By Chantelle Znideric
You’re in back-to-back Zoom calls by 9am, in the office for a client meeting by 2pm, and somehow you’re expected to look effortlessly stylish and suitably dressed for both. Meanwhile, the only guidance your organisation has given you is the phrase “business casual”, and you’re standing in front of your wardrobe at 7am wondering what that actually means.
If this sounds familiar, I promise you, you are not alone. Hybrid working has created one of the most confusing style challenges of modern professional life. I see it with the individuals and organisations I work with all the time, and most people are trying to solve it in the wrong way.
September brings it all into focus. I am sure your diary is filling up fast, there’s a new-term energy in the air, and the wardrobe that carried you through summer suddenly isn’t working. Which makes this the perfect moment to sort it properly.
As a personal stylist with twenty years of experience, I’ve seen the hybrid working wardrobe conundrum crop up time and time again. Here’s what’s actually going on, and how to fix it.
Why “Business Casual” Is the Most Dangerous Phrase in Corporate Fashion…
Let’s start here, because this is where most people go wrong.
Business casual sounds like a helpful middle ground. In reality, it’s one of the most anxiety-inducing dress codes in existence, because it means something completely different depending on the industry, the company, the meeting and the person giving the instruction.
Does it mean tailored trousers and a nice top? Chinos and a shirt? Jeans and a blazer? A dress or jumpsuit, but not a formal one? Nobody quite knows, and in my experience that ambiguity leads to one of two outcomes. People either overdress and feel uncomfortable and out of place, or they underdress and spend the day wanting to hide.
The problem with business casual as a concept is that it asks you to guess. When you’re already navigating a demanding schedule, a busy commute and a screen-heavy workday, guessing what to wear is the last thing you need.
So stop guessing and start with clarity. Ask yourself this – what does a typical week involve, and what does your role require? Who are you meeting, and how? Where are you going, and how do you travel? What do you want to feel like and look like in those spaces? Those questions will do more for you than any dress code ever will.
What to Wear on Zoom Calls | The Real Challenge With Camera Dressing
Zoom has its own rules, and most people haven’t quite cracked them yet.
The camera changes everything. Patterns that look fine in person can vibrate or compress on screen. Dark tops lose definition against a typical office or home background. Busy prints compete with your face for attention, and on a small screen, your face, particularly your mouth, is what people need to focus on.
Here’s what actually works on camera:
- Block colour near your face. A solid-coloured top, blouse or blazer immediately reads as more put-together on screen than anything patterned
- Avoid pure white next to your skin. It can create contrast that washes you out, particularly in artificial light. Soft whites, creams and ivory work far better
- A collar or neckline that frames your face. A V-neck top, a shirt collar, a drapey neckline – anything that draws the eye upward reads as more intentional on camera
- Consider your background as part of your outfit. A neutral background with a bold coloured top creates far more presence than the reverse
- If you wear makeup, wear some lipstick. A bold lip draws attention to your words as you speak, so people focus on what you’re saying. Not a lipstick fan? A coloured gloss works just as well
You don’t need a full outfit for Zoom, but what’s visible from the chest up needs to be working hard.
The Capsule Wardrobe for the Hybrid Professional
This is where it all comes together. If you’re wondering what to wear for hybrid working, the answer isn’t more clothes – it’s a capsule wardrobe built around you, and your working life.
A hybrid working wardrobe isn’t about having separate clothes for home days and office days. That’s how you end up with a packed wardrobe of random pieces you never wear, and let’s be honest, nothing that feels right for either.
Instead, the goal is to curate a core collection of clothes that transitions seamlessly across your whole lifestyle from work, home and off-duty along with a few considered additions that elevate your look when the day demands it.
Here’s what you need.
The pieces that do the heavy lifting:
- Two or three well-fitted trousers or tailored skirts in neutral tones. These are your staple pieces
- A selection of block colour tops and blouses that work on camera and in the room
- One or two blazers or jackets that can smarten up any combination instantly
- A smart knit or layering piece for days when the office is cold or the Zoom call is early
- One reliable dress that works with a blazer over the top for office days and stands alone for calls
The additions that will elevate your look:
- A silk or satin blouse or crisp cotton shirt for client-facing days or high-stakes meetings
- A pair of smart shoes or heels that you know work for longer days on your feet
- Simple, considered jewellery or accessories that photograph well and feel like you
That’s genuinely all you need. It’s not about having lots and lots of clothes, it’s about curating the right pieces that will work hard for you and your lifestyle.
The Mistake Most Hybrid Workers Make
They dress for the easiest part of their day.
I know this because my clients tell me! Their morning of solo Zoom calls doesn’t feel like it warrants much effort, so they reach for something comfortable and plan to change later, but later doesn’t always happen.
The afternoon meeting comes round faster than expected, and the call that was supposed to be internal suddenly has a client on it. The outfit crisis is real, and you spend the rest of the day feeling uncomfortable, compromised and underprepared.
Here’s the simple solution. Dress for the most important part in your day, every day. That doesn’t mean uncomfortable or impractical, it means always ready for anything. When your everyday standard is a little higher, you will never get caught out.
Building a Hybrid Working Wardrobe That Actually Works
If you’re looking at your wardrobe right now and thinking it’s not keeping up with how your working life has changed, that’s a very common place to be. Hybrid working is still relatively new, and most wardrobes haven’t been properly updated to reflect it. Corporate dress code guidelines fall into this category too – I know this from the conversations I’ve had.
The good news is that you probably have more to work with than you think. In most cases, it’s not about starting from scratch. It’s about identifying what’s already working, what’s missing, and what one or two additions would make the whole thing more cohesive. This is the creative bit I love!
If you’d like a fresh pair of eyes on your wardrobe and a clear plan for dressing well across every kind of working day, I’d love to help. Book a free discovery call and let’s work it out together.
And if you’re an HR decision maker whose teams are wrestling with what “business casual” actually means, the STRIBE Corporate Style Programme helps organisations like yours establish clear dress code guidelines and create a visual corporate style guide to share with your teams. Give your people the clarity and confidence a vague dress code never will. Let’s talk.
Chantelle Znideric is an award-winning personal stylist and the founder of STRIBE, a corporate style programme. With twenty years of experience working with ambitious leaders and modern organisations, she believes dressing well has nothing to do with where you come from or what you spend on clothes. It’s about wearing your clothes with clarity, consideration and confidence, and feeling completely like you when you do.
