Ideas for smart casual style inspiration for an 18 year old

[midwinterofthespirit]

Also posted on Chat but hasn't had any response. I didn't know there was a Teenagers section. Maybe someone here would be better placed to answer?

My son is almost 18, never really been interested in clothes and has just started a 6 month work placement at a law firm. He wears polos and jeans to college and I bought him a moleskin jacket, which he prefers to his sports style coats and puffers he wore to school. He's not a jogger and t-shirt type of boy.
We have been to Next and John Lewis and got him a suit and some smart workweat trousers, shirts and tie for the placement but he's interested in dressing smarter day to day too. He's been told he'll have smart-casual days at the office too. I have suggested he look online or even when out and about and see whose style he likes, but he's struggling.

Does anyone know of anyone on instagram or other that he could look at for ideas? He's a lumbering 6 foot if that makes a diffference.

Polo and jeans sounds like co-operate smart casual to me. (I assume his jeans don’t have rips and not worn very low like some teens like to do)

You mentioned JL- I know they sell brands like Fred Perry, Barbour and Ralph Lauren if budget isn’t an issue.

My sons are a similar age and buy a lot from Zara. Not quite as cheap as Primark but not as expensive as JL.

@Snorlaxo. Hadn’t considered jeans. He has regular H&M ones. I maybe need to get him some darker coloured ones. I did think about Zara. Good call. Thanks.

For the work casual - darker jeans, polo shirt (ironed, not faded etc) and a quarter zip jumper seems to be the uniform for corporate men doing dressed down. Trainers is fine with this, so long as they aren’t too “I’m off to run a marathon” and more for wearing with jeans not doing actual sport in.

Ds has to wear smart casual for sixth form and the uniform seems to be chinos, polo and either a quarter zip or cable knit sweater - Crew clothing and Ralph Lauren (via Vinted / charity shop!) are popular, plus Uniqlo for basics.

Perfect, thanks.

You've been much more helpful than the person on the Chat thread who said I shouldn't be dressing him (for reference, I don't plan to carry on but want him to have a good assortment to get started).

Chinos, polo shirt and quarter zip. Fortunately my 17 year old seriously into golf and wears that attire for both purposes

Does he need to wear a tie for the placement. It’s almost unheard of now, even in law firms, at most people keep one in their desk.

I do love that the “uniform” for men from 6th form to near retirement is “chinos or smart jeans, polo and quarter zip”. The range for women is so vast and there’s clearly different fashions for different ages, but men - chinos polo and a quarter zip from 16-66. No fuss.

Long or short sleeved dark polos, dark blue or black jeans. Armani do really nice navy blue skinny and straight leg jeans, and Levi's do really smart black ones.

We went for a pub lunch last week and table next to us was clearly an office outing. Every single man from the youngest to the oldest wore exactly the same outfit: shirt (no tie, top button undone), jeans, white or black leather trainers.

Boring drones.

My DS has to wear smart casual for 6th form. He’s 6ft and we’ve found Uniqlo trousers great for smartness, colours and fit.