Work Attire

I had a question as to what it means when a company says "We operate a smart casual dress policy on Fridays."  What would that mean you would wear during the rest of the week.  It's a Chartered Accountancy firm, and I know that in accounting firms in the States, business casual is what people wear regularly, and suits (business professional) when meeting with clients.  I'm just not quite sure what kinds of clothes I'll need to get.  I just have a feeling the US is more casual than the UK.  Any tips?

The rest of the week would most likely be suits.  Luckily, I have a business casual dress policy year round.

bvamin

It would mean instead of any sharp business attire (suits, blouses, shirts, ties etc) you could go for a nice casual pair of chino's and a short sleeved shirt - if you are a guy or for ladies less formal dress, skirt, blouse, top etc.

I don't personally think business casual means Jeans, but some firms do, so I would check on that one personally.

Something that is still appropriate to work in the office in, but you wouldn't wear it to a meeting is how I always judge it.

HTH?

"We operate a smart casual dress policy on Fridays." 

I would read this that you can wear jeans as long as they're nice looking and stuff along those lines. My company has a smart casual dress policy on Fridays. We have to donate £2 which goes to a charity but we get to wear jeans and t-shirts. Some of the girls take it a bit far and wear some decidedly trashy clothes but no one has yet to bat an eye.

Just to be sure, I'd ask what is the appropriate dress on a Friday.

sounds  like  "sunday best".. only people don't dress up for sunday anymore.. 

I would definitely ask your company what the typical person wears on those days - each one has a different view of casual!

One of my UK cousins is an accountant and he has to wear a suit everyday to work. Maybe that field is more formally dressy over here than in the US? But I agree -- no harm in asking!

Accountancy, like legal, is still very formal here in the UK.  I would take 'smart casual' to mean a smart pair of khaki trousers and collared top for men; nice trousers and quality blouse with closed-toed flat shoes for women.  No skirts or tights or suits.  But deffo NOT jeans in an accountancy firm. 

Accountancy, like legal, is still very formal here in the UK.

I don't know. I think it's different with every company. I work in a law firm and none of the men actually wear suits. They just wear the shirt, tie and trousers. Today I'm wearing a white blouse and blue pin striped trousers. Nothing really formal, just business dress. And like I said, we all wear jeans and t-shirts on Fridays.

Some accounting firms in the states are still very formal. I've worked for three or four different ones and we were required to wear business suits (yes, even us women) every day of the week, including Fridays. The only day we were allowed to wear business casual was if we worked on Saturdays.

I think it really does depend on the individual office -- your best bet is to ask someone and dress very safely on that first Friday so you don't end up in jeans when everyone else is wearing khakis.

There's nothing wrong with showing up dressed as you would on a work week for the first couple Fridays until you get a feel for the place.  You avoid asking questions and sounding like a dweeb, or showing up inappropriately dressed, and just learn by observation. 
 

~Liza