Business Casual Winter Clothes
I’ve blogged before about how it can be difficult to dress for work in the winter, which is made even more difficult if you spend a decent amount of time outside during your commute. Cold and snow can really mess with a good outfit! If you need ideas for what to wear for a business casual workplace in the winter, you’ve come to the right place.
Below, I shared a short roundup of work outfits I’ve worn in the winter with details about specific clothing items that make the perfect base pieces for a business casual work wardrobe. You could build a really nice winter workwear capsule wardrobe starting with the pieces I’m wearing!
READ NEXT: How to Dress Smart Casual in the Winter
Business Casual Winter Clothes
First, I described what “business casual” is in terms of the dress code (including a fun outfit formula), and then I rounded up eight business casual outfits I’ve worn in winters past. From each outfit, I picked out one article of clothing that serves as a great base for your own winter work outfits.
This post would be very long if I listed out all the possible business casual winter clothes, so consider this a curated list of business casual winter clothes I’ve worn and recommend if you’re looking to add any new pieces to your wardrobe. Let’s dive in!
What Is Business Casual?
A business casual dress code is one of the (if not THE) most common dress codes you’ll find in a workplace here in the U.S. It’s more casual than business professional (no suits needed), and I would consider it to be a step up from smart casual (though business casual and smart casual can overlap). It’s a good mix of more formal pieces and some casual pieces.
In general, if you work in an office with a business casual dress code, you would wear shirts that don’t have any text or graphics on them, jeans and pants that aren’t torn or frayed, and skirts and dresses that hit just above the knee or lower. Workout gear, loungewear, pajamas, short shorts, mini skirts, short bodycon dresses, etc. are not appropriate for a business casual dress code.
Let’s do a little fun style math! A common business casual outfit uniform is:
Blazer + Top + Pants + Shoes
where a top could be a sleeveless silk top, button-down shirt, or thin sweater, a pair of pants would be trousers, ponte pants, chino pants, or even jeans (if your office allows them), and a pair of shoes could be a pair of heels, a pair of ballet flats or loafers, or a pair of boots (flat or heeled). It’s easy to make this business casual uniform your own!
How To Dress Business Casual In Winter
Business Casual Outfit with Dark Wash Denim
Any business casual winter outfit can be built from a base of dark wash denim. They are a workwear wardrobe workhorse! I’ve worn mine in a variety of winter work outfits, including this one above (and more outfits below). A sweater, pair of dark wash denim, and boots make the perfect office outfit. (Finish the look with a cozy wool coat!)
I’m wearing dark wash skinny jeans in the outfit above, but other, wider silhouettes are actually more on trend right now (if you care about that—of course, please wear the silhouettes you love most! I will say skinny jeans are still superior with boots). I rounded up a variety of dark wash denim styles in the widget below, including straight leg jeans (a natural next step if you still reach for skinny jeans), kick crop jeans, and wide leg jeans.
Business Casual Outfit with Shiny Boots
I have a whole blog post about the best winter shoes to wear to the office, which include a variety of boots, not surprisingly. I live in boots during the winter months. When it’s not precipitating (or icy/snowy/wet) outside, I love wearing my shiny black leather boots, which I lovingly refer to as my “boss boots”. Even before I was a boss, they made me feel like I could do anything!
Of course, I recommend owning at least one pair of boots that can handle winter weather and cold. Your feet will thank you! When it’s not crazy snowy or cold outside, find a pair of shoes that make you feel like you can conquer the world. I rounded up a bunch of other shiny black leather boots below in case you want your own pair of “boss boots”!
Business Casual Outfit with Black Pants
Like dark wash denim, black pants are another business casual wardrobe staple. I own black pants and jeans in a variety of silhouettes, and they all make a perfect base to the rest of your winter work outfit. Anything goes with black! They instantly make any outfit feel more professional. Try pairing your black pants with more black (and a pair of colorful shoes).
I’m wearing black skinny jeans here, but you’ll also see me in black ponte pants and black paperbag pants in some of the other outfits above below. In the widget, I rounded up black pants and jeans in a variety of styles! Like I mentioned earlier, skinny silhouettes work the best with boots, but you could also try something new with a straight, flare, or wide leg black pant.
Business Casual Outfit with Wide Leg Pants
Wide leg pants have been on trend for a few years now, and it doesn’t seem like they are going anywhere anytime soon. As a petite person, it took me a while to warm up to them, but now I’m all in! They can feel less warm than pants with a slim silhouette because they allow for more airflow. If you’re too cold, layer a thin pair of tights underneath your pants.
Wide leg pants are available in a variety of colors, lengths, and textures. I’m wearing chino pants above, but corduroy is another excellent option for the winter months. You can also wear almost any pair of shoes with them, but boots with a slim shaft work best. Browse a bunch of wide leg pants options in the widget below!
Business Casual Outfit with Work Tote
No business casual outfit is complete without a trusty work tote! (I’m always so weirded out by the men that work at my office and arrive with NOTHING except whatever is on their person. Like, where is their stuff??? Their lunch? Water bottle? Snacks? Scarf if they get cold?) I’ve been using my Madewell medium Transport tote for YEARS, and it’s still going strong.
I don’t need my work tote to fit a laptop, but you may, in which case, be sure to check the dimensions and read reviews before purchasing one! Mine is the perfect size for a couple of notebooks, my headphones, wallet, Kindle, large water bottle (Stanley knockoff), phone, keys, and some snacks… plus all the miscellaneous crap that ends up in my bag, like pens!
Business Casual Outfit with Wool Coat
I typically live in puffer coats in the winter, even when I go to work, but it’s nice to have a wool coat in your arsenal in case you’re headed to an important meeting or professional conference in the winter. I love a classic tan wool topcoat like the one I’m wearing here. It has a relatively timeless silhouette and can be worn with any colors (besides grey, as I’m personally not a fan of mixing grey and tan).
If you’re looking for a wool coat for work, I would recommend a coat that is more fitted and that has more structure versus something that is “floppy”, for lack of a better word. Collars instantly make coats look dressier, and a tie waist is great if your size fluctuates and you want to be sure your coat will always fit. Definitely opt for as much wool as possible because wool will keep you warmer!
Business Casual Outfit with Cable Knit Sweater
You can’t have winter outfits without sweaters! You’ll see them in almost all of the outfits I’m wearing here. I love all kinds of sweaters, and I ONLY reach for super soft sweaters. Life is too short to wear anything itchy. Cable knit sweaters are so cozy and perfect for staying warm at your desk, especially when you layer a Heattech tee from Uniqlo underneath.
Cable knit sweaters are a winter classic, so you’ll find them available from a variety of brands and retailers. Shop a selection in the widget below! I’m partial to crewneck sweaters, but I’ve also been loving quarter zip sweaters, and v-necks are nice if you want to show off a necklace. Turtlenecks are another great option, especially if you spend time commuting outdoors.
Business Casual Outfit with Knit Blazer
Business casual outfits almost always include blazers, so we can’t finish this roundup without talking about blazers. In the winter, wool blazers and sweater blazers are great for staying warm. Sweater blazers tend to read more casual than your typical work blazer (the fit is generally looser and less structured). Layer your knit blazer over tees, thin sweaters, silk tops, or button-downs.
Knit blazers come in a bunch of different lengths and styles. If you’re also petite, I recommend a blazer that hits at your hips, and sometimes a cropped style fits best. (Cropped blazers also look great over skirts and dresses!) I also like longer blazers that hit below the hips, like the sweater blazer I’m wearing here. Long and oversized blazers also read more casual, so keep that in mind when shopping!