Appropriate Tops For Women

This is where things become controversial due to the fact that there's a fine line between casual and too much/too sloppy. Firstly, depending on the workplace, I would suggest you ask your manager or human resource representative to define what their business casual means. All workplaces have different meaning of business casual but it is widely accepted that one should dress one position higher than your current job. Secondly, another safe tip would be to wear any top with a collar. Having a collared top usually indicates professionalism since back in the day and carrying that theory around till now is a safe bet that your collared top will be perfectly fine.

Tops are a tricky one for women because there's just so many options to choose from! From the tank tops to the sweaters, there is a large subsection for each category, so we'll start by sectioning each category starting with the "unders" to the "overs".

Cami's, tank tops, racer backs, etc. These all fall under the same category -- layering tanks. I certainly don't suggest wearing anything sleeveless nor partially see-through for professional reasons as well as for the sake of keeping your job. It's called a layering tank for a reason... to stay underneath and to layer on top of.

Short/long sleeves and blouse shirts are usually the safe ones to wear for a casual work apparel due to the flexibility and comfort. Plain tees, whether it's a v-neck, crew cut, round, anything with a high enough cut around the collar is safe as long as the cleavage isn't shown too much because that would attract un-wanted attention and can automatically deem you as unprofessional and more. Blouses on the other hand tend to not be too revealing when it comes to the collar/cleavage area although, most blouses are usually thinner materials, hence being partially see-through usually creates the problem for those type of tops. Conveniently, that's where where the layering tops comes into play and can easily be resolved with a silk or regular spandex cami, hiding what doesn't need to be seen within workplace eyes.

Button ups & blazers are usually safe, although some can be too formal depending on the workplace environments. I suppose that you can say this can be situational because if you're wearing a collared button up with a blazer, it certainly gives that ambiance of professionalism but if your workplace is much more toned down, apparel-wise, you'll certainly catch people's attention because you're over dressed. At the same time, if you wear a flannel shirt with bright vibrant colors, if gives that grungy look, creating that un-professional look for most places. A thin stripped or plain blouse/blazer is perfectly fine if you're looking for casual work apparel in this case.

Sweaters and cardigans are the most popular one to go for, especially during our cold seasons. Using a layering tee or blouse, you can create a look that's casual and business-like. Both cardigans and sweaters certainly gives that leeway between our regular street-wear and workplace attire and can be used in both scenarios. Appropriate? I would certainly agree.

With all that been said, all tops worn can be any color, pattern or design, although, clothing that represents a religious/political beliefs or any graphic or words with slander is usually frowned upon in most workplaces. Unless you are working for an organization that stands for the same, I suggest steering out of wearing it in order to avoid alienating management, other employees or customers.

Overall, always dress neatly, avoiding a sloppy look. Just because the office allows casual clothes, doesn't mean you can push it far and show up in a revealing top. The clothes you wear usually reflects the type of person you are, so consider what type of top to wear while looking into your closet and think of what type of image you would like to project to people at work.