What Is Smart Casual Attire For Ladies?
22 Sep 2023
Have you ever been invited to a dinner party with a smart casual dress code? We know that dress codes can be tricky and people always find them confusing. But please don't panic. Actually, there are plenty of great outfits you can wear appropriately without looking boring.
Smart casual in the form in which it is now presented, was formed around the 1950s in the US. At that time, there was a real revolution in office wear. At that time, there was a demand for more informal business attire, which was embodied in the new direction. The popularity began to gain less strict things, which were sewn from environmentally friendly and comfortable materials. At first, a comfortable cotton jacket replaced the traditional one, and then the whole closet changed. People started to appear in less formal clothes more and more often in the workplace.
Smart casual attire for women is defined as a step above business casual, but a step below formal. This kind of attire usually refers to a perfect cut, the absence of any excesses, impeccable quality, restraint, and clear silhouette. Smart casual is a dress code usually associated with a professional work environment. This style is appropriate for certain offices, meetings, and interviews. It is essentially a transition between business casual clothing (e.g., khaki pants and button-downs) and business attire (suits).
Many people think that smart casual clothing is only a classic suit with a white shirt, knee-length skirt, and jacket. Undoubtedly, when this whole ensemble is tailored to fit and sits perfectly on the figure, it is a great solution to smart casual style. But this style is not only office wear. Even sportswear can match and be elegant. For example, white or cream, tailored to the figure, but not too tight pants in combination with a polo shirt are not lacking in elegance. The sports dresses worn by tennis players at Wimbledon also look elegant. The "nautical" style also looks sophisticated. Now fashionable smart casual attire have become available for women all over the world. Ladies of any age can create professional and elegant looks by styling basic fashion pieces and this blog is here to teach you how.
Smart casual in the form in which it is now presented, was formed around the 1950s in the US. At that time, there was a real revolution in office wear. At that time, there was a demand for more informal business attire, which was embodied in the new direction. The popularity began to gain less strict things, which were sewn from environmentally friendly and comfortable materials. At first, a comfortable cotton jacket replaced the traditional one, and then the whole closet changed. People started to appear in less formal clothes more and more often in the workplace.
Smart casual attire for women is defined as a step above business casual, but a step below formal. This kind of attire usually refers to a perfect cut, the absence of any excesses, impeccable quality, restraint, and clear silhouette. Smart casual is a dress code usually associated with a professional work environment. This style is appropriate for certain offices, meetings, and interviews. It is essentially a transition between business casual clothing (e.g., khaki pants and button-downs) and business attire (suits).
Many people think that smart casual clothing is only a classic suit with a white shirt, knee-length skirt, and jacket. Undoubtedly, when this whole ensemble is tailored to fit and sits perfectly on the figure, it is a great solution to smart casual style. But this style is not only office wear. Even sportswear can match and be elegant. For example, white or cream, tailored to the figure, but not too tight pants in combination with a polo shirt are not lacking in elegance. The sports dresses worn by tennis players at Wimbledon also look elegant. The "nautical" style also looks sophisticated. Now fashionable smart casual attire have become available for women all over the world. Ladies of any age can create professional and elegant looks by styling basic fashion pieces and this blog is here to teach you how.
Smart Casual Vs. Business Casual
As "smart" in English conveys the meaning of elegance, trendiness, luxury, and grace. For "business," it should not be underestimated, representing seriousness, business, and authority. However, fashion is capricious and changeable. And there is a constant assimilation of styles – their boundaries are blurred, rules are borrowed from each other, and even names become very similar. This is what happened with business casual and smart casual clothing styles: both grew out of the fusion of strict business dress code and democratic, fashionable casual and are "closely related" to each other.
Smart casual
It also known as dressy casual. The right image will be appropriate in the office and in informal places. One of the key features of smart casual wear is neatness and preparedness. Complement it with jewelry, neat hair (no rubber bands on ponytails), and enough makeup to look like a perky, polished version of yourself. Ladies' smart casual attire does not accept kitsch, crazy colors and prints, baggy, and excessive nudity!
This style is similar in almost everything to the strict style of clothing but still has some differences. Wearing such clothes, you can sit in a bar with friends or go for a walk in the park with a girl. It is considered more elegant than the classic version of the couture style, but more democratic than the business style. If casual can be characterized as casual and relaxed, then smart casual is casual, but with a share of formality and attention, thinking and reflecting on what you want to show them.
Business casual
Like smart casual, it is built on a combination of business wear and more casual, relaxed clothing. The goal of business casual is to create a comfortable and convenient bow that stays within the dress code. Compared to smart casual, it is more structured and a little more strict: unlike "smart", it does not allow you to wear jeans either, more restrained in colors and in the choice of shoe styles.
