Here, our stylist, Sarah Gilfillan, has the low down on how to achieve that smart-but-effortlessly-casual look for after work, gigs, events and dates!Nearly all the men we’ve taken shopping struggle with this area – they can do smart work clothes and they can do casual weekend wear, but in-between seems to baffle them!It’s not so hard really, but you do still need to look as if you’ve made an effort - it’s not a case of not bothering and looking scruffy.It’s also not about mixing something very smart with something very casual. The aim is to make your outfit look balanced – so don’t wear a big, baggy casual T-shirt with a pair of smart suit trousers. Instead, opt for a more fitted, sleek T-shirt and a pair of flat-front trousers in a cotton fabric. The style of the trousers is still smart, but the fabric makes them more casual – you could also try moleskin or needlecord trousers.If you need to look smarter, you could add a suit-style jacket to the outfit.Add a floral print shirt (best to keep it a small to medium print) and it becomes a fun, going out outfit.What not to wear: the “Alan Partridge” sports/casual look, evoking images of a middle-aged man in slacks and a “sports jacket” playing golf. Also avoid the very “preppy look”, complete with pleat-front chinos, button-down shirt and double- breasted blazer with gold buttons!Shops that are good for the Smart/Casual look:     Joseph     Nicole Farhi     Nigel Hall     Reiss     French Connection     Paul Smith     Filippa K     DKNY

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 4:24 pm and is filed under Mens Styling Tips And Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.