As a working musician, you’re used to sliding out of bed at the crack of noon, easing into a pair of slip-on sandals and going about your day Big Lewbowski style. But it’s probably not a good idea to show up to any meeting, no matter how informal, in a bathrobe and flip-flops sporting wildly unkempt hair. The beautiful thing about the music biz, though, is that it’s a lot less formal than the rest of the business world.

When you attend a real music business meeting — and by “real” we mean in an office or conference room, not somebody’s kitchen or basement — you want to make the impression that you’re a pro, that you’re serious about doing business. As the talent, that simply means being punctual and not looking like you just crawled out of Oscar the Grouch’s garbage can.

So, who will these people in the office be? They are the ones on the other side of the fence from the talent who have dotted lines to sign that make more money for everyone involved, including you, and especially them. They are the music publishers, booking agents, management companies, PR people, A&R folks and record label execs. They dress up everyday to go to work, but not too much. Business casual is their style. “What’s business casual?” you may ask. You know how Fortune 500 corporations occasionally have “causal Fridays” or “blue jean Wednesdays” for their employees? That’s business causal — no three-piece suit or jacket and tie, but respectable looking enough to stroll into an office and pretend to do something for a living.

When taking a meeting with these types, you don’t have to dress exactly like they do, but it helps to be somewhat fashionable and respectful of the environment you’re in. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes; shorts and open-toe sandals will make you look kind of ridiculous in most office-type situations. Sure, the people you will be meeting with expect musicians to to be a little bit shabby, but don’t be an idiot. Unless you’re Jimmy Buffett, don’t show up looking like Boxcar Willie.

There’s no across-the-board dress code for a a musician in a music business meeting, but the important thing to remember is that the old cliche “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” is true. Your personality may be as charming and endearing as Lebowski’s, but it doesn’t mean you can get away with dressing like him when taking a serious meeting with those who can help advance your career.