50 Smart Casual Ideas for Men – The Laid Back Gentleman
Smart casual looks for men are often simple but crisp and very dapper. However, most men have a problem choosing what to wear away from the office, especially when a suit is not involved. Showing off your casual side is more than just wearing whatever is trending at the moment. It is about knowing what best suits your body type and makes the most lasting impressions on everyone you meet. Most importantly, the air of casualness must be very present in your ensemble for it to be deemed a laid back look. For men looking to retain their masculine sense of style when rocking their best casual look, you should always aim to look mature instead of going for a youthful look. This is the best way to appear well-dressed. Here are 35 casual ideas to get you started.
# 1 Trench Coats
Believe it or not, adding something as simple as a trench coat to your ensemble can transform how you look dramatically. The monochromatic black outfit underneath really gets a sharper appearance from the simple grey trench coat, which gives it a perfectly layered look.
# 2 Draped Sweaters
If layering is really hard for you, here is another smart casual look you can achieve easily using the same outfit. Draping a sweater around your shoulders adds a certain suave appeal to the look and helps to tone down its formal appearance.
# 3 Layered Casual Looks
When layering your outfits, you want to make sure that it does not look too bulky or uncomfortable for you. The purple overcoat pairs superbly with the brown coat while the solid stripes on the tie add some exciting color to the casual ensemble.
# 4 Colored Pants
There’s no better way to stand out in a crowd than wearing pants that are brightly colored because most men go for the basic blacks, navy blues and grays. To balance the look, you can wear your flashiest blazer on top, provided it is dark.
# 5 Sharp
This is a more common smart casual look among men with a good sense of fashion. Its timeless appeal lies in the way the plaid blazer combines with the slate grey pants and plain collared shirt to exude simplicity and sophistication all at once.
# 6 Dressy
The best part about this smart casual ensemble is that you can look dressy without putting in too much effort. The plaid blazer definitely makes the look a lot more eye-catching while the black leather loafers give it that laid back weekend style that you want. Accessorizing the wrists creates the impression that you are someone who enjoys what he wears.
# 7 Semi-Casual Suit
Hard as they try, some men don’t feel comfortable leaving the house without a suit on. This is a very smart casual idea for people like those, since it bears both the casual element and the sharpness of a well fitted suit.
# 8 Classic
A good pair of jeans can be worn with anything. For a well composed casual outfit, your favorite blue jeans can be paired with a tweed blazer and vest over a pinstriped shirt and a solid black tie. Give it the finishing it deserves with some solid suede boots.
# 9 Sneakers
Contrary to what you may think, a lot of smart casual looks for men do not require sneakers. However, here is one that will let you rock your favorite pair in the classiest way possible. Grey off-cuff chinos and white sneakers look perfect with the casually untucked white shirt and brown trench coat on top.
# 10 Khakis and Blazers
If your casual look does not come off as timeless, you probably need to rethink it. This is an example of a perfectly balanced smart casual outfit that you can achieve using a simple pair of khakis, a tweed blazer, a funny tie and a plain collared shirt. Ideally, some comfortable tan loafers should be used to wrap up the look.
# 11 Blue Grey Camo
If plain jackets are not giving you that special feel, try and find a camo one. And a dark blue pattern will make it even more complementary.
# 12 Boots and Jeans
If you want to give off a solid, dominant male aura with the way you dress, boots and jeans is a combination that will rarely fail to do just that. Up the ante and the sophistication by going for a collared shirt and a sharply fitted casual blazer instead of a t-shirt and leather jacket.
# 13 Tan Colors
There is not a man in the world that will not look good with just the right amount of tan in his casual outfit. It doesn’t matter what you wear, a nice pair of tan leather shoes and a matching tan belt will make your outfit a lot more eye-catching.
# 14 The Wacky Pants
Most men shy away from pants with cheeky patterns since they look kind of wacky and are incredibly hard to match. However, this is one of the better ways to do so—by grounding the rest of the outfit with black. The black leather gloves add an incredibly tasteful and masculine touch to the ensemble.
# 15 Colored Blazers
Colored blazers are now a necessity for the man who enjoys dressing up. There are lots of ways you can dress up with it since they are versatile enough to look good whether you decide to wear them with jeans or a casual pair of chinos. The black loafers and tan belt superbly complement the outfit.
# 16 Button-Up Cardigans
Button-up cardigans will give you a more youthful, college-boy look if you wear them right. You can get a bit colorful with cardigans since they will make your layered look more interesting. Bare wrists are boring so make sure you accessorize with a nice watch or even a simple leather strap.
