The New Rules of Business Casual in 2025
2024-08-01 · 7 min read
Business casual in 2025 looks nothing like it did in 2015. The pandemic permanently relaxed dress codes, remote work blurred the line between home and office, and a younger workforce brought sneakers and untucked shirts into boardrooms. The old rules, khakis and a blue button-down, are not wrong, but they are no longer the only answer.
The blazer is still king, but the blazer itself has evolved. Unstructured, unlined blazers in jersey, cotton, or lightweight wool have replaced the padded, canvassed versions that dominated business casual for decades. Brands like Boglioli and L.B.M. 1911 pioneered the deconstructed blazer movement, and their influence has trickled down to every price point.
Sneakers in the office are normalized, but there are limits. Clean, minimal sneakers in white, off-white, or tonal colors work. Running shoes, basketball shoes, and anything with visible Nike Air units do not. The test: if you can see the shoe technology from across the room, it is too sporty for business casual.
Denim is acceptable in most business casual environments now, but treatment matters. Dark, unwashed, or lightly faded jeans read as intentional. Light wash, distressed, or ripped jeans still read as weekend wear. A pair of dark indigo selvedge jeans with a blazer and leather shoes is one of the strongest business casual combinations you can put together.
The dress shirt has been largely replaced by the oxford cloth button-down, the band-collar shirt, and even the quality polo. Ties are essentially extinct outside of finance and law. The emphasis has shifted from formality to fabric quality and fit.
Trousers have relaxed too. Pleated, wider-leg wool trousers from brands like Spier and Mackay offer a comfortable, contemporary alternative to flat-front chinos. The Italian-inspired drape of a pleated trouser adds visual interest and actually provides more comfort. Explore the options at https://www.spierandmackay.com.
The new business casual is about looking considered, not conforming to a uniform. Build around versatile pieces that can flex between meetings and after-work drinks, invest in quality fabrics that hold up under scrutiny, and prioritize fit above everything else. The dress code has loosened, but the standard has not.
