Hi guys. So I've always worked in a law firm where the definitions of business casual and business professional were very conservative. At the firm, business professional would be a suit for sure.

Here is my question:

My MBA program orientation starts tomorrow. We're to dress business casual during the day and business professional for the banquet. Do you think I could pull heels, pencil skirt, and blouse for business professional?

i say you need a jacket for business professional.

even in texas in the middle of the summer? it was 104 at 5pm today. i will be sweating like a pig.

maybe i can just carry the jacket around.

Hi guys. So I've always worked in a law firm where the definitions of business casual and business professional were very conservative. At the firm, business professional would be a suit for sure.

Here is my question:

My MBA program orientation starts tomorrow. We're to dress business casual during the day and business professional for the banquet. Do you think I could pull heels, pencil skirt, and blouse for business professional?


I think that should be fine. I have to dress business professional for the law firm I work for and I don't have to wear a jacket (well not during the summer anyways!). I wear slacks/skirts, heels and a blouse...

I would normally say jacket but I think you should be fine without it since its summer. I find it hard to imagine a bunch of people wearing their jackets in that kind of heat. Maybe bring it along just in case you feel uncomfortable/under dressed when you get there. You can always hang it up if you don't need it. Good luck with orientation!

thanks guys. normally i have no problem dressing really formal (i actually like it) but i also don't want to meet all my classmates for the first time as a big sweaty mess :)

I would bring the jacket but only wear it indoors.

it's the second day and we've found some kind of middle ground...

we wear the jackets by night, but not during the day.

tomorrow night we have to dress "smart business casual" for a networking reception at the four seasons. (i'm excited to see the four seasons in town for the first time!) of course, one of the women in the program asked what distinguishes smart business casual from business casual and business professional. the male dean, looking befuddled, said "it's somewhere in between." that would be an acceptable answer except for the only difference between business casual and business professional, as it stands, is a suit jacket. the girls were joking that we're meant to cut our suit jackets in half.

of course, they had a specific definition of the male version of smart business casual at the ready.

i guess this is what happens in a program where there are four men for every women enrolled.