What does "Smart/Casual" actually mean???

[Interl0per]

I've been invited to a networking buffet evening at the Royal Horseguards Hotel in London, to meet with some international visitors who work in my field.

This place looks posh: https://www.royalhorseguardshotel.com/
And my actual day-to-day role is a very active, jeans and T-shirt type job.

What does "smart/casual" actually mean here? I am way out of my comfort zone!

TIA

Trousers/skirt and shirt/top, shift dress, etc. Jeans would have to be very smart. The female version of a shirt and chinos!

Agree it’s the female version of shirt and chinos. There are many options, though so jeans could work with well polished shoes / boots or tailored trousers with casual jacket and trainer style shoes.

let us l know what you might already have, I’m sure we can put an outfit together.

No jeans or trainers or logo'd or sloganed t-shirts.

Expensive casual…

In my experience it assumes that people will come wearing professional clothes from the office. So tailored jacket/trousers/nice top, shift dress and jacket, tailored day/work dress, etc. Nothing cocktail/party and not casual (no jeans, trainers, casual wear)

Also the international visitors who are in a smart hotel in London will probably look smart and if you wear anything too casual it is kind of insulting. I would say an absolute no to any kind of jeans no matter how “smart”. But that’s me.

Thank you all, that's very helpful.
I wasn't planning on jeans (not got smart ones anyway), but was a bit stuck

I have a dress a lot like this (but black and the birds are a bit brighter). That with pumps/strappy sandals (I don't do heels!) OK?

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/30/c2/cb/30c2cb138fd25dc4005e5b84354c7a4d--bird-dress-london-style.jpg

.

This may help.

It’s a nice hotel but not mega-posh like the Goring for example. Plenty of casual tourists will be there.

I think that dress would be very nice! Particularly in black. Go for it.

I always do dark-coloured trousers and relaxed-fit top with flat shoes. Professional but not interview suit.

That dress in black would be perfect. i was going to suggest a black dress. Can't go wrong with a black dress.

A few years ago DH & I got caught out with smart casual thinking it meant casual but smart chinos / black jeans. Oh no the women were all in dresses like party dresses hair-ups, killer heals, half the men were in kilts!

So more going out, smart than formal business type smart.

I did find a dress code thing online and it said the same smart casual was casual in that it's not business suits but smart, dressed to impress type smart!

Have a read here

Aristocrat Guide to Dress Codes

Thank you everyone, that's really helpful

I'll stop fretting about what to wear, and start worrying about all the other ways I'll be awkward and embarrass myself 😉