So apparently I really don't have a concept of what business casual is. Right now I'm in college and and starting to do some networking in the professional world(by the way my major is public relations) and I'm kinda in a clothing rut. I was wonder what stores(in the states) you girls shop at for this kinda thing.

i shop at h&m to get "quick fix" items and basics like fitted t-shirts
for anything thats a staple item i will go to bananna republic or anthropologie, ralph lauren etc.

but seriously hit marshalls or jc penny i always see nice designer stuff for less than half the normal retail price

Banana Republic, and some items from gap. PR is a pretty creative, trendy field right? If so you can get away with more trendy, young items than business casual for someone in, say, politics would mean.

and make sure you say it like heidi klum "bah-na-nuh republic".
atleast i do.

new york & company has that kind of stuff

White House/Black Market is pretty good.

i agree

Hahaha.

I thought she was so nice until I started watching project runway. Now I think she's a snob.

I had a long discussion about this with some people at work the other day. Business cas is very contextual. "Technically" (or conservatively speaking) it means sports jacket and pants with no tie for men. For women it means a skirt or slacks and a sweater or blouse. Khakis, tshirts, anything denim etc are OUT. Whether you can wear more relaxed slacks from the Gap or if you should stick to something more traditional is a matter of context. It's always safe to go a bit more conservative until you have a good feel for the people you're going to be around. If it were me I would get a couple of separate skirts, pants, sweaters and blazers, and find a couple of tops to go underneath. From there you can mix and match a bit.

another good thing to remember is to make sure things fit.If you need to, defintely try to tailor stuff. Nothing makes you look more sloppy then something that looks ill-fitting no matter what.

I agree. I also think it's worth spending a bit more to get some decent quality fabrics that hold their shape, hang well and don't pill. That's a personal choice though, depending on how much wear you need to get out of your clothes.

zara is good if you can fit in wierd european sizes (apparently all europeans have super long legs, hmm)

Do you not have your pants hemmed?

I usually wear tailored cropped trousers, a fitted plain tee and a cardi or shrug. And heels. Or a pencil skirt and a wrap top and heels.

I resent the heels.

I only wear a tailored suit once a week, we only have to do that if we're going out to see customers, but since I only have two, I spent quite a lot on them.

I often find that having trousers hemmed makes thm hang funny, they don't flare in the right places.

haha, we're tall!! Like, people of the Netherlands are amongst the tallest in the world, but yeah my mum's small and she has always had trouble finding pants that fit

Well pants shouldn't be flaring in 2006. The malls here usually have a deal with the taylor in the mall to give you a discount on having your pants hemmed. It's just accepted that 50% or more of pants that you buy will need to be adjusted. They've always done a good job on mine. I can't tell the difference between the original hem and theirs. But I digress.