Business casual for men - help, please?

[sleeponeday]

DH has a new job, and he's thrilled as it is one he really wants. But he turned up for an induction day in his usual work clothes (suit, tie, polished black shoes) to discover his team are all in smart casual, and that's the dress code, unless off-site making client visits. Which is fine, but he's late 30s and honestly doesn't do that style of dress, and never really has. He has some nice jeans and t shirts/shirts for home wear, or a suit. That's it. And he has no clue what to wear or where to buy it. I said chinos, but he made a bit of a face as he has a genuinely working class background (though grammar school and Oxbridge intervened) and to him, chinos are what chinless wonders wore at college and Boris'n'Dave wear on holiday photo ops. He also has no clue where to buy it from. He openly admits he has no idea at all about what suits him, and tbh I am not convinced M&S (his suggestion) is going to be of the quality necessary. And he's late 30s, not 20 anymore, so can't get away with clothing that's not ideal due to the glow of youth/slenderness/lack of wobble (though he has slim arms and legs so looks skinnier than he is).

I had a look at Gap online, and they have what look like nice, slim-cut cords in charcoal and so on, and some nice Oxford shirts - would that work? Has anyone else any suggestions? Please don't say I should just leave him to it, because he is nervous enough as it is and clothes at work are a kind of uniform in my experience, no matter what the official code is. Also, shoes?! He has trainers and he has smart brogues, and then he has walking boots and wellies. And that's it.

I should add that my FIL and our child are both Aspergers, and DH is not diagnosable, but has a lot of traits. He is not good at picking up on this sort of external thing at all, and his father dresses rather oddly, so he never had any modelling at home in terms of clothes. (They sent him to school in the '80s with sideburns and hand-knitted tank tops...) I've always helped him pick out clothes before, so his jeans etc really are good and his suits are fab, but on this, I don't know any better than he does, really. I don't encounter business casual these days so my notions on what that entails are a decade old.

Help? Please? He's a brilliant husband and has always been really supportive of me, and is asking me to go shopping with him... and I don't have a clue, either. Which is not going to help his nerves!

[petitdonkey]

I think Boden could be his friend. One or two pairs of slim trousers, jeans if they are acceptable. Shirts but of the heavier cotton, smart but casual type and maybe brogues? Brown rather than black? Or leather trainers.

[petitdonkey]

like in this photo? Maybe with a sports jacket if he feels he needs it?

[sleeponeday]

That's helpful, thanks - pretty sure he'd not go for a sports jacket, though. He has a North Face one he will use, come hell or high water, because it cost so much to start with!

[hellsbellsmelons]

Smart casual here means chino or farah type trousers with a shirt or nice polo shirt.

[Sgtmajormummy]

Pastel coloured shirts (no tie) and cotton trousers. Nice belt on show. Sneakers (not trainers) or desert boots. Suede brogues are nice too, but you need the confidence to wear them.

I buy easy care or non iron cotton shirts for DH at M&S. better loose than fitted IMO. I particulaly like their discreet light blue checks. Polo shirts on Fridays only for him and the chest logo is what counts .

[Sgtmajormummy]

About jackets. DH likes his new waterproof biker style jacket with a belt for warm weather. In winter he had a waterproof jacket with detachable husky inside.

[SquadGoals]

My DH sounds really similar to yours (he always jokes about the chip on his shoulder re toff boys).

He does wear chinos/slacks but in navy blue/black and not in tan or any colours. He also wears short sleeve shirts - mainly from Thomas Pink at Debenhams. Normally I pick them up for £7-12.

For shoes, he wears boat shoes - Next have some nice navy ones for not too much .

Timberland have quite nice smart casual stuff in neutral colours that make it easy to mix and match.

Between Timberland, Next and Debenhams, DH has a great business casual wardrobe that all matches nicely - don't have to worry about what goes with what etc.

Now I just need to do the same for myself!

[Notoedike]

Dh has battled with this one and finds the best approach is a suit and dress shirt without a tie. All the senior staff dress like that.

[sleeponeday]

That is all so helpful, thank you - think desert boots is an inspired suggestion actually, and Timberland I'd not have thought of but will definitely check out.

