Friday morning, and the office lift doors have just slid shut. On a whim, you glance down and start counting. Of the six people inside, five are wearing dark blue jeans. Including you. The day that's meant to be the most relaxed of the week turns out to have a uniform of its own.
Jeans Stop Feeling Casual When Everyone Wears Them
In many offices, casual Friday is treated as jeans day. Yet denim is a thick, stiff fabric that was made for workwear in the first place. Once a whole room is wearing it at the same time, the sense of ease is gone. All that's left is a uniform by another name.
What actually makes an outfit feel relaxed is the fabric. Cloth that looks softer, or has a textured surface, instantly takes the formality down a notch. Warm colours help as well, and so does a cut that gives you room to move. You can get all of that without going anywhere near a pair of jeans.
What to Wear Instead of Jeans: Chinos and Work Pants
Chinos are cotton trousers with a diagonal weave. The fabric is lighter than denim and smoother on the surface, so you still look neat if a last-minute meeting comes up.
The other option is work pants, trousers modelled on the uniforms labourers wear on site. The fabric is thicker than chino cloth, and the texture shows. And that texture is exactly what makes them feel relaxed.
As for colour, coffee brown feels far more laid-back than black, without making you look like you're off on a picnic. There's an example in these brown chinos cut like work pants. They're still full-length trousers you could wear to the office, but the fabric and colour are nowhere near as stiff as dress trousers.
For the cut, look for a pair that gives your thighs a little room and doesn't squeeze your calves. If the terms slim and straight still confuse you, there's a short explanation in the Help Centre.
Swap Your Shirt for a Polo Without Losing the Neat Look
A polo has a collar and a row of buttons at the chest. Those two details are enough for it to pass as office wear. What separates it from a shirt is the knit fabric, which has some give to it. That give is what makes a polo feel more relaxed.
The long-sleeve version comes even closer to a shirt. It's a safe choice for offices that aren't yet used to seeing short sleeves in the meeting room. Take the black long-sleeve polo from the Rise Polo line. Its knit has a honeycomb texture, and the black goes with almost any pair of trousers. First thing in the morning, you won't have to think hard about what to pair it with.
One Casual Friday Outfit You Can Repeat Every Week
Your wardrobe doesn't need an overhaul. One pair of brown trousers or army green chinos, one dark polo and a pair of clean shoes will do. Put it together once the night before, then repeat it every Friday. After that, you won't spend another Thursday night staring into the wardrobe, wondering what to wear.
Hardly anyone notices if you wear the same outfit over and over. People only remember one thing: you always look put together.
And if you catch yourself counting again in the lift next Friday, at least one person in there won't be wearing the uniform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are chinos too formal for casual Friday?
Chinos sit somewhere in between. Their shape keeps them smart, and the cotton keeps them relaxed. As long as you don't wear them with a stiff shirt tucked neatly in, you won't look overdressed.
Apart from coffee brown, which trouser colours are safe for casual Friday?
Army green and dark grey. Both are neutral and easy to pair with any top, but neither is as formal as black.
What if my office has no official casual Friday dress code?
Just go half a step more casual than what you usually wear Monday to Thursday. If that's normally a shirt and dress trousers, a polo with chinos is relaxed enough without drawing the wrong kind of attention.
Can I wear sneakers with chinos and a polo?
Yes, as long as they're clean and the design is simple. Plain white or black sneakers keep the look tidy. Colourful pairs tend to pull the whole outfit towards holiday mode.
Isn't a long-sleeve polo too hot to wear all day?
In an air-conditioned office, long sleeves are actually the more comfortable option. If you have to step out in the middle of the day and it starts getting hot, just roll the sleeves up.