She claims that Americans dress more casually than anywhere else, and I don't doubt that the US has played a massive role in promoting more casual dress (also the cowboy esthetic, rock and roll, etc), but I'm not so sure the US is really more casual than every other country out there.
When I hear Americans talk about business casual, it's generally khakis and button down shirts, except when you're in Silicon Valley. But in Netherland, jeans, t-shirt and sneakers (or army boots, in my case) are totally normal in the office. This was the case when I worked in small software companies, but currently I work at a major bank, and it's no different (except sandals, flip-flops and shorts do seem to be a step too far). The business side is a bit more formal, but the IT side is completely casual. Probably because everybody is looking at Silicon Valley.
When I hear Americans talk about business casual, it's generally khakis and button down shirts, except when you're in Silicon Valley. But in Netherland, jeans, t-shirt and sneakers (or army boots, in my case) are totally normal in the office. This was the case when I worked in small software companies, but currently I work at a major bank, and it's no different (except sandals, flip-flops and shorts do seem to be a step too far). The business side is a bit more formal, but the IT side is completely casual. Probably because everybody is looking at Silicon Valley.