So, you’re going into the office and looking for what to wear to work? There’s no need to go shopping and spend your first pay cheque before its even hit your bank account. Instead, these tips will show you how to rework your wardrobe for smart casual outfits that are trendy and professional.
Smart Casual is a style of dressing that uses comfortable and informal clothing in a way that looks polished and professional. Smart casual has become the norm in corporate workplaces, most of which have moved away from the stuffy suits and uncomfortable fabrics of the ‘90s and ‘00s.
Creating outfits with your own wardrobe is a sustainable option, not just from a financial perspective, but also from an environmental standpoint. Rather than investing in fast fashion pieces that will end up in a landfill, use your own wardrobe as a starting point, and the planet will thank you.
Learning how to rework your wardrobe for smart casual outfits will help you look appropriate and professional while remaining comfortable and still feeling like yourself. Just because you’re in an office environment doesn’t mean you need give up on your own personal style 40 hours a week. Use this guide to find out ways to tweak your existing wardrobe for a more professional vibe. Below are the top 5 tips to rework your wardrobe for smart casual:
Many people struggle with how to put together outfits that look professional and polished. One of the best ways to figure it all out is to use the outfit formula. To do this, you can follow the simple steps below:
Patterns add visual interest to an outfit. The patterned piece should be your starting point, since everything will pull from there. Let’s take a fun red and black leopard t-shirt for our example.
This is an item that will go with everything. Think jeans, black pants, or a white cardigan. For this example, we’ll go with dark denim flared jeans.
The third step can be the trickiest. For this step, analyze the colours in the patterned piece from Step 1. Choose one of the colours from this pattern. Then, find a layering item in your closet in this colour. For this instance, we’ll choose the colour black from the leopard pattern, and we’ll add the black blazer.
The reason this outfit looks polished is because it all ties together. Your black blazer is pulling from the black in the leopard pattern. The jeans work because jeans are a neutral that go with everything (although avoid mixing denim with other denim for the office). For the footwear choice, since black is the most dominant colour in this outfit, choose a dark shoe such as a black ballet flat or a black heel.
You can rework the outfit formula many different ways with the items in your closet, for instance:
Think of accessories like the decoration on a cake. They’re not necessary, but they always make things look more finished. Throwing on a necklace, a bracelet, some earrings, or a belt will really help you up your polish factor.
While mixing metals (i.e. silver and gold) is a cool and edgy look, for a more refined and professional style, aim to match your metals at the office, i.e. a gold belt buckle with a gold necklace or silver earrings with a silver bracelet.
A handy rule for accessorizing is colour matching the accessory to the key colour palette you’re wearing. Silver jewelry tends to mix well with cool colours, whereas gold is a better match for warm colours (see below for colour wheel to determine which colours are cool and warm).
In the fashion world, this is referred to as “high contrast”. It’s an easy go-to as it always looks polished and elegant, and you don’t need to worry about matching. The great option about this is that you can make smart casual outfits with existing black and white pieces from your closet.
Tip: Use caution when mixing black pieces with other black pieces, and white pieces with other white pieces. The likelihood that they are identical fabrics and colours is low, and you’ll end up looking like you’ve tried to match and failed. Think instead of using a white collared shirt with tailored black pants, or a black mock turtleneck with white linen pants.
You could also consider the tried-and-tested black and white striped shirt. This can be a wardrobe staple as it pairs well with many items you already have in your closet such as neutrals (black, white, denim, beige, grey), all primary colours (blue, red, yellow), and all secondary colours (green, purple, and orange). However, avoid black-and-white stripes with pastels as the high contrast doesn’t mix as well with more muted colours.
Not only is it possible to showcase your style at the office, but it will also make you feel more at ease and confident at work if you’re feeling more like yourself. Plus using your existing style as a base means you can create Smart Casual outfits without having to go shopping. Business attire isn’t as stuffy as it used to be and it’s great to show your personality by incorporating some pieces that feel more “you”.
Do you love a certain rock band? Wear one of their concert t-shirts underneath a structured blazer and pair it with some dark wash jeans. Do you like to show some skin on the weekends, and like to dress a bit sexier? Make it more work-appropriate by layering a more toned-down black sheer top over a more revealing dress or tank top.
While there is a lot more flexibility in the workplace than in previous years, there is still some footwear that will never be work-appropriate such as flip-flops or crocs. Basically, if you can wear it to the beach, don’t wear it to the office.
However, this doesn’t mean you need to rock four-inch stilettos at the office or that you can't use what is already in your existing closet. Sneakers are absolutely acceptable in the office and give off a cool and young vibe. However, here are a few guidelines to keep them professional:
Whether you’re in the office five days a week or once a quarter, you can use these tips to rework your wardrobe for smart casual outfits. Using these tools, you’ll be able to look professional and stay on a budget, all while helping the planet.
If you’ve got any of your own smart casual tips, leave a comment below and subscribe for more content like this.