<p>So I feel a little silly having to ask this question, but I don’t know the answer and my mom said she isn’t sure. </p>
<p>Boyfriend and I have a reservation this weekend at a restaurant that says their dress code is “business casual.” I have only ever had to wear jeans OR a suit, nothing in between. To me business casual screams khakis, but I don’t have any. I had planned originally, when we were going to a more casual restaurant, to wear a deep magenta sweater with dark wash jeans, and I would still like to wear the sweater if it’s okay. Could I wear it with black jeans? I have a pair of vera wang jeans that are pretty classy (completely black, no weird designs or anything-- there is stitching on the back pockets but it blends almost completely), but I am not sure if business casual absolutely excludes jeans even if they are nice jeans. I have a pair of black dress slacks I could wear instead, but would dress slacks and the sweater be too formal?</p>
<p>Boyfriend wants to wear khakis and some sort of argyle sweater or something. Is that okay or should I have him wear something more like a button up? He may only have a black dress shirt, could he wear that with khakis? (my roommate and her friend have conflicting opinions about mixing khaki and black, I wouldn’t know.) </p>
<p>And, for both of us, would tennis shoes be completely taboo? He doesn’t have anything but tennis shoes to wear and is extremely self conscious about it, I told him nobody would be looking at his shoes as long as he looked put together otherwise so I hope I wasn’t wrong. I have nice shoes I can wear but we need to walk a few blocks so I’d rather not unless strictly necessary, and he’d probably feel better if we both wore them.</p>
<p>Yes, your black jeans should be fine, and will look terrific with a magenta top. I wear black jeans to nice restaurants all the time. You probably wouldn’t wear them for business in an office, but that’s ok- it’s an evening out. Just dress everything up with some jewelry and a nice dressy bag, and you’ll be set. </p>
<p>And considering the weather, I don’t think anyone would criticize your shoes.</p>
<p>I would suggest your bf wear a sport jacket if he owns one. He can wear any kind of collared shirt underneath. Then, khakis or other nice pants. He could probably even get away with nice jeans if he had a jacket, too. If he doesn’t own a jacket, a sweater or dress shirt and khakis would be fine.</p>
<p>Don’t worry too much- young people can get away with a lot and still look good.</p>
<p>DH and I were in a nice restaurant once (I won’t name the city) that had a sign saying “Proper Attire Required.” We saw a woman wearing short shorts and a tank top. Go figure.</p>
<p>Business casual for men could be from sports jacket to nice shirt and slacks. He could wear a sweater with black or grey pants. I would stay away from khakis, it’s a middle of winter. For girls it could be from a wrap dress to black jeans and a nice top. If it’s an evening event I would wear a sexy top rather than a sweater, because it’s not a business date. I don’t think sneakers are appropriate for business casual, it’s loafers for men and flats or low pumps for women.</p>
<p>At most places there will always be people wearing whatever they want, and most of them don’t care. The fact you are asking, it must matter to you. I have to say, especially for young people, when you are dressed appropriately you get better service.</p>
<p>You know what? Just go & have a good time. It’s Valentine’s Day. I think “business casual” means neatly dressed (and no baseball caps). Your attire sounds fine. Just go. Enjoy.</p>
<p>I have to say, its disheartening to see the responses that take the direction of “Just go, don’t worry…no one will care…you’ll see others in jeans.”</p>
<p>You know what? We shouldn’t model our behavior on what others do, but what is expected. I’m tired of seeing people think that rules and/or expectations don’t apply to them.</p>
<p>If a restaurant is asking you to arrive in Business Casual, then it is their expectation that you will honor that request. That means not showing up in sneakers or jeans. For a guy that means wearing nice khakis, a sweater and dress or casual shoes that don’t say “Nike” on the side. Or dress slacks and a sportcoat. For a woman, it means nice slacks and a skirt along with a blouse and pair of regular shoes. It does not mean just ‘neatly dressed with no baseball caps’. </p>
<p>Say you go into this restaurant and order a steak and baked potato. That’s what you expect, right? But the waiter shows up with chicken and rice. Why? Why not…you may have asked for steak (like they asked for business casual) but they didn’t think you really meant it, so chicken (like your jeans and sneakers) should be ok.</p>
<p>Remember…just because others choose to ignore a request doesn’t mean you can or should too.</p>
<p>I think what you described twisted would be ideal. If you BF has any kind of blazer or suit coat, it might be a nice touch, but not required. Seems to me girls can get away with a lot more flexibility. Add some jewelry and you’re good to go. And I agree… no sneakers.</p>
<p>Most importantly, come back and tell us all about it!!</p>
<p>My office dress code is “Business casual” and specifically says “no jeans”. You mentioned a suit. If it has pants you could wear those with a nice top or sweater (the magenta sweater sounds fine). If not, I would suggest you buy a nice pair of dark pants (not jeans), not expensive, Target has great stuff. You will wear them again.</p>
<p>I know when you go to the restaurant that you will see people who are dressed in jeans. But it’s still nice to be a little more dressed up.</p>
