Smart Casual - Topic of the day 11/2/24
What exactly is "smart casual", specifically? How does it differ from something like "business casual", or is it just a matter of semantics? How do you (or would you) navigate this while still expressing your own personal style?
10 Replies
Smart casual is when I wear casual stuff cause I’m a smart fella
On a more serious note: I always interpreted smart casual as “just wear some everyday stuff that’s not gross or ratty, maybe also not sweatpants” and I think that’s what people usually mean by it?
Smart casual is british for office wear
a swarm of beige/navy chinos and blue Oxford shirts
smart casual is me when im feeling casual
Smart casual means that I’m going to an event I don’t want to be at
Smart casual means whatever I'm already wearing plus a shirt I guess?
Think Whatever you consider your Sunday best and now visualize cutting it down by half.
Currently in my wardrobe that would be a Quarter zip ,blue oxford shirt, black pants , leather shoes and belts
all the smart casual outfits I see seem like they're trying to dress for "the office", but not like their dad or granddad
Ive always just translated it as "dress nicely but jeans etc. still fine." I usually err on the side of more formal, but even something like jeans + T-shirt with a blazer over top.
It is an annoyingly vague definition but so are most of them ...
yea
I do think it yearns a bit for "average" or "tempered," at least when it's used as a work dress code/recommendation - not going too far in any direction. While it used to imply a suit, now I think that might be considered "too far" in that business casual direction (but certain fabrics would be fine like seersucker/corduroy/cotton). Similarly, I think "too youthful trendy" (or maybe just too tiktok these days) would seem out of place. Same goes for heavy use of workwear/streetwear. There's plenty of overlap, but "smart" to me is like "push to the center of the bubble."
I'm sure I'm wrong.