Dear god help - the dreaded ‘smart/casual’

[OrlandointheWilderness]

I’ve got a work event to go to - dress code is smart/casual. It’s a nice meal/canapes/ band in a slightly posh hotel. I have absolutely NO idea what to wear and to compound things I’ve lost 8 stone and have no clothes!!
im 5’9, redhead, nothing particularly out of proportion and a size 14. Normal style is country smart, think fairfax and favor and schoffel 😂
please help!!

It’s the way forward 😂

I agree. Smart/Casual means no jeans, trainers, leggings.

It doesn’t mean formal.

Blazers, blouses, dressers, trousers, shoes etc are all suitable.

Thank you @PluirinSneachta. I’m getting myself mentally tied up about this but it’s only a work dinner! I think I need to relax a little.

That's exactly what it means. And no tracksuits, hoodies and t-shirts with logos.

It's got nothing to do with "posh" or "not day wear"

Oh dear. I have thought all my life that ‘smart casual’ meant Jeans And A Nice Top, Shoes Not Trainers, And Lipstick.

I don’t go out any more really but it sounds as if that’s a lucky escape (for me and everyone else)!

I thought jeans were fine for smart casual?

Id wear the boots with some skinny jeans and a nice top (without a logo on it)

I think wear the HC dress you already have (it’s totally suitable) and take the styling cues from how they’ve styled it - if you don’t want to buy the spenny F&F black boots, what about a reasonably priced alternative like these (that don’t look like they’d give you grief before your half marathon?)

https://www.next.co.uk/style/su608810/f18675

consider a large chunky gold necklace to draw your eyes up.

FWIW, smart casual at work I think was invented so that the chaps don’t have to wear a suit and tie to the event…I spent far too much time stressing about what it meant for me (not many women in my old industry) only to realise no one actually cared what I was wearing… so I’d say suit yourself and while you adjust to your new shape (phenomenal loss by the way, congrats!) spend money on things that spark joy and you love and will wear many times rather than just for one work do. Hope you have a fab time.

For smart casual I really like cord bootcut jeans from next and a shirt in nice shiny-ish fabric. I used to get nice shirts from Jigsaw.

For smart casual I’d wear well fitting jeans, a nice top and a blazer with heels or boots

Absolutely agree, smart casual is a men’s wear dress code. Ie not a suit and tie. But not crappy jeans and trainers. For women it is a much wider range of clothes, as we have more clothes choices.

its like a ‘black tie’ dress code- it’s a men’s dress code of a tux with bowtie ie no lounge suits. For women it can be a cocktail dress to a full length ballgown.

Smart cashmere sweater dress (Uniqlo), black tights, black ankle boots.

Absolutely this