Fashion Tips for Business Casual Friday

Another casual Friday, another fashion disaster.  Here are my tips for negotiating business casual Friday in the corporate office.  I thought most of these were self-evident, but from what I saw last Friday I now know that common sense isn't so common.

• "Casual" is not synonomous with "ugly"
  
  
• Clothing that is never acceptable in the office, is still not acceptable on Friday.  For example, see through clothing, fishnets, pajamas, mini skirts.
  
  
• You should wear clothes that are a little more on trend than usual.
  
  
• If you wear the same jeans every Friday, it becomes a Friday uniform.  The idea of casual Friday is to be able to break free from the corporate uniform.  Not to create a new Friday uniform.  This takes all the fun out of Friday.
  
  
• It doesn't matter that it's casual Friday, people will still judge you.  When you are relatively junior, there is not much to differentiate you.  Most people at work will have amazing degrees with great marks and high intelligence. People who are higher up on the corporate ladder only really have your personality and how you dress to help form their impressions of you.
  
  
• Your clothing should match your personality. You spend most of your life in work clothes so pick clothes that you like and that you would wear even if you didn't have to go to work.
  
  
• Casual doesn't mean unprofessional. Don't wear that shirt you just bought with the Charlie Sheen quotes on it.
  
  

• Your clothing should be clean and neat. Casual Friday is not "no-iron-Friday"
  
  
• Look at what other people wear, casual Friday standards are not universal.  If you stand in Martin Place for a few hours on a Friday morning you might begin to believe that some offices have a dress-like-a-hobo-Friday policy.
  

What are your tips for casual Friday?