Casual Fridays were my favorite day at some offices because I could finally hang up my formal suit for the week! It’s nice to wear your favorite jeans and feel relaxed in your outfit at work, but I know it can be a little bit of a struggle to balance comfort and professionalism.
I use affiliate links throughout this blog post, which means I might make a commission if you use my link and then make a purchase. This commission comes at no cost to you.
Sometimes, casual workplace dress can also be confusing if it’s not exactly clear what the dress code is. While it’s generally obvious that you don’t want to wear pieces as casual as flip flops, I’ve worked at places where some denim was okay but not every pair of jeans was considered acceptable. So, this post will help you get dressed for casual Friday even when it’s not exactly clear what you can wear.
Friday Casual Wear To Work Outfits and Tips
Casual Friday typically isn’t the same as weekend casual. There are a few things to consider, such as fabrics, shoes, and how your clothes fit, for example. There’s a balance between dressing too casually and overdressing. What to wear on casual Friday can vary across industries and workplaces, but these are a few tips that work in most workplaces.
Tips: How Casual Is Casual Friday and How To Dress For Casual Fridays At Work
Casual Friday is essentially a balance between casual and professional pieces. You can still feel comfortable and look nice! In general, you should avoid athleisure clothes, pajamas, or anything you would wear to the gym. If you’re in leadership or have meetings, it’s always a good idea to dress more polished even on casual Friday.
Consider fit more than formality of your outfit
Casual clothing that suits you will always looks more polished than something a little more formal that doesn’t fit right. So, choose a pair of tailored denim over dress pants that are too tight or too big!
Balancing relaxed pieces with tailored ones
You’ll want to balance relaxed jeans with a tailored top. For example, wide leg jeans will look with nice with a classic fit sweater instead of an oversized sweater that you might wear on the weekend. Your shoes can also help elevate this outfit. Instead of wearing sneakers, you can wear ballet flats or loafers.
Wear neutral colors if you aren’t sure
This is not to discourage you from wearing colors! I love my bright red sweater just as much as my brown sweaters. But, if you aren’t sure what’s allowed in your casual Friday dress code, neutral colors are typically safe options as long as the fit is also appropriate. Polo shirts are also very on-trend right now, and those are always work appropriate.
Choose the right footwear
Shoes are one way to make your outfit more elevated or more casual. In most offices, you’ll want to avoid flip flops. I always prefer a mesh ballet flat or woven shoe over sandals, but there is a great debate about whether sandals are appropriate for the workplace!
Outfits: What To Wear To Work On Casual Friday
Okay, here is a round up of outfits that will help you get dressed for casual Friday throughout different seasons.
Casual Friday Snow Day Outfit
We’ve had a lot of snow and ice here recently, so I wanted to share an outfit you can wear to work for a casual Friday dress code in the snow. While I love ballet flats and loafers with socks in the winter, sometimes you just need a pair of boots to make sure your feet are warm and dry! I love a chunky boot for this type of outfit. You can balance out this outfit with more traditional professional pieces like a neutral turtleneck and tailored jeans.
My boots are old, but I think these two pairs are very similar and they’re what I would purchase if I didn’t already own a pair. I’d wear boots like this with business attire if it were snowing too. You can always change your shoes when you get to your desk, but a Chelsea boot with a lug sole looks nice with work trousers!
Casual Work Outfit for Summer
Okay, let’s discuss what to wear on the opposite end of the weather chart. Picking out what to wear on casual Friday during the summer when you live somewhere hot can be tricky. I’ve stressed over these types of outfits a lot throughout my career. You have to look professional when it feels like a million degrees outside, but the air conditioning inside might also make you cold! So, linen pants and tops are the perfect solution. Linen is a natural fabric, which means it’s very breathable. You can easily rewear a linen button up with work pants on Monday!
There are so many professional linen pieces available these days, too, so it makes finding work appropriate summer outfits a little easier. I’m wearing an old pair of rattan ballet flats with this outfit. I would go for a ballet flat or slingback shoes with this outfit. Don’t forget to add a necklace and earrings!
Statement Jacket and Straight Leg Jeans
A statement jacket is an easy way to make jeans and a t-shirt look professional. I’m just wearing straight leg jeans, which always look tailored, and a fitted t-shirt that I wear all the time. I also added jewelry to make this outfit look more put together. You can wear this exact outfit with work pants on days where you need to be in business attire.
I’m wearing the first pair of jeans linked below, but I also wear this exact outfit with the second pair of jeans I linked. The inseam is half an inch shorter and perfect for anyone looking for petite length jeans. They do come in a longer inseam too! Both jeans look nice with flats or boots.
Suede Jacket or Leather Jacket to Wear on Casual Friday
A suede jacket or leather jacket is a great option for the office, especially for a dress down Friday. You can wear this with jeans, a skirt, or over a casual dress. I love this jacket option for the fall and spring in particular. Just like some of the other pieces I’ve shared here, you can easily wear this type of jacket during the week too.
Classic Blazer and Jeans
This is one of my favorite casual Friday outfits! Is there anything more reliable than a blazer? You can’t go wrong with a blazer and a pair of jeans because it’s the perfect mixture of casual and professional.
These mules are more professional than sandals because they cover most of your feet. I highly recommend them as they are so comfortable and a good price.
Lightweight Blouse
This lightweight blouse is so comfortable and perfect for warm days. It shows as quite a deep v-neck on the website, but you don’t have to style it that way as you can see below on me. I also linked this year’s version of my top since it’s fully stocked. I’m wearing a pair of fun jeans with cut outs, but I’d wear a pair of classic jeans to the office.
Dark Denim and A Button Up
If you aren’t sure what jeans you’re allowed to wear to work, dark denim is always the answer. You can choose dark blue denim or black denim, and it’s always appropriate as long as it doesn’t have holes, rips, or a raw hem. A button up is also always work appropriate! I love a linen button up for warm weather, a button up by itself, or a turtleneck sweater underneath a button up for extra warmth.
If you’re looking for more work outfit inspiration, check out my business casual capsule wardrobe post and my post on dresses to wear to the office. Be sure to sign up for my email list too!
