smart casual

looking for smart casual?

Smart casual. We've all heard of it, but what even is it? And more importantly, how does it make sense for us in Southeast Asia?

Dashingly smart casual: Sunny wears the twisted shirt [black] with the workware trousers [black] in an outfit perfect for going out to dinner.

Smart casual is a style that sits between formal office-wear and relaxed casual wear.

It is based on the original Western workwear of suit and tie, but more relaxed. Ditching the suit jacket, maybe ditching the black leather shoes for sneakers.

I think it makes sense that the style has a strong appeal for us in Southeast Asia.

The suit never really made sense here. It's kind of silly wearing a full suit in 32 degree weather.

We're also inherently chill, but we still want to look presentable. In fact, being neat and presentable is kind of foundational in Southeast Asian culture.

Day out smart casual: Ril wears the sw1 henley [off-white] and sw1 trousers [khaki] for a comfortable look perfect for going to work at a cafe.

So smart casual is our way of showing up, but being chill about it.

I think it also fits into our modern urban lifestyle. We're a practical people, we want to wear the same thing for everything.

So what better than smart casual - a style that let's you look presentable for the office, and also stylish without being overdressed for dinner after.

Don't worry, we've got you covered.

Style guide.

Smart casual style fundamentals and how hiraware clothes let you nail it.

Wardrobe pieces.

Shirts, pants, shoes, maybe a blazer, maybe some shorts.

We start with the basics - what pieces are you going to need?

The core clothes of a smart casual wardrobe will be shirts, short sleeve shirts, polo tees, pants, and shoes. These are the pieces that allow you to go to work and then out to dinner after.

Look for clothes that are simple and understated, yet well made (we will break this down further on).

After you've got your core pieces you can think of adding the supplementary pieces. A nice linen blazer to wear to a wedding. Or some tailored shorts to wear with a shirt for a casual brunch.

White shirt smart casual: White shirts form a core piece in the smart casual wardrobe. Here, Sunny wears the nehru shirt [white], allowing him to look professional for the office, stylish for dinner, and he could even pair it shorts for something more relaxed.

Design language.

Clean and neat.

So now you know the pieces you need, but what designs should you go for?

Go for pieces that are clean and neat. Avoid graphic tees, shirts with loud prints, torn jeans, or distressed pants.

Focus instead on clothes that allow you to look calm and put together.

I think this is something the hiraware pieces do very well. We naturally avoid graphics, preferring to focus on cut and material.

The end result is clothes that are quieter, that whisper well-made rather than shout for attention. Perfectly smart casual.

Calmly smart casual: The sw1 henley [white] paired with the sw1 trousers [brown] on a day out to the jungle. Notice the cleanness and simplicity of the clothes, allowing the cut and material to shine, whispering well-made.

Adding smartness.

A collar, somewhere.

You will need a collar.

I think it's part of smart casual's heritage from suit and tie. A collar indicates a level of 'smartness'.

There are a few ways to go about this.

Typically this is a polo tee. Classic, though perhaps if you're not careful it could easily end up looking uncle.

An interesting take is to pair a tee shirt with a lightweight blazer. The blazer provides the collar and it looks smart and chic.

Or, most simply look for nice shirts with a collar.

We end up spending quite a lot of time designing the collar on our shirts at hiraware.

I think it's because, even though it's a small detail, it's an important once since it frames the face.

Collars add a touch of smartness and are critical for any smart casual outfit. Here, we opted for a mandarin collar on the sw1 henley [green] for a touch of Asian tailoring.

Fabric and colour.

Natural fabrics, muted colours.

u will need a collar.

Some practical questions. What fabrics and colours work best?

I think a style like smart casual naturally trends classic.

Think natural fabrics and muted, neutral colours.

Fabrics like cotton and linen work great. They provide comfort and give a neat, presentable look.

Avoid sports and athleisure fabrics. You can tell they look a little too sporty. Avoid polyester blends, they tend to look cheap.

For colours, look for colours like white, off-white, khaki, navy, grey, brown, and black.

When pairing an outfit together. A lighter top and dark trousers always looks good.

For something bolder, a tone-on-tone outfit where the top and bottom vary slightly by share and material can look very polished.

Nice boy smart casual: Amir wears our nehru shirt [white] and workware trousers [black]. A light top and dark trousers combination always works.

Relaxed smart casual: Amir wears our short sleeve shirt [brown] and workware trousers [black]. Slight variations in shade and material between the top and bottom gives the outfit depth.

Cut and fit.

Purposefully relaxed.

Lastly, the cut of your clothes. Often overlooked, but often the difference between a handsome smart casual outfit and an uncle looking one.

A lot of smart casual clothes just use a standard shirt and pants cut.

This is often a big mistake because with traditional suits, the jacket defines the shape. The shirt is just an inner layer.

And since the we don't wear jackets most of the time now, the result is smart casual outfits that look bad.

I think the relaxed cuts you find at hiraware do a better job at mimicking the natural of the blazer

Our relaxed cuts hang off the body a little looser like a jacket would, framing the shoulders better.

It gives more of an air of relaxed confidence - perfect for smart casual.

Confidently smart casual: The relaxed cut of the outfit here gives the outfit a sense of relaxed confidence. If the clothes were tight, he would look a lot more uptight.