It has been a long time since “Casual Friday” was in vogue. Like so many other things, the custom arrived here in the late nineties from the United States.
At last, a man could free himself one day of the week from the classic uniform of suit, shirt and tie, and wear more relaxed clothing — even at work. No, I don’t consider the suit, shirt and tie a uniform. But I can understand why so many men, in the grey monotony of daily working life, came to see it that way. That, however, is another matter.
Smart Casual takes shape
With Casual Friday, the idea was simply to loosen up the last day of the working week and to bring forward the joy of the weekend. From Monday to Thursday a man was still dressed with the utmost seriousness and in classic attire. On Casual Friday he was allowed to receive clients in casual dress — as a stockbroker or a lawyer — because those clients were dressed casually too.
Then came the backlash. Friday and its casual wardrobe exposed a great many men and revealed what they truly thought of classic fashion. All those who had felt forced to go to work in a suit and tie during the week felt so liberated on Casual Friday that they turned up at the office in jeans and a T-shirt.
With that, the bubble of sartorial freedom burst. Bosses banished Casual Friday for good, because the office casual look had begun to resemble something more suited to gardening. My aim is not to recount a fashion history, but simply to trace the beginnings of the smart casual look.
A new beginning: smart casual today
We have now arrived in the present, and the fashion industry needs innovations in the world of menswear. And so a new term was born: SMART CASUAL.
It was meant to serve the same purpose as before. The only difference today is that casual is no longer reserved for Fridays but is worn throughout the week.
One thing has not changed, however: men are once again at a loss and asking themselves — what exactly is smart casual?
How smart can a wardrobe be? And how much casual is permitted?
We live in the age of digitalisation. We ourselves are, of course, smart — and so our wardrobe should be too. But just how smart do we make it? And how much casual can we allow ourselves? I have the impression that many men find themselves before a great riddle.
Here is the answer: smart casual does not mean simply leaving off the suit. Nor does it mean that everything not classified as business wear automatically qualifies as smart casual. The subject is in fact far more complicated than it seems, because the more you mix within an outfit, the more mistakes become inevitable.
A series on smart casual
There are many criteria that should — and must — be observed. That is why I am dedicating a three-part series to this subject. Next week I shall write about how to put a smart casual outfit together in practice, and after that will follow tips and tricks on the theme. In this way we shall all be well equipped.
There is a great deal to say on the matter. I look forward to explaining the details in the coming instalments and to providing a guide to the perfect smart casual outfit.
Further reading
Read here when it is permissible to relax the business dress code
Here are five tips for making a lasting first impression at work