Smart casual
It also known as dressy casual. The right image will be appropriate in the office and in informal places. One of the key features of smart casual wear is neatness and preparedness. Complement it with jewelry, neat hair (no rubber bands on ponytails), and enough makeup to look like a perky, polished version of yourself. Ladies' smart casual attire does not accept kitsch, crazy colors and prints, baggy, and excessive nudity!
This style is similar in almost everything to the strict style of clothing but still has some differences. Wearing such clothes, you can sit in a bar with friends or go for a walk in the park with a girl. It is considered more elegant than the classic version of the couture style, but more democratic than the business style. If casual can be characterized as casual and relaxed, then smart casual is casual, but with a share of formality and attention, thinking and reflecting on what you want to show them.
Business casual
Like smart casual, it is built on a combination of business wear and more casual, relaxed clothing. The goal of business casual is to create a comfortable and convenient bow that stays within the dress code. Compared to smart casual, it is more structured and a little more strict: unlike "smart", it does not allow you to wear jeans either, more restrained in colors and in the choice of shoe styles.
Smart Casual Attire: Style Tips
Fashion trends that we can observe today rarely have clearly defined boundaries. A few decades ago, any deviation from trends threatened the image with a loss of relevance. Despite the fact that every season we can see changes in fashion trends, the classic smart casual style has remained unchanged for a century and never goes out of fashion. Perhaps the key points when choosing clothes from this style are high-quality materials and minimal decorative trim. The simplicity of smart casual style, clean lines, laconic design, good fit on the figure without deliberately emphasizing the lines of the body, soft color palette, and classic pattern – all these factors should also be taken into account.
Fabric And Cut
The smart casual style is characterized by the use of mostly "noble and restrained" fabrics with a smooth texture. In summer, linen, cotton, and viscose fit well into the style; in the cold season, wool and cashmere work perfectly. But textures or materials with a shiny texture are not suitable for use in the smart casual attire: velvet, satin, and lace are better left for your holiday parties. Simplicity and sophistication are also reflected in the cut: all clothes should sit well on the figure, do not tighten it, and do not try to emphasize especially seductive lines. There should always be a small space between the body and the clothes: such fit looks relevant both in the light of modern trends and provides physical comfort.
Color Palette
As with the finishing, everything in smart casual attire for women has aristocratic restraint: cream, white, grey, black, dark blue, burgundy – all the typical basic colors in smart casual style are used as widely as possible. You can complement them with pastel shades of consonant colors, moreover, most often the classic combination is used: light top/dark bottom.
If a monochrome closet seems boring, a restrained pattern will help dilute it: light cell or stripe, not very large peas, "houndstooth". But bright drawings, catchy inscriptions, neon shades, very juicy colors, and other accents are not friendly with the smart casual style, so like the expressive texture of the fabric, they are better left for other occasions. In order to create a basic smart casual wardrobe, we offer a list of essential pieces that are helpful for ladies.
A Basic Shirt
Ideally, straight or oversized cut, without unnecessary details. Models of calm color scheme will be suitable: white, light blue, or soft pink shades. A monochrome T-shirt or top is a key part of the smart casual outfit. Without them, you simply can not create a variety of images every day! Black, white, or pastel shades – choose to your taste. It is better to avoid tops with inscriptions, prints, and other decorations.
Fabric And Cut
The smart casual style is characterized by the use of mostly "noble and restrained" fabrics with a smooth texture. In summer, linen, cotton, and viscose fit well into the style; in the cold season, wool and cashmere work perfectly. But textures or materials with a shiny texture are not suitable for use in the smart casual attire: velvet, satin, and lace are better left for your holiday parties. Simplicity and sophistication are also reflected in the cut: all clothes should sit well on the figure, do not tighten it, and do not try to emphasize especially seductive lines. There should always be a small space between the body and the clothes: such fit looks relevant both in the light of modern trends and provides physical comfort.
Color Palette
As with the finishing, everything in smart casual attire for women has aristocratic restraint: cream, white, grey, black, dark blue, burgundy – all the typical basic colors in smart casual style are used as widely as possible. You can complement them with pastel shades of consonant colors, moreover, most often the classic combination is used: light top/dark bottom.
If a monochrome closet seems boring, a restrained pattern will help dilute it: light cell or stripe, not very large peas, "houndstooth". But bright drawings, catchy inscriptions, neon shades, very juicy colors, and other accents are not friendly with the smart casual style, so like the expressive texture of the fabric, they are better left for other occasions. In order to create a basic smart casual wardrobe, we offer a list of essential pieces that are helpful for ladies.
