Most of us have been invited to a party or function with the dreaded smart casual dress code at some point in our lives. Just as many of us, if we’re being honest, have thought to ourselves, “what the hell does that mean?” and go straight to Google in search of answers.
Well, now that you’re here, let’s do a rundown of what to wear and how to prepare.
What Does Smart Casual Mean?
To put it simply, the term essentially means “don’t go all out” while at the same time saying, “at least put a little effort in.” Basically, you want to look like you’re trying, but not too much.
Smart casual implies that you’re wearing something fashionable that speaks to your sense of style but doesn’t overdo it or get into the territory of formalwear.
What Not to Wear for Smart Casual
Okay, so that’s still a little vague. Instead, let’s try learning from other peoples’ mistakes. Plenty of folks read the “casual” part and just throw on some baggy jeans, a pair of sneakers, and maybe an old tee. Conversely, others read “smart” and put on their best jacket, some shiny leather shoes, and a tie.
Both of these outfits are equally faux pas for a smart casual scenario. Ideally, you’d want to be somewhere in the middle.
So, What Should I Wear Then?
Thankfully, smart casual menswear isn’t too complicated, and you likely already have the pieces you need to pull it off.
The First Step to Pulling Off Smart Casual Is to Consider the Context
A dinner event, work party, or beach wedding can all fall into the smart-casual category, and what you wear for each will vary a bit.
Pants: Start with a Colored Chino
A pair of chinos is a good starting point in any of the above situations. Make sure you knock any wrinkles out of them with a steamer or iron first. Nothing makes an outfit go from casual to schlubby as quickly as deep wrinkles.
What’s great about modern chinos is that they come in various colors, which can help with the smart aspect of smart casual. For smart casual, you don’t want to wear something bland that you would wear to an office. Experiment with color in your pants.
An exception to experimenting with color in your pants? If you’re planning on wearing a patterned or brightly colored shirt (more on shirts in a minute), it’s better to stick with solid-colored pants in khaki, tan, or navy colors.
Alternative: Tailored Shorts or Nice Denim
For an outdoor event, jeans or shorts can work too.
If you go the shorts route, there are a few rules:
- Wear an appropriate length. You don’t want shorts that go down to your knees or show too much leg. Shorts that hit your knees, such as classic cargo shorts, will immediately look dated and too informal. If your shorts show too much thigh and borderline revealing your butt, they’re too short for a smart casual event. A seven to nine-inch inseam should work well, depending upon how long your legs are.
- Absolutely NO cargo shorts. For any occasion, really. But especially for smart casual. NO CARGO SHORTS. EVER.
When jeans are more your style, go for a straight-legged fit in a solid color wash. For smart casual, it’s unlikely that you’ll go with ripped jeans, but I’ve seen some light distressing work fairly well, especially with black denim.
Avoid bootcut jeans or skinny jeans for smart casual.
Shirts: A Button-up That Balances Your Pants
As mentioned above, your shirt and pants should balance each other out.
If you wear bold pants, pick a minimalist button-up shirt in a solid color or with thin stripes that pick up any accent colors in your pants.
If you’re wearing plain pants, feel free to wear a shirt that speaks to your personal style. For example, in smart casual settings, I tend to wear a lot of shirts that have unique floral prints, marble effects, or, one shirt, in particular, durian fruit and dragon fruit.
If you’re dressing for cooler weather or a late-night event, you can layer a suit jacket, blazer, or chunky sweater over your shirt. Just keep in mind that you want to leave your top two shirt buttons and your jacket buttons undone if you’re going with a suit jacket to keep the look casual.
What Shoes to Wear for Smart Casual?
Smart casual leaves a lot of room for flexibility regarding shoe options. Basically, as long as you’re not wearing flip-flops, combat boots, or gym shoes, you’re probably okay. That said, ideal shoes for smart-casual include:
- Chelsea boots (if you’re wearing full-length pants rather than shorts)
- Classic Sneakers (fine for shorts or pants)
- Brogue boots (They’re not hiking boots, biker boots, or cowboy boots– just a plain boot; these work if you’re wearing pants but not shorts)
- Boat shoes (fine for shorts or pants)
- Driving shoes (fine for shorts or pants)
- Chukkas (better for pants than shorts, but it’s not the end of the world if you wear them with shorts)
Examples of Smart Casual Outfits
At this point, most of my outfits are smart casual or can easily be adapted as smart casual. For examples of smart casual outfits, I will pull a few examples from StitchFix Men’s website. Most of the clothes I’ve purchased in the last few years have come from StitchFix, and it’s easy to see the individual pieces that go into each outfit.
This outfit is a great example of smart casual for summer. You can pair classic shorts with nice sneakers and a button-up shirt for a look that’s great for outdoor gatherings.
This is another great example of smart casual for Summer. Rather than relying on shorts as a way to stay cool, this outfit uses seersucker-like materials and looser fits to keep cool while still looking fashionable.
I think this is my favorite outfit in this bunch, and it’s a shame that I don’t own it yet. The light khaki being offset with the deep warm tones of the shirt are okay on their own, but it’s the denim jacket and sneakers that take this outfit from decent to smart casual.
In cooler weather, layering is your best friend for smart casual. Notice that the individual pieces for this outfit are fairly casual and easy to come by. When layered, especially if you accessorize with a nice belt and shoes, it comes together as a great smart casual outfit.
As daunting as it sounds, smart casual is one of the easiest dress codes to pull off due to the enormous variety of combinations and flexibility it entails. Anyone with even a passing interest in fashion should already have a killer outfit in their wardrobe.
The key to smart casual is to dress for the occasion. For example, a beachside BBQ engagement party will warrant an entirely different outfit than a work Christmas party at a cocktail bar.
Likewise, think about the other guests in attendance. If they tend to dress well, err more towards the smart side. If not, a bit more casual will help you fit in.
