Men5 minute read

Smart casual for men: what it means and how to wear it

Smart casual is the dress code nobody defines. Here is what it means for men, and five looks that meet it, from a knit polo to a bomber over a fine knit.

By MasidasNov 13, 2026

But let neatness please you. Ovid, The Art of Love, book 1

Smart casual for men means a collar or a fine knit, tailored trousers and clean shoes, with or without a light jacket. It is a suit with the hard parts taken out.

Nobody hands you the rules, so here they are in plain words, with five looks from the men’s pieces at Masidas.

What smart casual for men means

One dictionary calls it neat, conventional, yet relatively informal in style. Read that as three parts. Neat: everything fits and nothing is creased. Conventional: plain colors and familiar shapes. Informal: no tie, and no matching suit.

The idea is old. In the year 2 AD the Roman poet Ovid wrote advice for young men, and part of it was about clothes. Leave the curling irons alone, he said. A man looks better a little careless. But his robe should fit well and have no spot on it, and his shoe should not hang loose at the heel.

The words came much later. Smart casual was first printed in an Iowa newspaper in May 1924, and it described a dress. Offices followed slowly. Hawaii’s Aloha Friday, a custom of the 1960s, let people dress down once a week. By 1994, 497 of the 1,000 most important American companies kept a casual Friday.

2 AD Ovid tells Roman men to leave the curling irons and keep a clean robe that fits.
1924 An Iowa newspaper prints the words smart casual, about a dress.
1960s Aloha Friday in Hawaii lets offices dress down once a week.
1994 Casual Friday is kept by 497 of the 1,000 most important American companies.

A suit with the hard parts taken out.

A man in the long sleeve cotton polo in navy, tucked into pale pleated trousers, one hand in his pocket — A collar, a tuck and a pressed trouser.

Smart casual for men in five looks

1. The knit polo and pleated trousers

Start here. A knit polo has a collar like a shirt and the ease of a sweater. Our tipped knit polo has an open collar with a thin line of contrast at its edge. Its page says to tuck it into pleated trousers, and the pleated tapered trousers have a pressed crease and end at the ankle.

A man in the tipped knit polo in black with white tipping, tucked into cream pleated trousers, one hand in his pocket — The knit polo, tucked in.

Close up of the open collar of the tipped knit polo in black, with a thin white line along the collar edge and the placket — An open collar with a thin white line.

A man walking in the black tipped knit polo with cream pleated trousers and brown loafers — With cream trousers and loafers.

2. The long sleeve polo

When it is cooler, keep the collar and add sleeves. The long sleeve cotton polo looks right with chinos or under a jacket, as its page puts it. The ribbed knit long sleeve polo has a soft collar and can be worn alone or under a blazer.

A man walking in the long sleeve cotton polo in navy with pale pleated trousers and brown loafers — Navy with pale trousers.

A man in the ribbed knit long sleeve polo in burgundy, tucked into gray trousers, one hand in his pocket — Burgundy with gray.

3. The fine knit in place of a shirt and tie

A dark fine knit does the work of a shirt and tie in one piece. The rib trim turtleneck sweater can be worn under a coat or on its own with tailored trousers. The slim mock neck knit sits close, and its page says to wear it under a blazer.

A man in the rib trim turtleneck sweater in black with pale pleated trousers, one hand in his pocket — The turtleneck with tailored trousers.

Close up of the deep ribbed collar of the rib trim turtleneck sweater in black — A deep ribbed collar.

A man in the slim mock neck knit in black with khaki trousers, one hand in his pocket — The mock neck sits lower.

4. The overshirt as a jacket

An overshirt is the easiest jacket there is. Our corduroy overshirt has a point collar and two chest pockets. Use it as a light jacket over a tee, or button it as a shirt. Over a fine knit it reads almost like tailoring.

A man walking in the corduroy overshirt in army green, worn open over a beige knit with pale trousers and brown boots — Open, over a knit.

Close up of the corduroy overshirt in army green: the point collar, the button front and two chest pockets with buttoned flaps — Two chest pockets with buttoned flaps.

5. The bomber over a tee or a fine knit

A short jacket keeps the look relaxed and still finished. The snap front bomber is cut straight to the hip, and it goes over a tee or a fine knit. The waffle knit zip jacket is a lighter layer for cool offices.

A man in the snap front bomber in taupe over a white tee with dark gray trousers, one hand in his pocket — The bomber over a white tee.

A man walking in the snap front bomber in taupe with dark gray trousers and black shoes — Cut straight to the hip.

A man walking in the waffle knit zip jacket in oatmeal, open over a white tee with navy pleated trousers — The zip jacket, worn open.

Three jackets, side by side

The jacket is the part most men leave out. These three do the job of a blazer without its weight. The words are from each product page.

Snap front bomber

Collar: Baseball collar
Front: Snap front
Wear it over: A tee or a fine knit

Corduroy overshirt

Collar: Point collar
Front: Full button front
Wear it over: A tee, or buttoned as a shirt

Waffle knit zip jacket

Collar: Stand collar
Front: Full zip
Wear it for: Spring evenings and cool offices

Check the size before you order

Two of these pieces are cut in Asian sizing and run small. The polo’s page says that most US shoppers need two sizes up. The turtleneck’s page says one or two. These are the chest measurements in size M, in inches. Compare them with a knit you own.

Tipped knit polo, size M

Chest: 33.9 in
Length: 24.8 in

Rib trim turtleneck sweater, size M

Chest: 36.2 in
Length: 23.6 in

More in men’s knitwear, jackets and coats and trousers. For the office, read business casual for the office. For the quarter zip, read how to style a quarter zip.

The pleated tapered trousers on their own, with a single front pleat and a pressed crease down each leg — The trouser that holds every look together.

The rib trim turtleneck sweater in black on a wooden hanger, showing the deep ribbed collar, cuffs and hem — One dark knit goes a long way.

Questions about smart casual

Are jeans smart casual?

Sometimes. Dark jeans with no rips can pass in a relaxed setting. For an interview or a client, choose tailored trousers, which are never wrong.

Do you need a jacket for smart casual?

No. A knit polo or a fine knit can stand alone. Bring a light jacket, such as an overshirt or a bomber, when the room is more formal.

Is a polo shirt smart casual?

Yes, when it is a knit polo with a neat collar. Tuck it into tailored trousers and it passes almost anywhere without a tie.

What shoes go with smart casual?

Loafers and plain leather boots are the safe choices. Keep them clean and in good repair. Ovid warned his reader about a shoe worn down at the heel, and it still shows.

Two thousand years on, the advice has not changed much. Be a little careless, and very neat.