Defo break out the Couduroy Suit/Polo neck combo:

Or just your normal Jeans and t-shirt with the new Vans ‘Brogues’

Jock Wan

😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

It’s times like this, you need to ask yourself, “What Would Cougar Do?”

Dress as a smurf.

Smart casual means no blue denim

Oh well. If this is the case I can safely say I have spent my entire life breaking dress codes with no consequences. So turn up in what you want to wear and nothing will happen.

And skinny jeans on blokes. NO!

Bikebouy = Gok Wan

Similar sound, but based around the third letter of the alphabet I thought. I guess bikebouy is 21 and the epitome of hip young thingness. He doesn’t realise that the forum knows how to dress – as middle aged IT support types, they only have polyester or t-shirts and jeans anyway.

OP – you just sound increasingly angry and as if you’ve been invited because your other half is a nice person.

I think it means dress like a golfer

unfortunately

I think it means dress like a golfer

unfortunately

If I work my ass off to make a nice dinner, and do my house up to create a nice atmosphere, and invite some other couple over with the request that they dress slightly more formally than they would if we were just having a bbq, it is hardly unreasonable

I’d have thought making the guests feel comfortable and welcome rather than doing up the house and telling them what to wear would produce a nicer atmosphere, but I am a bit weird though 😀

What Ian Munro said. People are more important than pathetic little OCDs about what they are wearing.

Matching belt and shoes FFS.

that’s it coyote, you’re off the list for my upcoming bikini bottoms and squirty-cream tops soiree 👿

You don’t mean it. Just to be different I’ll wear bikini tops and squirty cream bottoms. 😯

you’re on thin ice after the “come in whatever you want” one in the summer

do you know how much a new laptop costs ?

My clothes could say “smart casual” but my face would still say “axe murderer”, so I just wear what’s comfortable.

Funnily enough I’d be more concerned that my guests at a party enjoy themselves and feel at ease as mentioned in earlier posts, but if IT geek chic is the way of singletack (Chinos FFS :roll:) I’d recommend that you style yourself on this chap.

Depends on the country

If you feel cold put on a very dark suit jacket combine with jeans

what, like this?

I think you want to try and rock the 70s look…

I truly hope bike-buoy is being ironic, ‘cos if someone suggested such things to me, I would suggest they search the nearest hedgerow for a nice splintery stick, find a nice quiet corner and sodomise themselves with it. As I never attend events that specify ‘smart casual’ I never have issues, I just wing it, and be a little subversive, like in the summer I wear a nice fine check Rocky Mountain Cycles shirt I acquired over a plain Tee, with a pair of black cotton trousers made by Split, which are actually skate trousers, but look very understated and smart, with either a pair of black leather brogues or all black Vans with no decoration, or I wear the same trousers with a nice black fine flannel shirt with a thin white check and a black wool M&S jacket. The belt is a woven Eagle Creek travel belt, watch strap is whatever holds the watch I choose to wear on my wrist, so battered black steel if it’s the TAG, black rubber if it’s the Bell&Ross knock-off, or black nylon NATO if it’s the MWC G10 Tracer. If anyone takes exception, and no-one ever has, then it highlights their obsession with ephemeral nonsense. So there.

I’d probably just go because staying at home when you know you could be at a party is crap. And I’d just wear polo shirt, dark jeans and some shoes or smart trainers. Surely they won’t actually tell you to bugger off if it’s not deemed smart enough anyway, unless it’s at a club or something with dress codes..

Chino’s???? Terrible advice

Skinny Jeans???? Can someone show me a picture of someone dressed smart casual in skiing jeans??

I truly hope CountZero is being ironic……………………..

I guess y’all know far more about this kinda thing than me then..

Never mind, enjoy your party.

As you were.

The problem with the whole ‘Smart Casual’ thing is – as demonstrated above – pretty much nobody knows what it means (some are getting it mixed up with Business Casual), but lots of people think they do, or think they know what other people think it means. So you can be completely right and perceived by most to be wrong, even by the people who stipulated the code.

In the case of the OP – the party throwers who have made the stipulation are as unlikely as anyone else to actually know what they’ve meant by ‘Smart Casual’ and that its is a defined code, and not just an approximare way of saying ‘Don’t worry you don’t need to come in cocktail dress, just relax but try and have a wash before you arrive’

‘Smart Casual’ in its strict sense is highly conformist and specifies a very narrow spectrum of clothing – clothing that a lot of people don’t even own (who the hell, other than CHF owns a Sport Coat, dress socks or loafers?), and if you adhere to the code theres less room for interpretation than many would realise. Chinos for instance – as often mentioned above would require a very loose interpretation of the code – its Dress Trousers.

