The idea with smart casual is to combine elegant professionalism with something dressy and casual. In other words, it’s the combination of business dress code and a casual one. Pairing two different articles of clothing that fit each dress code is always a great trick to accomplish the right look. For instance, you could pair a neat tailored blazer (business) over some dark jeans (casual). Avoid articles of clothing you would never wear in the workplace as a rule of thumb. You don’t want to turn up in a t-shirt and jeans but you don’t want to overdo things with a full business suit either.
The term smart casual has actually come a long way since it was first used in the 1920s, and rightly so because what we consider to be professional clothing has changed a lot over the years. According to style expert Lydia Tomlinson, smart casual is a chance for you to “combine style with comfort.” Now that we’ve got the definition out of the way, let’s talk about what you can actually wear with this dress code.