Dressing down: adopt a professional, stylish look for casual friday.

• Author: Madison, Rachel
• Position: Executive Living

What, exactly, is appropriate attire for casual Friday? "Many men struggle with the idea of casual Friday:' says Jason Yeats, co-founder of Beckett & Robb, a company that specializes in custom suits and dress shirts. "Often wardrobes are built around two extremes: semi-formal and barbecue attire. As we consult with men about their wardrobes, we are often asked about how to successfully bridge these two extremes. The rules are easy, once you learn them, and they will help men look like the well-groomed adults they are, rather than a college kid still learning the ropes."

Wear a sport coat or sweater

Yeats says casual Friday attire should only go down the formality scale "one or two clicks." He explains, "If you normally wear a suit to work, try a sport coat without a tie. If a sport coat is a Monday through Thursday norm, try a nice button-up, short-sleeve shirt (summer) or a sweater over a collared dress shirt (winter)."

A sport coat is not the same as a suit coat

"A sport coat has texture, pattern, color and design details that make it decidedly less dressy than a worsted wool suit coat," Yeats says. "If your suit has pinstripes, lacks texture and is serious in any way, you should only wear it as a suit. If you shop carefully you can find suits that have the proper elements to allow the jacket to be worn as a sport coat."

Don't ever wear a polo or T-shirt under a jacket

"There are situations where these looks can work, but the workplace really isn't one of them. Stick to long-sleeved, collared shirts," Yeats says.

Tuck in your shirt and wear a belt

"If you work someplace formal enough to need to label Friday as 'casual: then you're mature enough that you should almost always tuck in your shirts," Yeats says.

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