how to navigate smart casual no.1
the how to guides
Photo credit. Apostolos Vamvouras Unsplash
how to navigate smart casual
Smart casual is a dress code that seems to cause my clients a headache whenever it appears on an invitation, or as a stipulation in the workplace. What are people actually expecting you to wear, or is the term just a vague cliché and the assumption is that you must balance any expectations of your image yourself and second guess what is meant.
Do your hosts, employers or maybe clients expect you to wear smart clothes without looking too overdressed, or do they just want you to be comfortable in any way that you see fit? Are they expecting a dressed down vision in nice jeans and a shirt, or will they take that as being too sloppy and a sign that you’re not that bothered?
Whenever you are faced with this conundrum, there are a few questions to ask yourself before you make any great sartorial decisions:
What is the age group of the people you will be spending the time with?
Have you spent time in this particular situation, and these people before?
What are your natural style inclinations?
Are you feeling confident about your image at the moment?
what it means to you
Just consider the first answers that come to mind, don’t overthink things. Hopefully they will help to lead your imagination and make your smart-casual choices a success. Remember there is no right or wrong answer. You don’t need to find a definitive outfit and wear it infinitum. The aim of the exercise is to prompt you into thinking differently about the clothes you have, and discover ways of styling them in different ways according to the occasion. Once you start the process, you will release your creativity and inspiration in all sorts of new directions.
As a very tentative rule of thumb, the older the cohort of people you will be mixing with, the more formal the dress code assumptions might be. I know this isn’t a scientific process but in my experience it does hold true. If you are mixing with older generations then opt for the smarter side of casual. However, if the people you are mixing with are younger, they probably won’t notice what you’re wearing, and probably won’t care either.
If you have been in a similar situation before, what did you feel last time? Did you feel under or over dressed, or did you feel good? Was there someone else there who you admired, and perhaps thought that there were aspects of their appearance that you would like to emulate? Finding your unique recipe, one that is repeatable, needn’t take too much time or money, but it will be well worth the effort. Having a go-to outfit (or two) that makes you feel good in all situations, just makes sense.
If you are naturally a tailored person who enjoys wearing classic styles, why not build your smart casual wardrobe around some great trousers or a dress? You then accessorise any outfit to reflect how you feel at the time, and with a nod to the specific occasion. If you are more of a romantic bohemian at heart then follow a less structured styling, rather than feel you need to conform to a pared down aesthetic. Maybe you could just tone down the flamboyance if you are not sure of the expectation of the occasion.
Finding your own take on ‘smart casual’ will save you time, stress and money. A simple way of ‘designing’ your wardrobe is to base it around a core theme that creates a way of dressing that can work for you at any time. Just adapt the choices from your collection ideas to suit how you feel and the occasion. If you’re feeling well and confident, you might find that you can carry off some vibrant designs and colours. If you are feeling a bit under the weather and not at your best, this may seem to be a step too far, and you may be happier in an outfit featuring some classic neutrals. Having a core group of clothes that you know work for you will be a real help when time or energy are at a premium.
Photo credit. Mariam Antadze Unsplash
Take your mind back to a scenario where you were the life and soul of the party, and perhaps also to a time when you wished you were somewhere else. The energy can be quite different between each of these occasions, and I’m pretty sure the clothes that you were wearing were not the same either. You will probably find that if you are confident and want to make a statement, your choice of outfit will definitely be different than if you feel small and want to hide. Be guided by your feelings when choosing your clothes for a particular occasion. While what you wear can definitely improve your mood, you always want to be in a position where you are wearing your clothes, rather than letting them wear you!
Continued in No.2…
All rights reserved. Milly Churchill asserts the right to be identified as the author of this work.