A Basic Shirt
Ideally, straight or oversized cut, without unnecessary details. Models of calm color scheme will be suitable: white, light blue, or soft pink shades. A monochrome T-shirt or top is a key part of the smart casual outfit. Without them, you simply can not create a variety of images every day! Black, white, or pastel shades – choose to your taste. It is better to avoid tops with inscriptions, prints, and other decorations.
Pants
Bet on quality: the ideal option should be made of a good suit fabric. To ensure that the pants will serve you well for many year and fit perfectly into smart casual image, buy a straight or wide-cut model.
Skirts
This is the one that best suits your figure, style, and lifestyle. It can be a plaid version of a straight cut, leather pencil skirt or A-silhouette model. All of them are necessarily midi length.
Outerwear
The smart casual style will fit perfectly with the classics: a basic midi-length trench coat and a straight or slightly loose-cut coat. Also, it is impossible to imagine a modern closet without jackets, and even more so, the smart casual style. Choose a jacket with a slightly loose cut, but single-breasted or double-breasted – decide for yourself. Naturally, in a neutral color scheme.
Jeans
As a basis, take a classic coloring without decorations. I advise you to pay attention to straight-cut jeans: they suit everyone and are relevant to any top.
Shoes And Accessories
The color and style of the shoes should meet the smart casual dress code for which they are selected, and of course, they are also selected for practical reasons. The easiest way to combine moderately strict style clothing with black, dark brown, or dark blue shoes, although experiments with other basic colors can be no less successful.The shoes are also required not to leave open toes and heels, and did not have too high heels, because one of the basic conditions of smart causal shoes for women is comfort, convenience, and practicality.
All clothes should fit well, not restrain movement, and not cause any physical or mental discomfort. High-quality materials are the key to smart casual, and the versatility of these things, manifested in their interchangeability, allows you to quickly change the image, for example, from business to casual.
Bet on quality: the ideal option should be made of a good suit fabric. To ensure that the pants will serve you well for many year and fit perfectly into smart casual image, buy a straight or wide-cut model.
Skirts
This is the one that best suits your figure, style, and lifestyle. It can be a plaid version of a straight cut, leather pencil skirt or A-silhouette model. All of them are necessarily midi length.
Outerwear
The smart casual style will fit perfectly with the classics: a basic midi-length trench coat and a straight or slightly loose-cut coat. Also, it is impossible to imagine a modern closet without jackets, and even more so, the smart casual style. Choose a jacket with a slightly loose cut, but single-breasted or double-breasted – decide for yourself. Naturally, in a neutral color scheme.
Jeans
As a basis, take a classic coloring without decorations. I advise you to pay attention to straight-cut jeans: they suit everyone and are relevant to any top.
Shoes And Accessories
The color and style of the shoes should meet the smart casual dress code for which they are selected, and of course, they are also selected for practical reasons. The easiest way to combine moderately strict style clothing with black, dark brown, or dark blue shoes, although experiments with other basic colors can be no less successful.The shoes are also required not to leave open toes and heels, and did not have too high heels, because one of the basic conditions of smart causal shoes for women is comfort, convenience, and practicality.
All clothes should fit well, not restrain movement, and not cause any physical or mental discomfort. High-quality materials are the key to smart casual, and the versatility of these things, manifested in their interchangeability, allows you to quickly change the image, for example, from business to casual.
What Do I Wear For A Smart Casual Dress Code Wedding?
Recently, so-called color weddings and dress code weddings have become very popular. But what if you receive an invitation that specifies a smart casual wedding dress code, and you do not know what to wear? In fact, this option gives guests a very wide choice of clothing.
The main thing is to choose clothes that are not too dressy, but also not too casual. Smart casual for women includes comfortable and practical clothes. For example, it can be a neatly tailored jacket and button-down shirt, a sundress, pants, or a beautiful skirt. Classic pants or a little black dress will also look good. Despite the fact that smart casual gives great freedom of choice in clothing, it is worth paying attention to shoes. Worn and shabby shoes are too casual. Therefore, mid-heels, loafers, and boat shoes will be an excellent choice.
The main thing is to choose clothes that are not too dressy, but also not too casual. Smart casual for women includes comfortable and practical clothes. For example, it can be a neatly tailored jacket and button-down shirt, a sundress, pants, or a beautiful skirt. Classic pants or a little black dress will also look good. Despite the fact that smart casual gives great freedom of choice in clothing, it is worth paying attention to shoes. Worn and shabby shoes are too casual. Therefore, mid-heels, loafers, and boat shoes will be an excellent choice.
previous post
