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Dressing Up and Getting Down

Language is a code, and if we have the key, we have perfect understanding.

But when someone says to you that the dress code for a party is ‘smart casual’, what does that mean?

No, seriously, what does ‘smart casual’ mean to you?

Here’s some supplementary information:

  • It is the hostesses birthday party
  • The venue is in a smart room
  • In a palace
  • The hostess has picked out a LBD

Even taking the ‘smart room’ and ‘palace’ out of the equation, for a moment, if the hostess has picked out a LBD, what the hell is ‘smart casual’?

I have spent the last few hours looking at my dinner suit/dress shirt.

I know it isn’t ‘casual’, but it is ‘smart’.

Jesus, why is this so difficult?

I bought a new pair of ‘smart casual’ trousers on Saturday, and wore them out to dinner last night.

I looked like someone who worked in Carphone Warehouse.

Smart casual?

Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi, you are my only hope.

10 thoughts on “Dressing Up and Getting Down”

  1. Dunno about Obi Wan… Gok Wan may be a better option.

    Smart casual: black trousers; white long-sleeved shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, no tie; shiny shoes; clean pants; nice smile.

    Sorted.

        1. Ta. The arbiter of Good Taste (Blonde_M) on Twitter agrees with you. Although I do quite like LofRede’s ‘suit with a funky T-Shirt’ suggestion.

  2. I’m with masher, trousers and shirt, no tie. Take a jacket if you’re not sure. Or suit with a funky t shirt if that’s your wont

  3. Linen suit? It’s almost summer after all … But not navy blue, stone/ natural, with open necked shirt.

      1. Well, I’m a bit biased. Someone I rather liked did turn up for our first this-isn’t-really-a-date-we’re-just-seeing-an-exhibition-together in a stone coloured linen suit and rather smart tan pointy toed brogues. I don’t normally do the pointy toed look on a real man, but these were nice . Oh dear unrequited lust is a bugger isn’t it. Still he did make the effort and the suit was just right. Later #notreallyadate dinners were dress down Friday attire. But make sure it’s real inn (I can tell at 10 paces if it’s not) as if your hostess is in a LBD, it’ll be cool, but smart.

        Have a great time — sounds like it’ll be a fun party!

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