<p>The restaurant staff does have to keep the weather in mind. Not many people are going out in stilettos or Italian loafers with the snow we have in the midwest. In this case, and since the boyfriend has no other shoes, sneakers will have to do, but he should really look into getting something else (what would he wear to an emergency like a funeral?). Even a dark pair of casual shoes rather than the white would make a big difference. Shoe choice is key in dressing up or down. The same applies to your classy black jeans - sneakers are going to make them look like casual pants, while a nice boot will move them to the business casual category. </p>
<p>Don’t worry too much, and have a great time.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, many people take “business casual” to mean that they can arrive at the restaurant in their gardening clothes and sneakers. This is incredibly disrespectful to other patrons who have taken the time and care to dress appropriately. I’m sure all of us notice many people who are dressed too casually, but it seems that very few restaurants enforce dress codes anymore, and the “house jacket” is a thing of the past.</p>
<p>I do think that dressy (dark wash) jeans with a nice top and heels is fine. A high heeled shoe or boot will transform the outfit into a dressier, dinner appropriate choice. I also like it because it transmits a stylish and “not trying too hard” vibe, which you may be looking for.</p>
<p>I think the first shoe some kind of “dressier” sneaker could go ok with dark pants and a nice button-up shirt and sports jacket, though he might want some nice leather shoes for like, future evens :P. Such as an interview, funeral, or whatever.</p>
<p>A “sexy top” is not business casual. The sweater and slacks are perfect. Jeans are not typically considered business casual, although some folks stretch the definition with well-fitted black jeans that have no rivets or accents. Sneakers, if they’re in good condition and dark without loud or contrasting accents, will be ok in a pinch because you’re young and you’re the customers. Leather shoes would be better.
See [url=<a href=“http://casualpower.com%5Dcasualpower.com%5B/url”>http://casualpower.com]casualpower.com[/url</a>] for some tips and examples.</p>
<p>Great time to recycle! You can find footwear at your local Goodwill – including new with tags stuff. Wear socks or footies to protect your skin.</p>
<p>We lived in the tropics for awhile where everyone wore sandals – we learned there that college was hard for the local kids who came to the US in part because of the different footwear required. If you wear sandals and tennis shoes all the time, your foot can flatten – so a regular leather shoe feels “tight”. Both you and BF may feel much more comfortable in shoe that comes in a wide width. Famous Footwear and online shoe stores have wide sizes. </p>
<p>It really is a good thing to have one pair of leather shoes in the closet (that are comfy). Good for interviews, weddings and . . . dinners out.</p>
<p>You wouldn’t wear a sexy top on a date? When a restaurant says it’s business casual attire it expects all women to wear a turtle neck sweater in the evening? I could see a lot of guys saying, “If I wanted to take a co-worker out…”</p>
<p>It’s winter. Sexy top is going to be relative if their walking. Half the time the sexy top is under a sweater/blousy cardigan thing. Just go. Have a great tme. Look cute, wear a little makeup. Business casual for a restaurant (vs a real place of employment) just means don’t show up in ripped/baggy jeans or shorts and a tshirt.</p>
<p>OP, good for you- you are right to ponder this-because while it is true at this stage of your life you can get away with quite a bit, in a very short time you can not. This is the biggest problem businesses have with employees these days, not having social and table manners, and not knowing how to dress for various occasions. You are ahead of most simply by asking yourself these questions. What you and your BF have to wear is fine, have fun- and use this information, consider asking for more “dress clothes and shoes” as gifts going forward. Parents and Grandparents LOVE buying you these kinds of clothes for you, because they know how important it is to have them at your finger tips when you need them…and more importantly, you are comfortable wearing dress clothes! Dress clothes don’t have to be like your parents clothes BTW- :)</p>
<p>It sounds like we are okay on most fronts, my mom wants boyfriend to call the restaurant and make sure he won’t be turned away because of his shoes. He has a black pair that he could probably have gotten away with if they weren’t so beat up, his white ones are in much better shape but also much more conspicuously informal. Apparently he’s been wearing the black ones to job interviews. Might explain a few things. I had no idea the boy had no shoes. But, then again, his mother never taught him to wear deodorant every day, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that they’ve sent him to school with no clothes! </p>
<p>If the restaurant won’t allow the shoes, he will have to catch a very early bus in the morning to the store. I don’t know if we can afford shoes and dinner, so we’ll just have to see. I’ll have to check the yellow pages and see if there is a goodwill in the area.</p>
<p>I think I will probably wear the sweater (I think it’s an adequate balance of flattering and professional… it’s not a turtle neck but my grandma did buy it for me for work) and if I can get a bus I’ll wear the black dress pants just to be safe, if not I am wearing the black jeans. The snow and salt will ruin the bottoms of the dress pants and I need them to stay nice to go with my suit. Any job interviews I’ll be having in the next few months are more important than this dinner.</p>
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