Smart casual dress code for men can mean a wide variety of clothing options, which makes it hard to narrow down the perfect outfit. The best way to describe smart casual for men would be clothing that is well-fitting, professional attire paired with casual pieces. It is not going to be as formal as business casual but not as relaxed as casual attire. The best way to achieve a smart casual dress code is to take into account the type of event it’s for, deciding what pieces of your outfit will be professional, and what elements will make it more casual. Ideally, it should be the perfect mix of the two.
Clothing that should come to mind when hearing smart casual dress code are polos, sport jackets, short or long sleeves collared button-downs, fun patterned dress shirts, casual dress pants, chinos, dark wash jeans, and sensible yet professional foot-wear. A great example of pairing formal attire with casual attire would be wearing a sport jacket paired with dark wash jeans and a fun dress shirt pattern. Likewise, wearing a collared polo with dress pants would also be a great look.