Smart Casual Men - Dress Code Guide for Men

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. 

An important aspect when getting ready for an event requiring a smart casual dress code is to understand what type of event it is as it can be easy to overdress or underdress by pairing the wrong pieces together. If it’s a work happy hour where you will be doing important networking, stay away from going too casual - a sport jacket with a pattern dress shirt would be perfect. This is a perfect opportunity to wear a fun dress shirt that stands out and is memberable by colleagues and business professionals.

Men’s outfits that would not be smart casual is a polo shirt with jeans or wearing too many bright, flashy colors. Do be careful if wearing jeans to a smart casual dress code event - they should be well-fitting with your correct inseam length and dark-wash with no distress. A great smart casual outfit that is more on the casual side - for example a holiday party at TopGolf - would be a polo paired with chinos or dress pants.

The fit is also very important for mens smart casual - you do not want to wear anything that is baggy, wrinkly, or unflattering to your body type. When picking out shoes, stick with loafers or oxfords. Any type of athletic sneaker, fashion sneaker, or open-toed shoes would not be appropriate for a smart casual dress code and could draw the wrong attention. 

Now that you know more about what to wear and not to wear for a smart casual dress code for men, check out our athletic fit gear for a wide variety of options that are perfect for your next smart casual event. 

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