CREATING A WARDROBE THAT WORKS.

• Author: BRONIKOWSKI, LYNN
• Position: Business casual look in clothing - Brief Article

Lisa Herzlich clogs through Cherry Creek shopping center, hauling clunky signs announcing new stores or events. Later, she tosses dozens of tote bags over her shoulder to deliver to a charity fund-raiser. Later still, a TV reporter calls for an on-camera interview about the center's 10th anniversary.

It's all in a day's work for the marketing director of Denver's No. 1 shopping mecca and top tourist attraction. And her wardrobe, built around a business-casual style, has to be able to handle everything, from climbing a ladder to hang holiday decorations to holding a business meeting with the CEO of a major new tenant.

Since the early 1990s, when well-meaning managers introduced "casual Fridays" as a way to lift worker morale, the American workplace has been in a state of confusion about how to dress. Some Coloradans hire fashion stylists such as New York City's Annie Brumbaugh to help plan their wardrobes. Others attend seminars put on by menswear shops. There's even a business casual homepage at Nordstrom.com. But most people just wing it.

"Business casual has a fuzzy definition," said Herzlich. "But for me it means I have to be ready to schlep stuff or go in front of a camera to do an interview and represent the shopping center in a manner in which they would be proud."

She has a few basic rules: rubber-soled shoes, generally flats, to cover the miles she logs trekking through the shopping center; basic suits topped with a sweater instead of a jacket; and relaxed blazers.

"If you want to be casual, you still have to be classy," said Herzlich. "Being in a fashion environment, I get to be a little more funky in what I wear and what I mix and match."

Neiman Marcus spokeswoman Nancy Sager said that for women, the sweater set is a favorite for the business casual look. "Pair it with a great pair of trousers or skirt and you can't go wrong," said Sager. "Even though the style might be business casual, it still is a pulled-together look."

Often people confuse casual with dressing down, even baring arms and necklines. "Business casual should never include bareness, things that are too tight or too provocative," said Sager. "You're dressed casually but professionally rather than being in the traditional suit."

Personal stylist Brumbaugh, who visits Denver to advise clients on their wardrobes -- tossing out old, rarely-worn items and buying anew on shopping trips -- attributes the changing fashion landscape to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs whose...