Smart casual: a dress code for stylish & modern office outfits
Smart casual is a modern dress code that aims to combine professional elegance with fashionable nonchalance. It is a more casual look that is not as formal as classic business attire but still looks stylish and sophisticated. This office dress code is characterised by elegant clothing with a casual flair. It focuses on high-quality materials, understated accessories and a well-groomed appearance. However, it isn’t always easy to strike the perfect balance with this style. To help you put together smart-casual outfits effortlessly, we have compiled the most important tips & tricks in this article.
Modern & stylish business outfits: when to wear smart casual
This office dress code is all about understated prints, modern cuts and bold accessories. Smart casual offers the most flexibility and individuality. However, despite its wide range of choices, it isn’t always easy to achieve this look. Smart casual exudes a chic yet laid-back aesthetic and is the epitome of a casual yet elegant office look. Smart-casual outfits communicate competence and professionalism without appearing old-fashioned or stuffy. Therefore, this dress code can sometimes be an ideal medium for events where neither classic business suits nor casual everyday wear are appropriate.
Smart casual is mainly worn in start-ups and in creative and dynamic sectors, such as the media and advertising industry, IT companies or in fashion and design professions. This style has also been gaining popularity in more conservative industries, for example at internal office meetings, networking events or less formal business lunches. Smart casual is often suitable at events that go beyond the context of day-to-day work, such as company parties or team events. However, it is important that you follow any specific dress code instructions in your invitation.
Smart casual no-gos
Although the ‘smart casual’ dress code gives you more fashion freedom than any other business dress code, there are still a few pitfalls that you should avoid. Your clothes should never look scruffy, too sporty, be too revealing or too flashy.
Therefore, you should avoid the following items of clothing when opting for a smart casual look:
Jeans with a used or destroyed look
Tank tops or strappy tops
Sweatshirts or hoodies
Shorts
Mini skirts
T-shirts with bold prints
Trainers, sandals or flip-flops
Smart casual for women: tips & inspiration
A smart casual dress code gives women the opportunity to express their style. However, it is important to still maintain a certain level of professionalism. The easiest way to achieve this balancing act is to give timeless, elegant garments a modern twist.
To ensure your smart casual outfit looks chic and stylish, you can follow a few basic rules:
From T-shirts to jumpers and cardigans to classic blouses, (almost) anything goes when it comes to tops. It is important that casual garments such as T-shirts are made of high-quality material and do not have any over-the-top prints.
In addition to smart trousers and skirts, dark jeans are also an option, as long as they are paired with smart items of clothing. Wide-leg trousers (e.g. Marlene trousers or culottes) look trendy and give your outfit an air of casual elegance.
Dresses are generally a good choice if they are more on the conservative side and aren’t too revealing. For a smart-casual look, skirts should be at least knee-length.
You can also wear flat shoes such as loafers or ballerinas with smart-casual outfits, as long as they are elegant and good quality. Depending on the preferences of your office, a pair of smart trainers may also be an option.
Opt for garments with understated patterns and don't mix too many different colours. A well-chosen statement piece (e.g. a blazer in an accent colour, a skirt with an interesting pattern or a chic necklace) will complement your smart-casual outfit without making it look too casual or too busy.
Smart casual for men: tips & inspiration
For men, the transition between business casual and smart casual is often seamless. This means you can follow the basic styling tips for business casual outfits and then simply loosen up the classic look with a few small tweaks.
With the following styling tips, you will be able to create modern smart casual outfits with hardly any effort:
A blazer that fits well gives your look that necessary air of professionalism and is a staple garment for a smart casual style. A blazer does not have to be made from the same material as your trousers. However, it should match in colour.
Pair your blazer with a plain-coloured shirt or shirt with a subtle pattern. Alternatively, you can also wear a high-quality polo shirt or an elegant jumper.
Classic trousers and chinos are a safe choice for men’s smart-casual outfits. Unlike other dress codes, plain, dark-coloured jeans are also a welcome option.
When it comes to shoes, leather lace-up shoes, loafers or elegant Chelsea boots are a good choice. You can wear trainers if they are well made, neat and clean.
What is the difference between smart casual and business casual?
Casual means ‘informal’ or ‘relaxed’ - a term that can easily be confusing in the context of business attire. The casual aesthetic of this style is deliberate and is expressed to a certain degree in smart-casual and business-casual outfits. However, it should not be overemphasised. You may be asking yourself how do you distinguish between business casual and smart casual?
A business casual style is closely related to traditional business attire but has a slightly less formal aesthetic. This creates a serious and professional look, simultaneously allowing for more comfort. Smart casual, on the other hand, uses fashionable items of clothing and trendy accessories to deliberately loosen up classic business attire. In contrast to business casual, smart casual allows for more individuality and experimentation, for example through the use of colour accents, bold patterns or modern cuts.
What is the definition of a “casual” dress code?
Start-ups, small, family-run businesses and creative professions generally don’t follow a business attire dress code. Instead, they prefer a smart everyday look that is suitable for the office. In this context, ‘casual’ refers to the most informal style of clothing that is still suitable for everyday working life. In contrast to smart casual, light jeans, bright colours, a colourful mix of patterns or open shoes are acceptable in a casual dress code. However, a general rule of thumb for office wear applies here too: even your casual look should not be too revealing, skimpy, dirty or tattered.
Conclusion: modern smart casual outfits for the office
Smart casual is a modern dress code that combines elegance with casual elements thus offering you a lot of flexibility. This office wear style is particularly popular in creative professions, where you can stand out with your individuality and carefully curated style. When putting together your outfit, you should keep formal and casual elements in balance. Even though this dress code gives you more freedom to express your individual style, your outfits should still look neat, clean and professional for the office.
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2nd – 5th image in text: C&A