# 17 Fitting Jeans
Jeans that are too tight are not something any man should wear, same way jeans that are too baggy should be left to the younger generation. Your form-fitting jeans should have a bit of allowance in the leg area to avoid creasing and chafing. Perfectly round off the look with a well fitted tweed blazer and a casual collared shirt embellished with a tie.
# 18 Blazer Up
Never underestimate the ability of a simple topcoat to enhance your smart casual outfit in the most stylish ways possible. Even a look as simple as this blue jeans and white t-shirt outfit becomes ten times more interesting with the army green trench coat that features a charming polka dotted pocket square.
# 19 Scarves
One of the best ways to wear a collared shirt with at least two open buttons is by throwing in a nice scarf wrapped around your neck. This definitely makes the layered look more interesting and allows you to wear dull top layers without looking drab.
# 20 Flashy
Interestingly, a blazer can also be used to achieve a more youthful look that exudes more class and masculinity. Instead of a leather or varsity jacket, go for a slim fitted single-button blazer with narrow lapels instead as this will give your smart casual look a very dramatic edge.
# 21 Go Neutral
One of the perks of dressing more maturely is that you do not have to contend with flashy colors in order to look good. Take a look how these neutral shades of grey look fantastic against a simple white t-shirt and sneakers.
# 22 Tweed Cardigan
Mixing the old and the new can have surprisingly tasteful results if you’re careful enough to combine the right shades. The deep blue jeans and the white vest get an instant boost in sophistication simply by adding the homey tweed cardigan on top.
# 23 Ripped Jeans and Overcoat
From top to bottom, this is a look that makes use of the simple aspects of clothing to create something incredibly unique and classy. The neatness of the buttoned up collared shirt creates a unique style contrast with the wild textures and colors of the ripped jeans.
# 24 Hats
Most men only wear hats when a suit or a pair of shorts is involved. This look is a bit of a crossover of the two and it oozes timeless elegance from a vintage point of view. The pinstriped jacket with the floral pocket square, the loosely unbuttoned shirt, the bright chinos and the perfectly matched hat have been brought together superbly to finish the look.
# 25 Neo Rocker
With just the right amount of eccentricity, flair, and class, this is a look reserved for those with a bold sense of fashion. A printed scarf has been used to give the black and white ensemble a bit of character.
# 26 West and Jeans Shirt
The DB west gives that bossy look especially paired with a blue shirt. What gives here a more relaxed vibe is loose cotton trousers and suede boots of a light color.
# 27 Simple Cool-Guy Ensemble
You don’t have to reach for the stars or copy all the latest in men’s fashion to look good. In fact, rocking this simple blue blazer on top of an all-black outfit with a few accessories is quite a way to show off your dapper side.
# 28 Untucked
Perhaps one of the simplest ways you can rock a smart casual outfit for men is going for an untucked look. The rich suede jacket has been matched with similarly brown leather shoes and worn over an untucked collared shirt and blue jeans.
# 29 Casual Office Attire
Most people underrate the power of a nice pair of blue jeans. Here we see how easy it is to pair it with a plain linen shirt and sleek grey tie, with a classy suede blazer wrapping up the look beautifully.
# 30 Preppy
You can do a lot with just a few tame colors and a sprinkling of classy accessories. In every smart casual look, the footwear is very important since you need to strike the right balance between comfort and sophistication.
# 31 Simple and Classy
If you’re looking for something a bit less layered but all the way classy, pair a nicely fitting collared shirt with a crisp pair of relatively bright off-cuff slacks. Tucking in the shirt gives the outfit a crisper appearance.
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# 32 Classy Layering
This look gets more interesting with every layer. The pitch black innermost layer sets a superb background for the fitting cream blazer and the final tasteful touch, which is the olive overcoat.
# 33 Tailored Suits
Designer suits should not be restricted to the office alone. On the contrary, if you tweak the materials into something a bit more lively, you will have yourself a classy smart casual outfit that you can easily embellish with a few additional touches.
# 34 Turtlenecks and Blazers
A black turtleneck is a necessity in every man’s wardrobe for this specific purpose. It is incredibly easy to turn it into a good-looking smart casual attire simply by adding a blazer or topcoat and your fanciest plaid pants.
# 35 Casual Lace-Ups
When it comes to casual shoes, loafers seem like the best choice every time. However, it pays to switch things up occasionally with the casual lace-up footwear. These are a perfect example since the white laces and soles infuse the casual aspect to the look.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to smart casual looks for men is that you are not dressing by anyone’s rules. You can switch it up as much as you like and still look good, provided you lean towards looking more mature than flashy. Have fun spicing up your wardrobe with accessories and funky colors.
WHAT IS SMART CASUAL?!
50 Smart Casual Ideas for Men – The Laid Back Gentleman
