To dress up or down? That’s a fashionable question for companies: whether it is better to stick to traditional suits or to wear more casual office attire. 

Casual dress usually means smart casuals. This can be defined as no jeans, T-shirts or trainers. Many companies also ban bare midriffs (women) and flapping shirt tails (men).

Generally, you have to ask whether the person in question would be dressed appropriately if they bumped into a client during work hours.

The business casual concept originated in the parts of the USA with sweltering summers, but soon spread, both around the western world and to Fridays all year round.

Employers who favour casual office wear report a more efficient office environment; comfortable journeys to work; savings on acquiring and maintaining a work wardrobe; and a modern image that suggests they are in touch with clients.

However, if you are going to a meeting with a City firm for a big contract, dress might need to be more formal. Pity the business person who found he was the only person at a tough commercial meeting not wearing a decent suit.

Whether or not your firm adopts a dress down code inevitably depends on the type of work, client profile, location, age, gender and personality.