit less formal than the alternative. General business dress is perfect for those men that appreciate style, elegance, and uniqueness. While creating an elegant and professional look, it also allows for a much wider wardrobe range. Tweed sports coat paired with button down oxford shirt and elegant blucher dress shoes are a classic example.

Business Casual
Young men who are right out of college most often find themselves concerned with understanding how to dress in the business casual tradition, and for good reason. This style, first made popular in the 1990s, is very prominent in America, and allows those who embrace it to look very presentable while saving their more formal attire for important events. In perhaps the majority of offices in America, business casual is the preferred code of dress. Ties are typically not required, although higher-level employees often wear them on a regular basis. More often than not, khaki chinos are worn with button-up shirts. Occasionally, a Polo can even be a part of this style. The result is a look that is not unlike that commonly found on the golf course, and is fast becoming the face of the professional sector in America. Things that should be avoided are: washed denims, T-shirts, running shoes, tennis socks, shorts, and open toed footwear. 

Work from Home:
Working from home has become popular during the pandemic and business are only slowly requiring people to return to the office on a regular basis. Unfortunately the way we dress has been negatively impacted as a result and "athleasure" attire has become the fastest growing segment in clothing.