SquadGoals, yes!

[louloubelle2]

Business casual is different to smart casual and is far more restrictive, as it is generally a suit, or suit type trousers without the jacket and tie. As your fella is quite stressed about it, I'm guessing its smart casual which would include jeans and more casual shirts or polo shirts.

I would go with dark indigo jeans, or dark slim fit trousers, pale coloured or check flannel or heavy cotton shirts, or plain slim fit polo shorts, fine knit v or crew neck jumpers, and shoes in a heavier weight than you'd wear with a suit i.e. brogues or something with a chunkier sole. Or plain trainers in a stan smith type style as opposed to something with a moulded sole you would run in.

Pinterest search for male/men smart casual work or business or something, lots of smarmy model shots, but some good inspiration as well I think :

www.pinterest.com/pin/451485931371045051/

www.pinterest.com/pin/516788125966063535/ (but swap the horrid yellow trousers for navy!)

www.pinterest.com/pin/516788125966063535/

www.pinterest.com/pin/470274386060308077/

www.pinterest.com/pin/319263061060437920/

www.pinterest.com/pin/461337555555931586/

[louloubelle2]

Forgot to say, in terms or shops, this look is Jigsaw menswear to a tee.

[Notoedike]

Jigsaw menswear is great, also like John lewis&co.

[Pumpkinnose]

Can you give us an idea of industry? Can you have a look on the website/hang around outside at lunchtime one day?!

I'd steer clean of jeans to start. Assuming it's the smarter side of casual then flat fronted cotton/corduroy trousers in navy/grey etc seem a good bet with plain or checked shirt. Charles Tyrwhitt good for work friendly shirts (not just the cuff link type). My DH would also avoid shirt sleeved shirts - much better to roll up a long sleeved one.

[Pumpkinnose]

short sleeved shirts

[sleeponeday]

Industry - very, very office based (needs suits for client visits). That's why he was so thrown on his visit. Never even crossed his mind they'd not be wearing the same. It's finance related, major company, offices everywhere, many employees. Just not a dress code he had anticipated in that sort of setting at all. Business casual in the office, sure, but this is a step beyond that.

Charles Tyrwitt is a great thought, as is Jigsaw - will take him to both tomorrow. We did John Lewis on Sat and found a really nice shirt and a cashmere jumper, both were right I'm fairly confident, and he looked very good in them which is obviously also important. Trousers are harder - all Gap chinos and cords looked awful and he is between sizes there anyway these days. Timberland just looked way too casual, and Next don't last (I must be a bad launderer because trousers from them seem to fall apart quite rapidly). Have ordered some Boden cords and chinos and will see how he gets on with those. He thinks jeans will probably be okay for some younger/junior staff, but not him. As in they could get away with it under 30, but he thinks over is probably sad Dad territory in that workplace, and I agree.

Thanks so much for your help, I was somewhat flummoxed.

[sleeponeday]

And no, he hates short sleeves, always rolls up - thinks short sleeves on men are not a good look over the age of 12! I don't like them either, tbh, glad we are not alone.

[AngelaRipp0n]

I worry about how you seem to think thirties is old, my DH (board level) wears jeans to work every day and he's 51, he has one suit that gets worn a couple of times a year. Jeans are not just for the under thirties!

For shoes have you looked at Camper?

[sleeponeday]

He's moving from managing a team of those in their very early 20s. It isn't old, late 30s, no - I am in my 40s myself, so would be in trouble if I thought that! But he thinks that there is a mutton/lamb possibility in terms of wearing them to work, especially when dealing with people who have just left uni, and he is wary.

I haven't worked in a genuinely corporate environment where you didn't wear a suit, so I have no clue what is appropriate and what isn't. I hope he can wear jeans as he looks good in them and likes them, and he has several pairs already, but he wants to start out more conservatively. And he's been in the office, which I haven't.

We both had Camper Pelotases we lived in at uni, but he was very unimpressed by the lowered quality when he got some a couple of years ago. Not sure he will get another pair on that basis. But they are fab, IMO.