What Exactly is Smart Casual Style? Here’s Everything You Should Know 

I adore smart casual style because it is one of the few that is suited for virtually any situation.

But what precisely is smart casual style? Is smart casual an official dress code, or more of a guideline?

In this article, I’ll define smart casual style in an easy-to-understand manner.

Then Teeanime will discuss how to get this look and look at some smart casual wardrobe suggestions.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

I believe it is essential to dress appropriately for the occasion. Indeed, I believe it is the most crucial aspect of timeless style.

No matter how formally you’re dressed, if you’re not dressed for the event, you appear unprepared.

With that in mind, we’ll discuss smart casual style, which may be the most versatile “dress code” for men. It’s now more popular than the business casual dress code.

But first, define smart casual…

WHAT EXACTLY IS SMART CASUAL STYLE?

The dictionary describes smart casual as follows:

This explains it somewhat, although it does not go into specifics. What exactly is “normal” and “specific dress code”?

To begin with, it is not business casual. There is some overlap between the two categories, but I like to think of business casual as looking smart at work, whereas smart casual is dressing smart regardless of the circumstance.

It’s a little perplexing because jeans may be smart and a jacket can be casual when it comes to smart casual style.

How so? A pair of slim-fitting dark wash jeans is a smart casual essential, and a jacket in a textured fabric like tweed or linen leans casual while being smart.

The hue and fabric dictate the formality in these circumstances.

This is why smart casual style can be challenging. To further complicate matters, who decides what is deemed smart or what makes a certain outfit casual?

It all comes down to personal preference, which varies from person to person.

Smart casual style, in my opinion, is a nice medium between being dressed up and dressing down.

And because it traverses both formality spectrums, it is one of the most versatile and ideal styles for any guy.

HOW TO NAIL THE SMART CASUAL AESTHETIC

The ideal method to get the smart casual look is to exchange smart items for casual ones and vice versa, so that your outfit has a mix of smart and casual elements.

It takes time, but you’ll gain a sense of what’s casual and what’s clever.

Wearing a sharkskin suit with sneakers is a perfect example. A sharkskin suit is very formal, while white sneakers are very informal.

That’s a 50/50 split and so the ideal smart casual look. This type of formality contrast helps it work.

If you lean too much one way, it’s not so much a balance of smart casual as it is just smart or casual.

If you have a good understanding of your personal style and what constitutes good style, then trust your instincts and utilize your best judgment.

Don’t overthink things: if something feels correct, it most likely is (and vice versa).

Finally, smart casual has been described as a mood or an attitude rather than a collection of distinct pieces of clothes.

Here are some crucial characteristics of smart casual style to refresh your memory:

KEY ELEMENTS OF SMART CASUAL STYLE

• Tailoring is emphasized
• The aesthetic of high-low contrast (e.g. trainers & sharkskin suit)
• Acceptance of simplicity and minimalism
• Color schemes that are dark (lean more formal and thus smart)
• Texture (wool, tweed, flannel, linen) (wool, tweed, flannel, linen)
• The jacket (single easiest way to smarten up a casual look)

These are, as always, only guidelines. There is no formal definition of smart casual, so go with your gut instinct.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Dressing in smart casual clothing is the simplest way for me to look well. It’s a frequently misunderstood and underappreciated dress code, but I hope this essay has shown you how to pull it off.

When it comes to dressing well, I’ve mentioned tailoring several times in this post. It’s critical to find a professional tailor and develop a relationship with him or her in order to ensure that your garments fit properly.

Remember that personal style is self-expression, and there is no incorrect way to do it. It’s all about wearing what you enjoy and what makes you happy.

Style is an adventure, so have some fun with it!