business casual

American  

[biz-nis kazh-oo-uhl] / ˈbɪz nɪs ˌkæʒ u əl /

Also office casual

noun

1. a style of clothing for the office that is casual but neat and professional-looking.

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business casual British  

noun

1. informal a style of casual clothing worn by businesspeople at work instead of more formal attire

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Etymology

Origin of business casual

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Just about everyone else dressed business casual; the few guys who were actually important people wore three-thousand-dollar Italian suits.

From Literature

The Venetian hotel—Palazzo Ducale on the outside, Divine Comedy on the inside—was overrun by thousands of white men in business casual now earning their living, one way or another, off subprime mortgages.

From Literature

Still, James insisted that headquarters employees dress a cut above business casual, requiring jackets and slacks for men.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We’d literally scramble with a shower, put on our business casual with our dress shirts on, belt, tie, dress shoes,” Mendoza said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Clad in a neutral-toned pinstripe collared shirt, he, along with his four bandmates, could be young executives at a business casual lunch.

From Los Angeles Times