What is appropriate dress for a “business casual” interview?

Question

I have an upcoming interview and the meeting schedule indicates that the dress code is "business casual." How should I arrive to ensure that I am dressed appropriately for the interview?

Answer 1

Business Casual could mean different things depending on where you are located and what business sector you are in.

From the wikipedia page on business casual:

Business casual has partially supplanted business formal attire wear (suits and neckties, sometimes called international standard business attire), which was previously the standard apparel for managers and professionals.

Jeans are sometimes acceptable in workplaces as part of business casual attire. Some Silicon Valley entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs were known to wear jeans as part of the business casual look, while in other companies blue jeans are not considered suitable for managers or even business casual. In academic, research and office settings, however, jeans may be worn with a polo shirt or dress shirt. The second-from-the-top button may also be opened in addition to the very top button.The most notable exception to this is the banking world, in which formal dress is often required.

Neckties and cufflinks are generally not required for business casual dress. Of the 33% of men who wear a necktie to work, 60% wear a necktie occasionally, while only 18% wear them all the time.

Business casual is sometimes equated with (or depending on perception, confused with) smart casual.

As has been discussed in How to select interview attire for a technical job interview? for some situations, over dressing can be as bad for your interview chances as under dressing, but Business Casual does gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Answer 2

Business casual is basically a suit with no tie or something similar.

I would turn up in a suit you can then take of the tie and jacket if you feel it's appropriate. It's hard to overdress for an interview.