What Does Smart-Casual Really Mean?

The most common dress code in today’s climate seems to be ‘smart-casual’. When what you wear has a big impact on your confidence and productivity, it’s clearly important to get it right! How well do you understand what smart-casual means? Today we’re undressing it!

Smart Casual for Men

Smart casual menswear gives men a lot of freedom to use different colours and fabrics all year round to match the weather! Here are some options: 

When it comes to smart casual for men, you can’t go wrong with a smart shirt and chinos. Chinos are a great fabric for comfort and breathability but are tailored enough to ensure a smart and professional first impression. Dress this outfit up with watches and simple jewellery. Boat shoes are a good match for this look.

This look definitely sits at the more casual end of the spectrum. Tee shirt or polo shirt fabric paired with tailored or skinny jeans in formal colours such as black, navy and grey are also safe casual wear options. As long as you avoid ripped jeans, blue jeans and bright coloured tops, this is a smart and respectable look!

Sticking with jeans, this smart casual look includes layering and accessories, and whilst it takes liberties in some areas such as the sports trainers, it dresses up in other ways with the blazer jacket. This complicated smart casual attire can be broken down into tailored jeans and a colourful suit jacket to match the trainers over a simple white tee shirt. Practical, colourful, but definitely smart casual! 

This look is for the office fashionistas! Pair a shirt and monotone jumpers work with tailored jeans or chinos and accessorise to show a little personality. Check your company policy on hats and jewellery but definitely prioritise a smart watch and either a bold tie or bow tie. 

Smart Casual for Women

These looks look fantastic and professional but are simple enough to achieve! We’re going to break down some smart casual looks for women.

This bold look is both fashionable and formal and has perfectly achieved the smart casual balance.

It might look catwalk complicated but it’s super simple – tailored textured trousers, a soft white shirt and a statement jacket!

This look provides comfort but professional approachability and is great for layering warm clothes in the colder seasons.

For a more casual outfit, try wearing jeans, a monochrome tee shirt and a cardigan. Much like the men’s casual outfit choice, this look depends on monochrome colouring but super simple fashion pieces. Dress this look up with accessories such as necklaces, bracelets and watches and you’ll have achieved the right balance!

If you’re looking to achieve a look that means business, whether you’re a manager or out in the world networking, we recommend going for a smart casual look that is business on top and casual on the bottom.

This look uses a button up shirt, a smart tailored blazer jacket, jewellery, black jeans and Chelsea boots to achieve the perfect managerial outfit that’s as stylish as it is serious!

When it comes to dressing smart casual for women, we recommend you acknowledge the two key elements, of which you always have to achieve one – formal pattern and colour and/or traditional silhouette.

Today’s fashion is testing the limits by using formal print in casual cuts and casual prints in formal cuts. This plaid monochrome jumpsuit definitely adds some personality to the office!