Four Easy Spring Business Casual Outfit Ideas + The NEW 2nd Edition Spring Business Casual Starter Kit Wardrobe Guide is NOW AVAILABLE!

It’s time for more spring workwear inspiration! Today I’m sharing four easy spring business casual outfit ideas you can copy!

But first, some exciting news. There are now BRAND NEW 2nd edition Spring Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides® for both Business Casual & Casual style in the PMT Shop. They each have fresh designs, some fresh outfits, and fresh shopping guides. Today’s outfits are all from the new 2nd edition Spring Business Casual guide!

I know life is SUPER busy, and while you want to look good, it might be the last thing on your list of priorities. Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides® allow you to shortcut the process by helping you plan, shop for, and put together an easy-to-use, mix-and-match starter wardrobe and the many outfits from it. Whether you’re “style-challenged” or just need to refresh your wardrobe, Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides® make the process QUICK and SIMPLE, and you’ll feel confident in your clothes in no time—without the overwhelm.

If you already own a copy of the original spring Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides® and are wondering if these are right for you, you can think of them like 2nd editions of books. The structure and strategy is the same, and some of the content is the same, but there are quite a few new outfits and new looks. So, if you are ready for a little refresh from the original starter kit wardrobe you created, take a peek at the 2nd editions. You’ll be able to see previews of several of the outfits in the product details to see if they’d be right for you. FWIW, the outfits in the casual guide have more similarities to the original guide while the business casual guide has significantly different looks.

I’m also sharing four of the outfits from the Business Casual Spring Starter Kit Wardrobe Guide® today, so you can see even more right here!

SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes and 8.5 to 9 in shoes.

 

1. Solid Colored Top or Sweater + Navy or Black Pants
A solid colored top or sweater—in any color—can make a lot of outfits because you can pair it with other solid pieces, and you can pair it with printed pieces. (In case you’re not familiar with the Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides®, the shopping list is customizable in the sense that you don’t need to use pieces with the same color, shape, or details as the example pictures. In other words, you don’t have to use a grey sweater like this for your starter kit wardrobe. It could be a hot pink blouse instead!)

This outfit is super easy and basic, but you can make it interesting through several things. One, choose a top with some sort of special details that elevate it from a super basic top. That instantly makes an outfit look more stylish, without having to trying harder! Two, add printed shoes. Those are totally optional, but y’all know I love a leopard print shoe, so I almost always add it when the rest of my outfit is made up of solids. Third, accessorize! So, so important! I’m wearing a statement necklace and earrings here, but even just a small necklace goes a long way. 

Shop the Outfit:
Top: Nordstrom (similar)
Pants: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 4, exact from Nordstrom)
Shoes: Nordstrom (similar in D’orsay, similar, similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact in slightly different colors—wearing size M)
Necklace: Nordstrom (similar)

 

2. Solid Top + Interesting Bottoms
“Interesting bottoms” are anything that is beyond a basic, which could be printed pants, colorful pants, a colorful or printed skirt, or simply pants like these with a special detail like a tie waist that elevates it beyond a basic. Again, with the Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides®, you kind of get to “choose your own adventure” and decide what type of piece you want to add.

BTW, these high waisted pants are from Old Navy, and they are very lightweight and made of a soft, flowy material. The waistband is fully elastic, though the rest has no stretch. I wouldn’t say the quality is amazing or anything, cuz hi, they’re from Old Navy 😄, but they are pretty comfy nonetheless! And they’re a fun “filler” piece to have in your wardrobe for a little while, and several PMTers have said that they have these pants and love them! They don’t provide a lot of structure or support, so pass if that’s what you’re looking for. Otherwise, they are fun to have to mix up your outfits a bit with the tie waist. They come in 5 colors and regular, tall, and petite lengths and sizes XS to 4X, HERE. I wear size S.

If you need another layer, add a neutral cardigan, like a black one or a beige-ish one!

(For more on “filler” pieces, check out my blog post “My Philosophy for Crafting a Wardrobe: Foundational + Filler Pieces.”) 

Shop the Outfit:
Top: Amazon (exact—wearing size S; similar)
Pants: Old Navy (exact—wearing size S)
Shoes: (similar in D’orsay, similar, similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact in slightly different colors—wearing size M)
Necklace: c/o Dear Mushka (exact)

 

3. Dress + Nude or Neutral Shoes
This is perhaps the easiest work outfit formula of all. Throw on a comfy dress and look instantly put together! This is not the exact dress that’s shown in the Spring Business Casual Starter Kit Wardrobe Guide®, but like I mentioned above, the guides give you a lot of flexibility as to colors, prints, and details that you can choose. This one fits my style, though I unfortunately have no personal need for it, apart from showing you outfit ideas! 😆

I’m about to include this dress in an upcoming blog post full of clothing reviews, but since I’m showing it here, I can’t not talk about it, right? 😊 This is a great option for work or going out, depending on which print you get and how you style it. The material is soft and smooth with some stretch to it, but instead of being a typical jersey type of dress, it’s a little smoother and thicker, so I feel like it dresses up a bit better and also doesn’t show every lump and bump as much as some jersey dresses do. It’s really COMFY to wear but looks nice and polished! Plus, it has POCKETS! The cross-front is real here too, so if you are a breastfeeding mama, this would work. It comes in 34 prints and colors(!!), HERE. I’m wearing size M.

Shop the Outfit:
Dress: Amazon (exact—wearing size M)
Shoes: Zappos (similar, similar, similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact in slightly different color—wearing size M)

 

4. Printed Blouse + Dark or Medium Wash Jeans + Cardigan + Flats
In each Starter Kit Wardrobe Guide®, I show you how to add to your wardrobe with just a few pieces so that you can dress pieces up and down seamlessly. For the Business Casual Guides, that means I not only show you business casual outfits, but you also learn how to create Casual Friday outfits (or just nicer casual outfits) by adding just a few more pieces to your starter kit wardrobe.

This outfit is one of those Casual Friday outfits. Simply take a nice blouse and pair it with nice jeans and flats. Great for teachers or any other workplace with a Relaxed Business Casual dress code! (For more on the spectrum of Business Casual style, check out my post “What is Business Casual Style?”)

Again, this top is not one of the exact pieces shown in the guide, but it fits the description of a “Printed Blouse.” Like I’ve said, you have the freedom to choose colors and prints that suit your style, and you can plug them into the example outfits shown in the guide! 😊 Also, this top is very old and no longer available, but there is another cute yellow floral print blouse HERE, in case you’re interested!

Shop the Outfit:
Top: LOFT (similar in “mustard yellow”)
Jeans: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 4; similar)
Cardigan: Nordstrom (similar, similar)
Flats: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 9; similar)
Tote: Nordstrom (exact)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (similar—I wear size M)
Necklace: c/o Dear Mushka (exact)

 

Those are four outfit ideas you can copy once your weather warms up a bit! If you liked these, you’ll love the new 2nd edition Spring Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides®, so go check them out and make getting dressed easy peasy this spring!