Getting Serious About Business Casual

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(NUI) - Jacket and shirt with no tie? Polo shirt with no jacket? High heels? Low heels? No heels? With summer's "dress down" days now continuing year-round, choosing an appropriate "business casual" wardrobe can feel like a second job.

"Due to the ambiguity of 'business casual,' busy shoppers welcome the ease and convenience of ordering clothes from catalogs," said Amy Blankenship, director of the Shop-At-Home Information Center of the Direct Marketing Association. "Catalogs offer a wide variety of fashionable, affordable clothing from some of the best known merchants. Plus, customer service representatives are available, often around the clock, to offer advice on 'dress down' clothes that move easily through the seasons."

The DMA's consumer Web site, www.shopthenet.org, offers tips on smart catalog and online shopping, plus links to Web sites of top catalog and online retailers. Consumers who shop from companies listed on www.shopthenet.org have the assurance of knowing that the companies adhere to the DMA's ethical guidelines, including the posting of policies regarding the use of their personal information.

To get started on your business casual wardrobe, look to Landsend.com. It offers men's polo shirts in a variety of colors and fabrics, plus relaxed chino and poplin pants, and long- and short-sleeved seersucker and madras shirts. For women, a knee-length dress of cotton/rayon/spandex is a "must have." Three-quarter length sleeves make it a perfect three-season, go-anywhere item. Add a sweater and it's a great winter outfit, too.

For more casual staples, Brooks Brothers, www.brooksbrothers.com, carries comfortably weathered Irish linen shirts in muted pastels, plus soft-collar stretch shirts in vibrant colors. Short-sleeved cotton dress shirts, golden fleece polos, seersucker and poplin sports shirts also are available, along with classic chinos, cotton sweaters and no-iron shirts for both men and women.

For something a little more dressy, but just as casual, visit Garnet Hill at www.garnethill.com. The catalog offers stylish light silks and versatile linens for women, including stretch linen/cotton jackets and pants. Luxurious yet casual, brightly colored knit twin sets - cardigans and tanks - move easily through the seasons.

To complete the "business casual" look, find casual shoes at www.Zappos.com, a popular Web shoe store carrying more than 30 million pairs of shoes. Loafers and other relaxed styles are available from well-known brands like Bostonian, Florsheim, Steve Madden, Skechers and Dr. Martens.