Smart casual outfit ideas: How to navigate this dress code

Nailing those smart casual outfit ideas can be tricky. One of the hardest dress codes to master, it can send even the most savvy into a sartorial meltdown. Ideal for those in-between occasions, smart casual outfits deliver just the right amount of polish. 

Originally coined in the mid-twenties, smart casual originally referred to men’s clothing and evoked the idea of lighter-weight suit fabrics in more unconventional colours that could be worn for more laidback events. In more recent times, the term has been used to cover a host of categories and can be actioned for a host of events both in the day or evening, striking outfit anxiety. Celebrity stylist Natalie Robinson believes the term is too open, so it’s often daunting to dress for occasions that call for smart casual.