A lot of men will balk at the words ‘Smart Casual’ when it comes to dress code. Really, there is no need as it’s actually incredibly easy to achieve. Trust us.
For the dubious amongst you, we’ve put together this brief guide to point you in the right direction. We look at which parts of an outfit ought to be left ‘smart’, which parts can be dressed down to ‘casual’ and the various different ways of achieving this by mixing colors and fabrics.
Firstly, it’s smart-casual, not casual-smart. The emphasis is on the word ‘smart’, so that means that you’re required to dress up a little. Your favourite jeans and T-Shirt just won’t make the cut. The good news, however, is that you won’t be expected to turn up fully suited and booted. The ‘casual’ side of things denotes relaxing or removal of details such as ties, cufflinks and the like. Focus on tailored separates and you won’t go wrong.
So, let’s see how the Smart-Casual look can be achieved:
Feel free to play with colors, patterns and fabrics when picking which shirt to wear. Classic Oxfords, fresh ginghams and linens are always a good choice in the warmer months.
Lose the tie. It shouts business-formal and removing it from your outfit is the easiest, most effective way to soften your look. This season, there are a myriad of shirts, designed especially to be smart & on- the- money when tie-less.
Team your shirt with either suit trousers or depending on the occasion – the go-to classic chinos. Well pressed - they never fail to look good, but there is nothing ‘officey’ about them.
Remember to always tuck your shirt in. The look you’re going for is smart-casual, not smart-sloppy.
Black shoes & accessories tend to look a tad formal, whereas brown relaxes things a little. Loafers – worn sockless is bang-on trend at the moment, brogues & braided belts are great options.
More often than not, a jacket is still required. By all means liberate your navy or grey suit jacket (we’d recommend avoiding black as it looks too formal), or don a stylish blazer or sports jacket
Luxury smart-casual separates send out a positive message – and they’re extremely comfortable to boot. And it’s the mix of sharpness and comfort that’s critical, because the aim is to look at ease – not off-duty.
Feel free to play with colors, patterns and fabrics when picking which shirt to wear. Classic Oxfords, fresh ginghams and linens are always a good choice in the warmer months.
Lose the tie. It shouts business-formal and removing it from your outfit is the easiest, most effective way to soften your look. This season, there are a myriad of shirts, designed especially to be smart & on- the- money when tie-less.
Team your shirt with either suit trousers or depending on the occasion – the go-to classic chinos. Well pressed - they never fail to look good, but there is nothing ‘officey’ about them.
Remember to always tuck your shirt in. The look you’re going for is smart-casual, not smart-sloppy.
Black shoes & accessories tend to look a tad formal, whereas brown relaxes things a little. Loafers – worn sockless is bang-on trend at the moment, brogues & braided belts are great options.
More often than not, a jacket is still required. By all means liberate your navy or grey suit jacket (we’d recommend avoiding black as it looks too formal), or don a stylish blazer or sports jacket
Luxury smart-casual separates send out a positive message – and they’re extremely comfortable to boot. And it’s the mix of sharpness and comfort that’s critical, because the aim is to look at ease – not off-duty.