However I picked up some invaluable advice from a fashion expert on breakfast telly a few years ago. She was invited on to talk about fashion trends for the glastonbury/festival/glamping season and was reeling off blether about ‘boyfriend blazers’ and flowery wellys and the presenter asked her what fashion tips she had for men

“Men? Pffft men needn’t worry about it, if you make the effort you’ll just get it wrong.”

well i went after a swift visit to the debenhams blue cross sale, so it was;

mantaray shirt (£18 reduced from £36
Gap straight legged wool trousers ((ith a carhatt belt)
dark brown skechers boots…

job done…

however the host was in a black suit, black shirt black tie (that lasted one hour!)

The hostess however had some sort of gown on that looked like something you would wear to a dinner dance.

However, by far the most common outfit for th emen was Clarkson chic jeans shirt suit jacket combo (with those funny brown suede loafers??

Hungover today so must have enjoyed it 🙂

Thanks for all the advise and amusing fashion tips…off to the garage to fettle me bike now in “streetwear” i believe

Glad you enjoyed it.

It appears the hosts ignored their own dress code……how many ‘just been to a funeral?’ comments did he get !!

mantaray shirt (£18 reduced from £36
Gap straight legged wool trousers ((ith a carhatt belt)
dark brown skechers boots…

Really – the names don’t matter a jot. I’ve seen more people look like sacks of poo wearing ‘designer’ brands than not.

huffybouy – have you got a BSc in Menswear or something? Have we rubbished some sort of elite qualification you hold with our ignorance?

Whenever I hear relentless descriptions of clothing rules I always think of this guy:

Hungover today so must have enjoyed it

Were any rats involved? 😈

Nope, no BSc in Menswear and surely it’s an Artform there for a simple BA would suffice non?

I’m not in a huff, far from it.

“sits on sofa in dark skinny jeans and block poloshirt, with a bottle of Becks”

tbh I think some people are getting a bit het up about “dress code” being too dictorial – think of it as a guide to what others might be wearing. If you just want to “fit in” you’ll know what to wear. If you are confident to buck the trend and go ott smart or tatty you won’t have broken any rules but you’ll know where you are at before you get there.

I work in a very expensive school but one that has obsolutely no dress code – I’ve not worn a tie since the day I started; teach in jeans and t shirt 90% of the time and replace the t shirt with an open, untucked shirt and maybe a very casual jacket every now and again if I might be in a meeting or meeting a parent at some point in the day. On the occasions when I venture into more a formal school with similar fees (Eton, Harrow, Winchester etc) I have taken to wearing my normal clobber. Watching them struggle with knowing how to treat me is always a joy – they are always so much more uncomfortable that I am and always underestimate me because I’m dressed “beneath them” – often a handy starting position in negotiations.

LOL Chinos. I don’t even own a pair of shoes any more.

yes walleater but you’re grizzly adams now.

Watching them struggle with knowing how to treat me is always a joy – they are always so much more uncomfortable that I am

I’m sure that making other people feel uncomfortable boosts your ability to do something – but I’m not sure exactly what that is right now. It does give me an instant impression of you, even at this distance.

It does give me an instant impression of you, even at this distance.

About as much as I guess as I have an impression of you from your need to comment as above. 😉

It’s fun to play with people’s preconceptions sometimes, especially when they are so “rules” driven.

I’m sure that making other people feel uncomfortable boosts your ability to do something – but I’m not sure exactly what that is right now

I’m guessing it helps as it’s often a handy starting position in negotiations. Reading posts; beneficial since the dawn of the internet 😉

it’s often a handy starting position in negotiations

What – making someone feel uncomfortable? Best we tell ACAS and the UN for all their future work in mediation and negotiations. 🙄

Best you don’t see diplomacy as a future area of employment then.

Shoes and belt must match in colour, so too a watch strap unless it’s a metal braclett type.

Matching my watch strap with my shoes? Now you’re just having a laugh, aren’t you?

Nope, but then I’m facing an uphill strugle here, so no more satorial advice from me.. Smart Casz for the discerning STW’er Phah..

Funny thread.