More than two thirds of Americans are uncertain about the differences among business attire, business casual and casual dress in the workplace, says Dennis Tootelian, professor at California State University who completed a study on workplace fashion.

Thirty percent of those surveyed said it was harder today to know what's acceptable attire than it was 10 years ago, with more women than men citing difficulty.

But all that may be moot. Thanks to tough times in business, the fashion tide seems to be turning again-this time back to more formal clothes.

"When things aren't going well, you have to find your edge," says Neal Schear, a Cincinnati CPA.

"I've gone from wearing jeans and a sweater back to suits. It gives me a more serious attitude. This is money we're dealing with. This is business. This is serious. Wearing a suit not only makes me feel more psychologically serious, but people deal with me differently."

The return to more formality could also reflect a sign of the times in which there is a longing for more structure and civility in business. Whatever the impetus, getting back to the tried and true basics may be a relief for workers who started their careers wearing standard suits and were bewildered when business casual came along.

But for younger workers-those in their 20's who never experienced the more formal attire-casual wear is the way it is.

Referring to younger respondents of his survey, Tootelian says, "The concept of a coat and tie isn't even on their radar screen."

"I even noticed in some CPA firms, when younger workers wore suits, their peers made fun of them," says Schear.

If your company has gone business casual with no plans to change policy, the rule of thumb to follow is to dress according to the kind of work you do and the people you're interacting with on a given day.

So if you're meeting a customer or client for the first time, dress up. If you're visiting a client you've done business with and everyone at that company is casual, go business casual.

Depending on where you sit within an organization, for men that might be a sport coat without a tie or a tie without a jacket and a more casual shoe like a loafer. The higher up in a company, the more formal you want your casual business attire to be. Be prepared in case a meeting you hadn't planned for comes up. I know several executives who keep a tie and jacket at their offices just in case. For women business casual is a well-coordinated outfit of pants, blouse and jacket or a skirt and top or dress.

Don't confuse casual with slovenly or risqué. Business casual has never meant t-shirts, sweat shirts, shorts, clothes with frayed edges or showing your stomach, thighs or cleavage. If people are staring at your clothes-or lack thereof-you need to spend more time going through your closet to find appropriate attire.

© by Andrea Kay