What is 'dressy casual' and 'smart casual' attire?
One of the newest and most common dress codes for working professionals is smart casual. Often this can also be interchanged with 'dressy casual.'
In this era of 'working from home' and as we re-normalize in-person work settings, these guidelines may be helpful.
Smart casual attire is a dress code that combines well-fitting and tidy business wear with elements of casual attire—think blouses, polo shirts, button-downs, chinos, dress pants, dark-wash jeans, and polished yet practical footwear. On the spectrum of formality, smart casual lies between dressy casual (jeans and blouses) and business casual (dress pants and skirts).
Examples of dressy casual:
-Polo & dark jeans
-Blouse & dark jeans
-Button-down & dark jeans
-Crisp t-shirt under a blazer with jeans
Examples of smart casual:
-Polo & slacks
-Blouse & slacks / skirt
-Button-down & slacks / skirt