Ladies.. what would be smart casual?

[m1s]

What would you consider to be smart casual attire for work?

It's easier to say what it isn't. I'd avoid anything too casual like jeans, trainers, sportswear or anything overly smart like a suit. Also nothing too evening wear, I've seen younger people think that smart means going out so they turn up in short skirts or lace.
I prefer dresses so have some nice day dresses I get in the sale or on vinted, I tend to go for Hobbs, Phase Eight, Monsoon (their more conservative stuff), but trousers and a top also works.

Exactly this ^

Much easier to rule out items from either end of the scale. I too mostly wear dresses (with pockets), and I don't often wear patterns - plain always seems smarter to me.

I would say black jeans are okay if paired with nice boots/shoes. No trainers.

I tend to wear chinos with deck shoes and a nice top or a nice dress.

7/8 length trousers with a smart top and a blazer or cardigan

In businesses I’ve worked in, it’s this:

No sportswear
Only very smart trainers in dark colours.
No ripped or otherwise scruffy-looking jeans.
No band or slogan T shirts.
”Not too disco”: this was at an insurance company!

I wear wide leg trousers, shirt, knitted vest, chunky loafers or dress and boots.

Blimey! This is what I’d wear if someone said dress smart / formally for work. But then again I dress like a student most of the time anyway. This is why I don’t fit in a corporate environment 😂

No jeans, no trainees, no hoodies/trackies. No slogan shirts/t shirts.

No suits. Limited or no heavily tailored items unless dressed down heavily. No ties.

Probably fewer or lower or no high heels.

Avoid looking like you are going to a wedding, I we had a manager who used to turn up in pastels and chiffon, she looked lovely but completely inappropriate.

I think it’s hard for women. Can you ask someone what people tend to wear on their bottom halves? I’d think proper black on black jeans would be safe.
It depends on the history too. If they used to be full on suit, then smart casual might mean no jacket. If they are creative, then it might mean no ripped jeans.

Business casual to me is different to smart casual.
Business casual would be no jeans or trainers, men would wear a jacket but no tie and the jacket and trousers don't need to made of the same fabric. Collars needed.

Women it's more subtle - a plain knit jumper, rather than a collar.

Smart casual for both - jeans - no rips, smart trainers - white is fine as long as clean... t-shirts ok. Smart track bottoms - although with caution, everything have become a bit more blurred. If you look polished you can get away with more.

It's changed a lot since covid - a lot more casual, more trainers. It's curious only one client now insists on collars on teams calls - he used to be a strictly suits and tie on teams at the beginning of covid, so even he has changed - the insistence of a collar seems to be a need to recognise his senior position - an ego thing perhaps.

For me it's dark coloured jeans with a shirt/blouse and blazer or smart cardigan and trainers (adidas gazelle style rather than workout style) or nice boots. Or it can be a day dress with tights and boots in the winter or trainers/ballet flats in the spring/summer.

Avoid light coloured jeans, anything 'distressed', chunky knits and anything that can be considered evening wear.

A dress and cardi
Skirt and blouse
Trousers and jumper

No jeans, trainers, denim, leggings, strappy tops

Men shirts with no tie
Non matching jacket and trousers

Thanks all. It's a nursing job. I'm so used to wearing uniform and I don't like this idea of I can choose what I want to wear.
How about knit jumpers/jumper dresses?
Leggings/leather look leggings with a shirt/blouse?
I met with one of the other nurses who was wearing a ribbed dress with tights and boots

I'm very much a hoody and jeans type of person at home so this is hard for me

Smart casual for work is an absolute nightmare.

The single most useful thing is a jacket that doesn't look like it's missing the rest of a suit (I had a very useful navy blazer). You can wear it with all sorts of things, eg (and I hate the phrase) a 'nice top' and chinos or at a pinch new and utterly unfaded black jeans.

This isn't fashion parade. Find your style and stick to it.

Don't wear leather, or leather-look. Leggings might be OK, with a tunic-type top

Knitwear can work, but your skirts need to be no shorter than you'd consider appropriate on a formal day.

Wear jeans and a fine-ish-knit jumper instead of a hoody

I'd avoid leather or leather look.
If wearing leggings you need a top that covers your bum at least.
Jumper dresses are great I love them.

I bought one of those useful blazers and I never wore it - it felt all wrong, what do you wear them with that doesn't make you look like Princess Di. I've seen people look good in them but they are not the panacea of good taste - I think they look quite old-fashioned and dated if you don't style them right.

Smart casual is a nightmare to define exactly, especially because it also changes from job to job. I work in construction and everybody wears smart trainers because you'd have to go from boardroom meeting to construction site within the same day. Hoodies are a definite no-no, but a gilet is fine. Go figure.

I'd look at what others in your workplace are wearing and follow their cue.

Thanks all. Think I'll wear a jumper dress and tights and boots on my first day and then see what others are wearing and decide what things to buy. Right before Christmas too when money is tight 😞. Wish we could just wear our uniform. It would make life (and laundry) a lot easier

Nothing wrong with looking like Princess Diana. And yes, you won't look fashionable, but you can look stylish.

It doesn't have to be a blazer, if that's not the style you like (too boxy for some tastes) but look at why some pieces have become classics. It's not because they're fashionable - it's because they're timeless. So yes of course tey can look dated.

But so could a man wearing the male staple equivalent of jacket, shirt and chinos/cords. So it's things like cut of the trousers, choice of colours, whether the shirt is patterned etc that make the difference. It's the same for women

(I am assuming here that you don't have long pockets and you need your work clothes to last some years and garments to cover more than one season)

I agree re. Blazers not always being right. They're particularly bad at this time of year when you need to wear a coat. Are you meant to swap coat for blazer indoors? I imagine the blazer would look too smart for smart casual. I mean sure you'd need jeans to make it casual?

Op, I usually wear wide leg trousers and fitted jumper and dr marten shoes or else a Cos looser style dress tights and ankle boots or western style boots in the winter.

Ps. Have a look on Vinted. Loads of good dresses on there for much reduced prices.

Nothing wrong with looking like princess Diana if that’s your intention. 😁 it’s dated but nothing wrong with that either if it doesn’t bother you crack on.

I'm in a teacher we have to wear similar.

I wear in winter spring and autumn
Jersey Dresses and tights
Midi Skirts and tucked in fine sleeved jumper or plain top with a belt
Slim black trousers and an untucked top
Wide black leg trousers and tucked in top.

In summer I wear summer clothes. Mainly t shirt and culottes

Have some super comfy striped trousers to wear with a plain too

I would never wear leather look leggings (or leather look anything) or denim. I wear a pair of flat form loafers.

Might be more conservative than your role. It always feel smart, stylish and professional