The days of the in-office meeting and in-person conferences might not be permanently behind us, but they certainly feel like part of a different world at this point. It’s been nearly two years since regions across the world started shifting to lockdowns and distributed work. By now, it’s clear that even when things start to return to some semblance of normalcy, telecommuting and virtual conferences are going to remain a crucial part of our professional lives.

The shift towards a virtual workplace has changed more than just how we work, too. It’s also completely modified how we dress for the office. Corporate dress codes, notes The Economist, have been rendered functionally obsolete. 

And in their place, a new type of fashion has started to rise.

What Is Business Casual? 

Professional, yet relaxed. Formal but businesslike. Stylish but comfortable. 

These are all phrases used to describe the incredibly nebulous style of dress known as business casual, something which — even now, in an era of Zoom calls and online collaboration — is still somewhat poorly defined. Ask eight different people what they think business casual means, and you’re likely to receive eight different answers. That said, there are a few common threads between the definitions. 

We’ve compiled them below, drawing from The Street, Business Insider, business expert Jennifer Grant, and HR platform Connect Team. Note that we’re exclusively going to be discussing shirts and overshirts. In most cases, whether or not you’re wearing pants isn’t likely to come up when attending an online conference or involved in a virtual meeting. 

• Use your best judgment to determine what’s appropriate, as it tends to vary by industry and sector. When in doubt, look at how your colleagues are dressed when assessing your own clothing choices. 
• Stick primarily to neutral or solid colors. Ideally, you’ll want to avoid anything that’s too bright or too dark.  With that said, if you can pull off something more vibrant, feel free to do so. Avoid black and white, as these may not always show up on camera. 
• You can also consider layering a sweater, blazer, or cardigan over your shirt. 
• For cut and style, you’ll likely want to stick with a collared shirt, button-down, or blouse. Long sleeves are recommended but not necessarily required. 
• We strongly advise against graphic tees. Patterned shirts, as well, can be quite distracting, leading to a distracting effect called strobing. 
• You should also avoid standard T-shirts unless you’re positive everyone else will be wearing the same. 
• Choose something comfortable and form-fitting but with plenty of stretch. For material, you can’t generally go wrong with high-quality cotton, though nylon or polyester can work as well. 
• Consider your accessories. A stylish necklace or watch can be just the thing to complete the perfect Zoom outfit. 
• If you decide to wear shorts or stick to your underwear — which most of us have probably done at least once by this point — make sure to turn your webcam off if you need to get up during a call. 

Go Virtual

Whether you’re a keynote speaker at a digital conference, attending an instructor-led virtual training session, or simply signing on for a Zoom meeting with colleagues, how you dress matters. But the expectations around how you dress have also changed. Bear this in mind when putting together your next outfit.

If you follow the advice laid out above, you should be just fine.