[Closed] Office Smart Casual - What does it mean?

It means - go to Reiss and buy something.

Start with suit but no tie and then copy what you see after that

Generally a shirt and trousers with some smartish shoes. Varies a little office to office, but you won't go far wrong with that.

Not suit trousers, but not jeans either.
Shirt tucked in.

I'd say shirt, trousers and shoes, maybe a jumper. No T-shirts, jeans and trainers and not a suit or tie. You can always take a jacket and tie just in case they have a funny definition of casual

Start with suit

surely thats significantly higher up the chain than "smart casual"?

shoes, dark jeans (with a belt, obvs), smart shirt

surely thats significantly higher up the chain than “smart casual”?

I can look pretty scruffy in a suit, to be fair.

And you'll see I said only on the first day while you see what it really means

Chinos I reckon rather than suit trousers

Cords, cornflower blue shirt, tweed jacket and loafers. As is you were just about to catch a flight.

Some smart casuals, pictured yesterday...

But if it were me, I'd probably wear my nice Carharrt jeans and Chelsea boots with a flannel or denim shirt. Maybe a turtleneck jumper if you want to go full "new media".

Shirt with some sort of collar, trousers that aren't suit trousers, smart shoes or boots. You can wear the same 5 shirts and 1 pair of trousers for years and nobody will care.

Unless you are female, then quite literally whatever you want that sits in between wedding wear and night club wear, but everyone else will judge you on a daily basis

It's easier to start too dressy and row back, than to rock up in jeans and trainers and realise you've made a mistake.

With that brief, I'd go shirt, chinos, smart shoes and maybe a blazer / sports jacket which you can easily remove or swap for a jumper when you discover you're a bit overdressed.

P.S. I know you're joking but smart-casual doesn't mean scruffy.

Another vote for shirt, trousers, shoes. No denim, no trainers, no sports wear, no shorts.

Have you got a contact there you can ask if really concerned?

Start with suit but no tie and then copy what you see after that

is good advice. You can ditch the jacket straight away if no-one else is wearing one and always better to start too smart than too casual.

Smart Casual covers a massive range depending on the workplace but generally a shirt or polo shirt rather than a t shirt. No big logos or branding. Probably not trainers, though in some places it might be ok. Maybe not jeans.

But on the other hand, I wore jeans most of the time (with a smart shirt, and sometimes a jacket).

This look would pass in a lot of modern offices - jeans, jacket, crew neck jumper

With that brief, I’d go shirt, chinos, smart shoes and maybe a blazer / sports jacket which you can easily remove or swap for a jumper when you discover you’re a bit overdressed.

My office is supposed to be smart casual. You'd be laughed out of the place if you arrived looking like an 80s US tennis club member, as described. 😀

So, what does that actually mean?

Badly dressed.  Think Clarkson  🙂

Start with suit but no tie

depends, do you look like:
Daniel Craig's Bond
a footballer at a press conference
80s Miami detective
schoolboy who has lost his tie

when you do this?

First day, if you're unsure, I'd go with suit trousers, shirt, no tie. Then you can see what every one else is wearing and go from there.

80s Miami detective

Please do this.

Men - shirt, trousers, no tie.

Women - wear what you want, no different to a night out or a day at the beach.

(or is that just my experience....?)

But if it were me, I’d probably wear my nice Carharrt jeans and Chelsea boots with a flannel or denim shirt. Maybe a turtleneck jumper if you want to go full “new media”.

This highlights the tensions here well. My office dresscode is nominally smart casual but that would be seen as full casual and probably send the wrong signals.

Several posters have commented there is more flexibility for female colleagues, so just wear a dress?

So, what does that actually mean?

Don't have to wear a suit, but not jeans and a tee. Mostly I think @matt_outandabout pretty much covers it. Chinos, oxford shirt, jumper as required, shoes that don't need a polish to be acceptable (suede for instance) .

But if it were me, I’d probably wear my nice Carharrt jeans

Urgh!

with a flannel or denim shirt. 

Double Urgh!

Jeans with a denim shirt 😅

I'm so glad our office doesn't have this nonsense. Some years ago a new employee turned up in a full suit on his first day, but it was mid-summer so everyone else was in tee/shorts/trainers or sandals.

In our latest "Ask Me Anything" with the department's senior management was on Zoom and our director was wearing a corporate issue polo shirt with red checked PJ trousers. Cracking combo for home working!

You’d be laughed out of the place if you arrived looking like an 80s US tennis club member

Or just go big and complete the look with a visor and racket? Fabulous.

I just meant wear a non-matching jacket I.e. not a suit jacket.

Ah yes, I am currently sat in an office that uses those exact words (you're not joining an insurance firm are you?!).

Start with suit but no tie and then copy what you see after that

.
This is sound advise, first day or 2 a suit and no tie will be over dressed but will not look out of place whilst you work out the lie of the land.

The default in our office is smart, leather shoes, chino's (not suit trousers) and a shirt. Some smart knitwear on top is fine in the colder months. Very few wear jackets. We'd not get away with polo shirts or any kind of trainers.

But if it were me, I’d probably wear my nice Carharrt jeans and Chelsea boots with a flannel or denim shirt. Maybe a turtleneck jumper if you want to go full “new media”.

I'd get away with this on dress down Friday (that a whole other can of worms...) but this is not smart enough for normal week wear.

What fasthaggis posted is pretty much what I wear in the summer.

In an engineering consultancy I can still be the smartest person in the room. 😂

We have a smart casual office, which is basically collared shirts, or company polo's, chino's & suede or similar shoes. Jumpers/fleeces are all fine. The only people who turn up in suits at our place are auditors & people who didn't check for interviews.

Friday is a total free for all.

Big German corporate machine, for reference.

Forgot to say congratulations on the new job, by the way

Definitely red trousers

In my old work some kids turned up in joggie bottoms and tops and tried to argue that as the trousers and top matched they were in a suit and therefore complying with the company dress code. This didn't go well for them although the dress code was changed to make it explicit that sportswear was not acceptable.

navy shirt, black jeans, distressed brown DM 8 eyelet

If I was their employer I'd be earmarking them for management. Initiative, attention to detail, and the strength to act on their convictions.

hmm probably leave the Trackie bottoms at home 🙂

With that brief, I’d go

With that brief I'd ask for clarification. "Smart casual" is absolutely meaningless. It could be a tieless suit, or a pair of jeans without holes in.

Have you been watching Succession?

Go for the full son-of-a-media-mogul look by accessorising. Simply replace the tie with a baseball cap and a pair of Air Jordan’s…

I can't put into words how many of them i want to stab.... Tom though, i want to stab him the most...

No.... Roman.... errrrm no... Tom.... ummmmmm

Shirt with a collar, shoes not trainers, dark jeans or trousers with nice belt, jacket optional.

I can’t put into words how many of them i want to stab

It’s the eternal dilemma, isn’t it?

I swing between hating Roman then actually finding his malevolence quite amusing

Tom, on the other hand…