Relaxed business v smart casual work

[GOODCAT]

During the pandemic the dress code at work (office) went from full professionally dressed 4 days a week and smart casual on dress down Friday to anything goes, which means most are wearing jeans and trainers except when they are seeing a client when it went back to full professional.

Last Monday we were told this would change two weeks later to relaxed business 4 days a week then smart casual on dress down Fridays. I understand that we will be given a list of what we cannot wear, but this hasn't happened yet.

I have googled and still cannot figure out the difference. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I am 50, short and have put on weight during the pandemic so need some new stuff. My hair has also grown and I want to be able to tie it back sometimes so any tips for that in this context would also be helpful.

I think relaxed business means actual business clothes (blazers, suit trousers etc) but worn as separates, and smart casual is not business clothes but a step up from jeans and t-shirts

In your shoes I’d buy 1 blazer, a dress that I could wear for work & weekend, few tops & 2 ‘bottoms’ : ie enough for 1 week to see what everyone else is wearing

Its a minefield however a manager at work summed BC as 'out of 3 items (top, bottom, shoes) 2 items are casual and one business). So example is, blouse, smart jeans and trainers or blazer, jeans, trainers.

I'd wait for specifics before investing any money. If a dress code is that important to your organisation, they're going to have to do better than a couple of vague phrases.

That is ridiculous. I bet "relaxed business" means men can leave their ties off and no one has given a thought to what it might mean for women.