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Business Casual Ideas for Women: 132 Chic Work Outfits

by Outfit Ideas for Work, Outfit Ideas: How to Mix & Match Your Clothes

In this post we have assembled a bunch of business casual ideas for women using some of the outfits from our Women’s Business Style Guide!

If you work outside the home, you know that getting dressed each morning is a big enough accomplishment, let alone feeling confident and chic in your outfit choices.

So we are sharing these FREE just for you

We will cover multiple outfits for each season of the year and show you combos you may not have thought of.

Stand aside white button-down shirt & black pants, we are going to mix it up and it’s going to be EASY to do!

But first, we’d like to go over WHY these outfits work so seamlessly and effortlessly.

A capsule wardrobe!

Why Should You Use a Capsule Wardrobe?

Did you know a capsule wardrobe actually means you can make MORE outfits with LESS clothes?

Does this sound like a dream? Don’t be a doubter – It’s true!

What a Capsule Wardrobe Is:

A capsule wardrobe is a purposeful closet of clothes that all mix and match easily.

To achieve a capsule wardrobe, you need to:

  • declutter your closet and only keep what you love wearing and fits you right now (the rest can be stored or consigned/donated)
  • moving forward, only buy clothes that you need (using a checklist like we provide helps insure you fill the gaps in your wardrobe and don’t just buy more of the same piece that you already have and don’t need)
  • only buy clothes that mix and match with your other clothes (so that there’s lots of ways to wear it)

In short, think: CAPSULE WARDROBE = PURPOSEFUL WARDROBE

How Big a Capsule Wardrobe Is:

Some stylists and bloggers would say it’s supposed to be small and minimal. But at Frump Fighters, we say:

A capsule wardrobe DOES NOT have to be small! As long as every piece in your closet is loved and can be mixed and matched with your other clothes (not just sitting there cluttering your space) then you’ve achieved a capsule wardrobe!

Ultimately how many items you have is up to you–a perfect capsule wardrobe is the one that works for YOU. (Corina loves a lot of variety, but many of our readers like to keep it ultra-minimal!)

It will help you take your unique style, your color palette and current wardrobe and start to create many different outfits with hardly any effort.

business casual ideas for women including outfits for spring summer fall and winter


Do you want more fashionable outfit ideas & easy shopping tips?

What to Wear with Leather Leggings: 14 Casual & Classy Outfit Tips
Best White Tees on Amazon + How to Wear a White Shirt (5 outfit examples!)
How to Dress Plus Size: 10 Style Tips for Curvy Women


The Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

  1. Your investment goes farther:
    You end up spending your money on clothes you know will work for you and your closet (you’re shopping from a checklist, using your color scheme, and only buying what you 100% love) you end up wearing everything you buy SO MUCH MORE.
  2. Simplify your shopping with a color scheme:
    A capsule wardrobe is the best way to purposefully use specific colors that mix and match. It makes your closet more versatile AND fun! It also allows you to work in neutral colors and bright colors that suit your personal style. 
  3. Loving What You Have to Wear:
    Being pickier about what you buy also means you’ll be so much happier about what you have to wear each day!
  4. Eliminating Decision Fatigue:
    A capsule helps take any decision fatigue out of your mind and gives you a simple style that works every single day.

 

Free Business Casual Capsule Wardrobe Plan

If this interests you, download our free Business Style Capsule Wardrobe Checklist! It’s a printable PDF you can use to organize your own capsule for business casual and business professional outfits!

the ultimate free downloadable capsule for business casual

 

Now with that overview out of the way here are the 12 business casual outfits we are SO EXCITED to share with you! 3 for each season – fall, winter, spring, and summer.

 

12 Business Casual Outfits for Women

Fall Business Casual Ideas for Women

business casual outfit ideas for women for work, office, or school.

Floral Blouse + Neutral Pencil Skirt + Simple Jewelry + Sandals = The sandals keep you feeling like summer hasn’t completely disappeared, while the long sleeves give a nod toward fall.

 

outfit ideas for women wearing business casual or business professional

Shirt Dress + Print Flats + Trench Coat = Classic shapes with a fun shoe to add a little bit of (office-appropriate) pizzazz

outfit ideas for women for work, office, or school.

