Smart casual is all the rage. And yes, more and more men are interested in fashion, in looking good and enhancing their bodies through the right outfit. Not everyone, however, wants to become a three-piece suit enthusiast. This is where the smart casual lookor casual chic, represents an option perfectly adapted to our demands, combining elegance and relaxation.
The smart casual dress code is a mix of casual and luxury everyday and business casual wear. It's the smarter version of the smart casual dress code and is perfect for Casual Friday, in fact, it is also called sport-elegant.
In other words; the smart casual look combines a casual style of dress and "smart" which refers to a more formal dress code. We at GerrysTtropez are going to unravel some relevant information about this style that is increasingly adopted by those who want to make a difference with their attire.
What is the smart casual dress code?
The smart casual dress code represents a symbiosis of casual wear and smart clothing. It is a smart look that stands for clothes that we would only wear for special occasions (blazer, suit, waistcoat, derbies, shirts) and more casual clothes that we could wear in the evening and at the weekend (jeans, chinos, trainers, T-shirt, etc.).
The concept is rather vague, but the smart casual look is very similar to casual chic, because it is somewhat more elegant than a tracksuit, but less formal than a business suit. More narrowly, we could define the smart casual dress code as a blazer, raw jeans, a white shirt and a pair of brown loafers.
If we visualise this outfit in our minds, we have a pretty accurate representation of what smart casual attire can look like.
How to dress casual chic
To dress smart casual we just need to combine smart pieces with more casual clothing. To adopt the casual chic look, being a fan of suits, we can combine a suit with white trainers and an impeccably pressed T-shirt. The important thing is to know how to combine the T-shirt with a pair of trainers that balances the outfit and does not create too much contrast between the elegance of the suit and the marked level of relaxation of the T-shirt.
Casual, but chic in another sense, the combination of shirt, blazer and raw jeans is also an infallible option. In this smart casual look the casual character we get from the jeans, but also from the use of beige suede loafers. To make this outfit lean towards a more elegant style, nothing would be needed, perhaps remove the hem by choosing jeans that fall perfectly and replace the loafers with a pair of medium brown leather or a pair of derbies.
Here are some key accessories for putting together this type of look:
Trousers
The smart casual style leaves the door open to all the basic trousers in a man's wardrobe. Raw jeans, chinos and suit trousers are all acceptable. Now, to make the trousers look more elegant, we should think about a fairly sober belt (brown if possible to add more versatility), thus, we will mark the waist and add a chic touch to the outfit.
The shoes
As for shoes, the smart casual look also leaves the way open for us to use an wide variety of footwear. For those of us who like more formal outfits, derbies or moccasins should be chosen, although desert, chelsea or brogue boots are also acceptable, as are smart trainers, regardless of whether they are at the lowest level of formality.
Casual chic accessories
As with all styles, casual chic is also enriched by various accessories. We've already talked about belts, but we need to choose one with a sober design and a discreet buckle. We can opt for black for our more formal looks, but we should also consider getting a brown leather belt for versatility.
Watches and bracelets are also important. We advise you to have at least two watches: a sober and elegant one with a leather strap and a sober case, and another with a more original design and a more relaxed line with a steel strap when you want to project a more casual style.
Tips for smart casual style
The smart casual look is suitable for many different environmentsincluding the office, a date, a party, a dinner with friends and family, indeed, a wedding.
Keep in mind that, since smart casual is a middle ground in terms of dress code, you should always check with the event organiser, the human resources manager at the office or the venue you are going to, to find out what they consider to be a smart casual look.
Here are some keys to creating a successful smart casual outfit:
- Attention to detail! Little things sometimes make all the difference. If you wear dress shoes, make sure you polish them well. T-shirts, shirts and trousers, on the other hand, should also be wrinkle-free to create that elegant effect.
- Smart casual is a versatile and free style, even its very spirit is eclectic. So don't hesitate to mix formal and informal styles and try new things. We can, for example, incorporate clothes that we are not used to wearing, thus gaining more and more self-confidence.
- Let's play with tones to vary the level of formality of our outfits. Darker colours will always tend to make our skin tone look more elegant, while lighter shades will appear less formal.
- The same goes for shoes (except for formal trainers), colour is the best way to play up our formalism. Black is smart, dark brown a little less so, while medium brown and light brown tend to be casual.
- We can also play with materials to vary the level of formality of our outfit. Smooth and shiny materials will look more elegant, while rougher materials will emphasise the casual aspect of our outfit.
Conclusions
In the end, what delights the smart casual look is that we have a little more freedom to design our outfits and, depending on the event or venue, we can look sophisticated and professional while showing off our taste in fashion.
Be careful, while we have more freedom when putting together a smart casual outfit, there are some items that should be avoided altogether, as they are too casual for a dress code. smart casual. We should, for example, avoid graphic T-shirts, joggers, sandals, trousers or shorts with too many pockets or, basically, any garment that we would wear for lounging around the house, going to the supermarket or to the gym.
As you can see, the Smart casual style seems simple to put together, but it has its own codes that must be respected in order to achieve the desired effect.