"What the heck do I wear to the office?"

Friends,

There’s an RTO mandate sweeping corporate America.

Employees everywhere from Amazon to Zoom (yes, Zoom) will be back in the office the majority of the week in 2025.

If you’re someone who has been working from the comfort of your home (and your less formal clothes) for the last couple years, your head might be spinning.

One big question I’ve been hearing from clients is, “What the heck should I wear to the office?”

They don’t mean, “I don’t know how to put on anything but sweatpants.” It’s not the middle of the pandemic anymore, when we were in shock and truly didn’t know how to dress ourselves.

They mean—what do office dress codes look like now?

Because here’s the thing—lots of companies have gone a bit more casual since Covid.

For many people, that’s intimidating, because a formal dress code was an easy uniform. It was so rigid, they didn’t even have to think about it.

But in many workplaces, that has changed.

If you’re feeling stressed by the thought of dressing for your business casual office in 2025, here are some guidelines for both men and women:

1. Outfits you would wear watching TV on the couch ≠ work attire.

It can be hard to gauge what business casual means in this new era.

But a good rule of thumb is: if you would wear something hanging out at home watching TV, it’s too casual for work. I’m talking athleisure, sweats, and lounge pants (yes, even cashmere!).

Of course, there are notable exceptions (like if you work for a company that sells athleisure, that’s a different story). But those exceptions prove the rule.

2. Never wear just two things. You need a top, a bottom, and a THIRD thing.

The “third thing” in an outfit is what ties the outfit together. (And shoes don’t count.)

It’s an easy formula. If you’re wearing trousers and a blouse, your third thing could be a jacket, a scarf, or a sweater. It could be a statement necklace or a watch or a belt.

The goal here is to add visual interest and to make your clothes look like an outfit.

3. Think about your audience on any given day.

Granted, this isn’t new for 2025—this has always been good advice!

Your outfit should always flex to your audience. For instance, If you’re meeting with the chairman on the board, you may want to revert back to pre-2020 workwear. You can’t control the other person’s expectations around shifting workwear norms, but you can err on the safe side.

If you’re getting dressed and still feel unsure, use this little trick I use with style clients all the time: take a picture of yourself in the outfit. This literally puts you in the place of someone looking at you, and allows you to see the outfit through fresh eyes. Try it if you don’t believe me!

Are you RTO in 2025? How are you thinking about your office style in the new year?

P.S. Still have questions or feel overwhelmed? I have a very exciting new style coaching offering launching next week that I can’t wait to share with you!