Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be posting articles about all the different professional events you might need to dress for, so you’ll know what to wear in any business situation! There will be outfit examples and budget-friendly options as well. Sound good?

To start off, I’m going to go over career-wear basics. When your boss tells you that a certain dress code will be mandatory at tonight’s networking event, do you know what she means? Check the handy guide below for all the info you need.

Types of Business Attire

There are 3 main types of “business dress” that you need to understand before we get into dressing for specific events. These are probably terms you’ve heard before, but after reading this, you should have a good understanding of what clothes work for what dress code. The three types of dress codes are: Professional Dress, Business Casual, and Campus Casual.

1. Professional Dress

Business professional attire is the most conservative type of business wear. It’s what you’ll be expected to wear in the office if you work in accounting, finance, or other conservative industries (or if you just have a really conservative boss!). This style is also known as “business formal.”

For women, business professional means a business suit or pants suit, or an appropriate dress and jacket. For men, professional dress means a business suit or a blazer, dress pants and a tie. 

It is important to follow this business attire rule if you’re working in an office that adheres to it as you do not want to be seen as inappropriate or give off the impression that you don’t take your appearance seriously. Working for a conservative industry means that they have strict standards for what you can and cannot wear, so it’s important that you follow protocol correctly.