Smart casual fashion for men has often times been considered as the same as a business casual for men. Although there is a fine line that separates a smart casual from a business casual, they are not exactly the same. A smart casual is a little bit more casual than a business casual. The best way to arrive at a smart casual wear for men is to pair off one casual outfit with a more formal complement. An example of a smart casual would be a sports shirt or a T-shirt with collar paired off with slacks, or a long sleeved dress shirt with designer jeans. The key is to keep it casual but stylishly chic.
Basically, smart casuals means dressing up elegantly but in a more relaxed or unfussy way. It is a happy medium between street clothes and business casuals. In some workplaces, where a coat is not de rigueur, smart casuals are acceptable work-a-day clothes. In IT companies where the powers –that-be realize that their computer geniuses will feel out of their skin and awkward in a business suit, smart casual for men will do very nicely. So are some occasions where a guy wants to look well-turned out without being confined or restricted by a coat such as lunch with a date, a client or a business associate in a country club or in other dining venues that do not require a formal dress code. Smart casuals are also great wear for bar or club hopping with a date or even just with a group of friends. Attending afternoon socials or the christening of a friend’s child are also occasions where smart casuals will carry you off with aplomb.
One interesting and welcome difference between business casual and smart casual for men is the prevalence of color in the clothes, particularly the top. For smart casuals; pink, orange, yellow, turquoise and other bold colors on polos, collared T-shirts and even sweaters, are acceptable. V-neck cardigans and sweaters paired off with designer jeans or khaki pants are great smart casual combinations. Other suitable smart casual for men’s bottom wear are chinos, khakis and Dockers. Shorts, frayed and faded denims are definitely not permissible. Smart casual men’s wear is paired off with boots (particularly with designer denims), loafers, deck shoes and moccasins but definitely not with rubber or tennis shoes or sneakers, much more shorts.