Color Slacks + Print Blouse + Blazer + Dress Shoes = Wear the blazer over a tank blouse and seamlessly transition to fall!

 

Winter Business Casual Ideas for Women

outfit ideas for women wearing business casual or business professional

Neutral Blouse + Print Pants + Blazer + Color Ballet Flats = The pants may feel a little out of your comfort zone, but if you get a neutral colored, small print they will actually match a lot of your other pieces!

business casual outfit ideas for women for work, office, or school.

Fitted Sweater + Pleated Skirt + Mules = Walk into your business meeting feeling professional, classy, yet sassy😉 in this skirt. Keep in neutral and you’ll find it’s very versatile!

outfit ideas for women wearing business casual or business professional

Sweater Dress + Tights + Ankle Boots = You can’t get a more cozy, but professional outfit!


Do you need some more fashion inspiration that is EASY and still chic? You may find these other blog posts helpful!

20 Mom-friendly Ways to Wear Skirts & Dresses in the Winter
How to Wear Skirts Without Looking Frumpy (with 3 printable PDF guides)
Essential Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe: 15 Staple Clothing Pieces Every Mom Should Have


Spring Business Casual Ideas for Women

outfit ideas for women for work, office, or school.

Blouse + Dark Jeans + Light Color Cardigan = This casual look is a perfect outfit for “Casual Fridays” if your workplace allows that. You can easily swap out the blue jeans for black jeans otherwise! The cardigan gives a fun pop of summer color!

 

outfit ideas for women wearing business casual or business professional

Print Skirt + Neutral Blouse + Blazer = When you think of business casual skirts you probably just think pencil skirts. Don’t be afraid to mix it up with a fun a-line skirt with a subtle print. Combined with this structured blazer you can totally pull this off in a professional setting!

business casual outfit ideas for women for work, office, or school.

Chambray + Dress Pants + Print Belt = Don’t be afraid to mix more casual blouses with dress pants by keeping your accessories (like this belt and earrings) dressy too! It’s a trendy combo that you can pull off in the workplace.

Summer Business Casual Ideas for Women

outfit ideas for women wearing business casual or business professional

Wide-Leg Pants + Striped Tee + Print Flats = This little bit of color matching is still classy, neutral, but trendy too!

outfit ideas for women for work, office, or school.

White Shirt + Print Skirt + Light Color Cardigan = The matching heels and earrings pull this together, while the cardigan gives a beautiful, springy feel to your outfit. If you feel like the white tee is too casual for your workplace, swap it out with a white blouse.

outfit ideas for women wearing business casual or business professional

Floral Dress + Heeled Sandals + Trench Coat = This summer dress looks so classy with minimalist jewelry and heeled sandals. A trench coat is a must for a lightweight coat for spring (and summer if you need it) that looks professional and works with everything from slacks to skirts to dresses.

How to Get 120 More Work Outfits

the ultimate capsule wardrobe with business casual ideas for women including checklists and outfit ideas

Our gorgeous Women’s Business Style Guide is a perfected list of essentials for business women from tops to shoes to jewelry– so you can create chic looks every time. 

We have visual examples of every clothing piece so you know what you’re looking for, including notes on how to adapt for pregnancy or more extreme climates.

If you prefer a more minimal wardrobe, we’ve clearly marked the “essentials” so you can run with a very minimalist capsule if desired.

Part of the brilliance of this book is how the outfit combinations are planned out so you use the items in your closet in every way possible.the ultimate capsule wardrobe with business casual ideas for women including checklists and outfit ideas

You will never feel bored by your options when you have instant stylish & professional looks to copy at your fingertips!

You can flip thru seasonal outfit sections to find outfits you can wear to the office in Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer! (The 132 outfits are divided evenly amongst the seasons)

By using staple pieces in your wardrobe you will never waste money on unused clothes again.

Our guide also makes it easy to find go-to “uniforms” that you love wearing for the busiest days in the office.

Includes Business Professional Essentials & Outfits Too!

What is your dress code policy at work? Do you work in an office with a strict professional dress code? Or maybe a school with a business casual dress code? 

The graphic below shows you what our Business Casual guide covers for dress code.

