Ask Angie: more info on Smart vs Business Casual - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

Ask Angie: more info on Smart vs Business Casual

unfrumped

Veteran

I was enjoying Robinf's outfits but also I'm getting a little confused on the differences in dress codes. Though I realize like everything, there is a spectrum.
If wearing not- jeans, and cardigans, and dresses, what is the dividing line? Is it the styles- say, wearing AT- type suiting trousers and skirts but in an unmatched way? Or tailored items? What would make one oufit of ankle pant, Oxfords of booties and knitwear top Biz vs Smart?
And for example, could "my" pleated crops be turned into business casual with the right supporting act, or will trendy always look more casual? That's not as big a deal but is related to whether it's about Classic vs some elements of fit and " polish" , or more formal fabrics , or what.
Thanks for your help!

Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from kkards

bj1111

Veteran

It's contextual mixed with your preference. The same outfit, even jeans, could be biz, biz caz, or smart caz, depending on the office and your comfort.

RobinF

Veteran

Good question Unfrumped. I will be interested in Angie's answer. To me, smart casual is more dressy than business casual but I'm not sure that is correct.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I agree with Robin's interpretation that smart casual is more dressy than business casual. I would add that smart casual is more about your preferences and business casual is dressing for your work environment.

Lisa

Veteran

I'd love to see a break down of smart casual, business casual, and casual compared against each other. I sometimes wonder what the dividing line is....jeans instead of trousers? Blazers instead of cardigans? I'm looking forward to the answer.

Isabel

Veteran

Interesting question. Being a stay at home mom, I struggle with just pulled together casual.

Some times I think it comes down to our own definition so that we have our own guidelines to go by. Angie's casual is my dressed up for example. : )

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Maybe smart casual is just more "social event" oriented than business casual. Is that why we see it as more dressy? For instance, I would see smart casual for a baby shower, anniversary dinner with friends, birthday party, etc. Is that because we "dress up" for social events, as opposed to regular casual dressing for errands, volunteering, or every day socializing like visiting with neighbors, going out for family dinner, etc.?

Tanya

Veteran

Hmm, to me, smart casual, the way Angie has defined it in the past - jeans dressed up with nice top and shoes, is more casual than business casual which by definition does not allow jeans/denim. Basically, if you take a business casual outfit and substitute the dressy pants/skirt with more casual jeans you end up with smart casual.
Examples:
Casual - jeans + t-shirt+ sneakers
Smart casual- jeans + nice blouse + dressy shoes
Business casual - dressy pants/pencil skirt + nice blouse + dressy shoes
Business formal: suit + nice blouse + dressy shoes

Isis

Veteran

An old post by Angie with lots of examples and a formula, still relevant:
https://youlookfab.com/2011/06.....for-women/

harmonica

Veteran

Good question! I think Tanya explained it well.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What Tanya said. (I'll add dressy BAG and JACKET to the mix).

Cardigans and pullovers always look more casual that dressy jackets but CAN be dressed up with the right shoes, jewelry, and bag. And choose dressier fabrications in the knitwear too.

crazyone

Veteran

I find the cardigan point a little confusing--if I were to wear a gray suiting dress with a navy jacket, to me that's business formal, even if it's not strictly a suit. I think wearing a cardigan with it would make it business casual--in fact, that's what I see a lot of women doing at the office, because wearing a formal dress+blazer comes off as very formal.

unfrumped

Veteran

Thanks, Angie!
I may still be a bit confused about the bar for individual outfits but I've been trying to look at the gradations in my own wardrobe. My preference is to hit higher on the " formal business casual" but that is different when with or without classic indoor topper. But "polish" sometimes comes across more clearly with certain tops & bottoms.

Anonymous

In my mind, Smart Casual is dressy casual while Business Casual is stuffy and uncreative (cookie cutter dressing at its finest). I much prefer Smart Casual even for my Business Casual office. I continue to wear dark jeans, but always dressed up. No one in my ag office has said anything to me, and we all know what the dress code is. I did ask when the dress code was put into place, and was told that dark denim is fine. I've seen what other secretaries wear, though, and can understand why they needed to draw the line somewhere. Wearing the typical Business Casual attire would make me look and feel out of place in that office.

anne

Veteran

Angie's classifications are clearly not what some people have in mind when they hear the terms.

By her system, I wear business casual most of the time for 3 of my working days, except on days when I wear a suit (ie business formal) On casual Fri I wear casual or smart casual.

Like C1 also wear cardigans sometimes with a suiting fabric dress, and feel that with a refined knit cardigan such a look is closer to Angie's business casual category.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

BC, Biz Casual can look on trend, vibrant, elegant, creative and beautiful. Look at how well MsMary does Biz Casual, for example.

Anonymous

The examples we were given on how to dress were quite frumpy, for lack of a better word. The ag college is not full of trendsetters, lol. I agree with you that it doesn't have to be that way, but tell that to the lady who laid down the law. She had a whole slide presentation on the subject.

JAileen

Veteran

I was enjoying an article on Finnish emojis - I kid you not. And then I came across this one. This is what smart casual looks like in Finland, apparently.

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kkards

Veteran

unfrumped, yes, the whole reason i started the biz cas challenge was because i was confused on where the line between business casual and smart casual was.....and after seeing 2 weeks of my wardrobe documented (and in one place) and seeing others workwear outfits...i've concluded (and mind you, this is just my opinion) the line between smart casual and business casual is artifical, that it might have existed 15-20 years ago when business casual began, but today, the line between office acceptable and not, is defined by business, region and need.