Business casual is the best thing that will ever happen to your life. Once you figure out how to dress, you will look seamless, classy and trendy without overdoing it, no matter what you are doing or where you are going.

Even better, these outfits will take you from Monday morning to Saturday night. The only thing you’ll need to add is a beer.

 Match it

Before you get excited about going business casual, you have to reintroduce yourself to the good old color wheel. The color wheel is your friend. It will save you from trying on ridiculous items, then throwing them on floor and going to war with your clothes. Put the lighter fluid and matches down.

First, get yourself organized and sort your clothes into a rainbow … or even into the color wheel pattern. Sort your neutrals after. This gets you into a rhythm of picking out colored clothes first, then mixing in neutrals or safe clothes. You can even get crazy obsessed and have your accessories and shoes nearby in a similar pattern so you can easily check out what matches. If you manage to pull this off, do yourself a favor call the Kardashians and tell them pack up and leave town because you are the new Magician of Fashion.

A color wheel shows you rows of what works well together between same color-family tones and what colors complement each other on the opposite end. You can actually download a color wheel app on your smartphone. So now, go back to your closet, pick out a piece of clothing, match it to where it is on the color wheel and then stay in the same number row, find an opposite complementary color or just mix it with a neutral. The marketing geniuses at every big-name store come out
with a color scheme every season so you feel like you need to buy all the items just to pull together a decent outfit. With a color wheel and some organization, you can see what you have and what colors you may need to mix in.

Also, a color wheel can help you identify what colors fit each season. Numbers like 9, 8 and 7 work great in summer; 6, 5 and 4 for spring; 3 and 2 for fall; and 1 works for winter. Now as a total cliché, there really are no rules in fashion. Try your clothes on, line up your outfits for the week and try some mixing and matching. It may take you 40 minutes to line up your clothes for the week, but it will save you from wanting to burn down your house because you can’t pull together a decent outfit in three minutes in the morning. Truth!

Must-haves

These are the foundations you’ll need to mix and match. These pivotal basics are must-haves in your wardrobe. Prices range from expensive ($$$) to fashion on the cheap ($). Remember, some items – like suits – are worth the investment. A good suit can take off 10 pounds. I will even pay extra if the suit can take of 20 pounds.

Suits $$-$$$

Men and women need a good, tailored-fit suit. The pieces of the suit can transition from formal (when worn together) to business casual (when worn broken up). Men should have two suits of different fits and colors. If you are a plain dude, get black and a medium to dark gray; one suit should be a looser fit and one more tailored. Women, buy the pencil skirt with the coat and pants. Start with black. A suit is the most important part of your wardrobe in any working situation. You don’t have to pair suit items together, but you should have a good base.

Button-up shirts $$-$$$

Men can get away with a good designer button-up. Spend the cash on the higher-quality thread count. Get a wrinkle-free shirt. This goes for women, too. Ladies, get a size bigger than you are. There is a fine line between fitting and tight.

Coats $$-$$$

You live in New England, so get a nice jacket. If you get fired, you can always wear it to a funeral. Trench and pea coats are always in fashion.

Jeans $-$$

Jeans are often frowned upon at work or thought of as not being “dressy” enough. Well, the jean has evolved, and so has the concept. Solid-colored jeans with classic seams and cut work for both men and women. Men, try a skinnier leg. Women, try a crop or slouch. Jeans are easy and they feel good on. But stick to darker solid colors. You can even wear jean shirts; a classic jean button-up is timeless. Make sure to use starch when ironing. Ironing is a must to make your jeans look work-ready.

Vests $-$$

I don’t care what you have seen or heard, vests are amazing. Amazing!! And everyone looks good in one. You might have to try on a lot of vests to see what will work, but once you find the right chesticle vesticle, you will want to buy more and more. You can wear them with suits. They can be a pullover, cardigan or oversized. Vests are a layering basic. And they can hide coffee spills on your shirts and the dreaded muffin top. They cinch your waist, and vests just make you feel so crafty.

Cardigans $-$$

Cardigans, cheap cardigans! V-neck, button-up, pullover … any style, any fabric. I find cardigans online and in stores for basically peanuts. We are talking about $10-$15 each. They come in a zillion colors and can help transition clothes between seasons. You can wear a cardigan with any of your basic bottoms paired with a basic top.

Textured and patterned clothes $-$$

Quilted, lace, stripes, plaids, geometrics, tweed, argyle, wool blends – anything goes! If you have trouble figuring out what works, revert back to the color wheel. Color blocking works best, and textures and patterns mix up an ordinary outfit. Don’t get too crazy and pair patterns and bright, shocking colors together. Instead, tone down a bright pattern with neutrals – and don’t get too matchy-matchy.

Wild cards

Accessories $-$$$

This covers it all. You can find these from little money to a lot. Jewelry, belts, scarves, shoes, ties, bowties, socks, tights and stockings! Stick to one wild card per outfit, unless you work as a lounge singer in a Las Vegas show.

Statement Piece $-$$$

A statement piece can really be any basic clothing item in a bolder color, print, style or cut. They are generally timeless pieces that you can keep in your wardrobe forever. The best places to find them are consignment spots, clearance racks and in your grandparents’ closets. But you can also find some really great faux high-end fashion pieces at the basic trendy, inexpensive stores; they just might not be the exact quality you are seeking.

A big statement piece that most women try to avoid is the dress. But really, dresses are so easy and can be such a great mix into your closet. Also, a unique pattern or ombre effect works well.

For men, statement pieces will be more about the colors (think bold and rich). A richer color or pattern on a jacket is a great starter statement piece for a man. Plus, most likely, no one else will buy it, so it will probably be on sale.

Business casual is a movement and way of living. You feel comfortable in what you are wearing at all times. More and more businesses are encouraging employees to wear more casual and relaxed clothes. The end results being that the employees are more creative, functional and happier. Everyday clothes for everyday people.

BONUS: If you jump on the business casual train and dress like this all the time, it saves you the embarrassment of leaving the house in your terrible, ripped sweatpants and seeing everyone you know at CVS. Also, the moment you figure out business casual, you can chat about all the sweater vests you now own. Definitely a win-win.

By Jamie Burke