Getting ‘smart casual’ right

Yesterday was a day of meeting important people: I didn’t want to look overdressed, but I also didn’t want to look lazy, which begs the question: what do you wear for an occasion like that?

I have a rule.

Deconstruct a suit and swap a few things out.

I feel like the easy option is to go for the jacket and shirt of the top half and swap the trousers for a pair of jeans. Personally, I feel like unless you get it just right (which is harder than you may think), this can often look a little sloppy.

My tactic is usually to swap the suit jacket for a leather number. You can wear shirt (or a crisp t-shirt), or if it’s a bit nippy, layer up.

It also gives you a chance to show that you know what you’re doing and play with colour a bit. I’ve gone for a mostly blue look but added some purple with a leather biker jacket from The Kooples.

My shirt and jumper are both from Reiss, but they’re very basic and you can find them from anywhere, based on your budget.

I tucked my shirt and jumper in just to make sure I didn’t stray too far on the side of casual, especially since I was wearing trainers.

Very special trainers: These Brunello Cucinelli‘s were a Christmas gift from my wife and they feature leather, suede and corduroy. I love them.

Anyway, I have no idea how the meetings went, but I know looked ace, so that counts for something.

Thanks for reading,

Jim.