Most of the outfits use the classic pieces of skirts and dress pants. But we also show you how to style dresses, sweaters, dark wash jeans (for those teachers with Casual Friday!) and, as a bonus section, suits!

If your work place dress code tends to the dressiest side of this graphic, we also have included a formal outfit option using a “Formal Dress” in each season.

Business Casual and Business Professional Outfit Ideas - What is workleisure?

If your company’s dress code allows for more casual attire than what’s under the green line in the graphic above, you may find you’d get more use from our Women’s Essentials Style Guide.

Like the Workleisure outfit shown, our Women’s Essentials outfits will have a more casual style including items like a denim jacket and casual shoes like slip-ons.

Frequently Asked Questions

▶Is this mobile friendly?

YES. 100%. Every feature of this product works on mobile. You can download the eBook to use without internet, and the other features like the web app, mini course, and others are in mobile-friendly formats online.

▶Is this a print or digital product?

The style guide is available as both an eBook and a printed hard copy (identical in content). The other included resources are all digital (shopping guide, mini course, etc.).

the ultimate free downloadable capsule for business casual Business style guide with business casual ideas for women whether they need business casual or business professional clothing

You can add the Frump Fighters Interactive platform separately (your Business Style Guide will unlock inside) to enjoy customizing your outfits and creating an outfit calendar with the business outfits!

Check out how the Interactive platform lets you see the outfits with YOUR pieces and create an outfit calendar for work!

 

▶Are there shopping links for the clothes?

The exact clothes shown are just examples however we do link to them in the eBook.

We also include a bonus shopping guide to Amazon for the essential pieces in the capsule plan!

▶Do I have to buy a bunch of clothes for this style guide to work for me?

Nope. The style guide isn’t about spending a bunch of money on new clothes. It’s about discovering how to wear what you already have and exploring new pieces that can help you maximize the use of everything you own.

To that end, the style guide comes with a clothing checklist called a “wardrobe plan” that shows you the kinds of pieces you should have in your wardrobe. 

You can then work away at adding missing clothing items as your budget allows. (Many of our users shop only at their local thrift store and spend very little filling in the gaps over time!)

Even if you don’t have all of clothing pieces recommended in the style guide, you will be able to greatly expand how many outfits you create using what you already own.

▶Does this work for pregnant or nursing moms?

Absolutely, it’s designed to work for pregnant and nursing moms too. There are tips provided under each wardrobe item on the list to help you decide whether to adapt a non-maternity item or get something specifically maternity.

You can also choose to just use the essentials from the plan during your pregnancy as the outfits that use them are clearly marked.

▶Does this work for plus size too?

Yes, we have women of every shape and size using it and looking fab!

Learn More & Get your full Women’s Business Style Guide here

We encourage you to buy pieces that flatter and compliment your body type no matter what size you are. YOU are what is beautiful. Just the way you are now!

▶What if I’m over 40, will this still work for me?

Absolutely! A majority of our women are actually in the 35-55 range. And we have many seniors using it too.

The plan is flexible enough to adapt to your taste and style while still allowing the outfit combos in the Style Guide to work beautifully.

▶Isn’t it easy enough to come up with my own outfit combinations?

On average most people only actually wear a quarter or less of the outfit potential because they gravitate towards the looks they’re used to and comfortable with.

This style guide is designed to take the decision of what you’ll wear out of your hands, both saving your time and energy while also helping you try combinations you never thought of before.

Even though I’ve planned the different outfits in the guide myself, I still fall into ruts of wearing my pieces the same way when I don’t refer to my style guides!

Reviews…

Cassidy wrote: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Just What I Was Looking For. Returning to work after more than 10 years as a SAHM. This guide was just the jump start I needed to build up my professional wardrobe. I appreciate that the items that overlapped with the casual guide were highlighted.” 

Julie wrote: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Why I LOVE the Women’s Business Style Guide (2nd Ed.) This guide has taken the “decision fatigue” aspect out of getting dressed for this working mom! Absolutely LOVE it!”

 

Learn More & Get your full Women’s Business Style Guide here, available as eBook as well as a Print Book!

Which of the outfits that we shared is your favorite? What is your go-to outfit for work?
Click here to leave your response.

 

classy outfit ideas for the working mom for business casual and business professional