Smart Casual - Up tight?

[FWDRacer]

Inspired by other thread on formal workwear and wearing of ties..

WTF is smart casual other than a damn good recipe for people laughing at you as you bound around in your ex Golf attire, Chino's and loafers. Get a grip men - I'm not saying Tracksuit and trainers are the way forward, but believe me you look too uptight. About as approachable as a Tax collector!

:adoptscataloguemenpose:

Discuss.

[Soovy]

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

[dan1981]

i start my new job on monday - apprently it's "business casual" which i think means i can leave my tie off and my jacket at home.....

[Mr E]

My issue is that I don't do smart casual. I do student or wedding.

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

Why? I'm an engineer. They employ me for what I can do, not my dress sense.

[Chris_w666]

I wear what I consider smart casual to be most days. Decent quality jeans or trousers, decent shirt or jumper, smart coat, shoes.

Other days I am more casual but despit not having a work place dress code suited would be too much 95% of the time, casual is not quite good enough.

[bob1179]

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

I suppose it depends on your line of business. I'd look quite odd climbing up scaffolding and around the innards of a gas turbine in a suit...

[pimpin gimp]

Mr E said:

My issue is that I don't do smart casual. I do student or wedding.

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

Why? I'm an engineer. They employ me for what I can do, not my dress sense.

Ditto, currently in jeans, cat boots and a polo shirt. Granted it's all quite smart, but the jeans are a little baggy and the tee-shirt, being fat face already looks like it's a few years old even though its the first time it's been worn!

usually a shirt/trousers kinda guy but seeing as we're off out for beers tonight I thought I'd rather wear something I can wear out later. I look good.

[zcacogp]

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

Ding!

Unless there is a good reason not to (i.e. climbing scaffolding etc) then a suit should be de rigeur.


Oli.

[Neil_H]

Smart casual to me basically means a suit with no tie, and possibly no jacket.

dan1981 said:

i start my new job on monday - apprently it's "business casual" which i think means i can leave my tie off and my jacket at home.....

Yes, but not on your first day! Suit and tie to start with.

[Neil_H]

Chris_w666 said:

I wear what I consider smart casual to be most days. Decent quality jeans or trousers, decent shirt or jumper, smart coat, shoes.

Jeans (ie denim) are never smart.

[Soovy]

zcacogp said:

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

Ding!

Unless there is a good reason not to (i.e. climbing scaffolding etc) then a suit should be de rigeur.


Oli.

Bang on.

You don't HAVE to wear a suit here. But who do you think gets the promotions and the big bonuses? That's right, the suited ones.

[Chris_w666]

Neil_H said:

Chris_w666 said:

I wear what I consider smart casual to be most days. Decent quality jeans or trousers, decent shirt or jumper, smart coat, shoes.

Jeans (ie denim) are never smart.

Maybe I should mention that I do spend half my days working with teenagers and its amazing the difference in reaction you get from being suited or even in smart trousers to a pair of dark tidy jeans.

[dan1981]

Neil_H said:

Smart casual to me basically means a suit with no tie, and possibly no jacket.

dan1981 said:

i start my new job on monday - apprently it's "business casual" which i think means i can leave my tie off and my jacket at home.....

Yes, but not on your first day! Suit and tie to start with.

You think?

Hmm even the letter from head office HR said my site was business casual, and i did spend half a day with the team as part of my recruitment process? (suited and booted and feeling a little out of place)

[grumbledoak]

Yes, it is a pretty hateful American thing, essentially golf-wear. They look dreadful, and we seem to fare no better- I've only ever seen continental blokes and gay men do it with any style.

Offices should be suit and tie (client facing, and provided the stingy buggers make the air-con work) or anything you like (back office).

[mouseymousey]

pimpin gimp said:

Ditto, currently in jeans, cat boots and a polo shirt. Granted it's all quite smart, but the jeans are a little baggy and the tee-shirt, being fat face already looks like it's a few years old even though its the first time it's been worn!

usually a shirt/trousers kinda guy but seeing as we're off out for beers tonight I thought I'd rather wear something I can wear out later. I look good.

A contradiction, surely?

[SirTainly]

Soovy said:

[You don't HAVE to wear a suit here. But who do you think gets the promotions and the big bonuses? That's right, the suited ones.

Rather than the ones that have worked the hardest ??? I'm shocked!

[spikeyhead]

If I'm spending time with a client then I'll have a suit on. If its one I know very well, and some of my clients I've known for over ten years then this can get downgraded to slightly better dressed than they are. In one instance I could wear a pair of cut down jeans and a ripped Thirt and still be better dressed than they are.

[Plotloss]

Soovy said:

zcacogp said:

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

Ding!

Unless there is a good reason not to (i.e. climbing scaffolding etc) then a suit should be de rigeur.


Oli.

Bang on.

You don't HAVE to wear a suit here. But who do you think gets the promotions and the big bonuses? That's right, the suited ones.

If I turned up to a prospect in a suit I'd feel like I was selling double glazing.

It just doesnt work.

Going to see the bank, court, any other formal situation then suit every time but its not suitable for my work on either the site of prospect/customer side.

[jollygreen]

Soovy said:

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

S h i t e.

I haven't worn a suit to work in years. Or a tie. People dress up smart to come and see me, cos I'm THAT important.

It's all bks, unless you're dealing with the public, you're at work to do a job - not to look smart. Anywhere that insisted on me wearing a suit wouldn't be of any interest to me.

I wear jeans most days, as do most of my colleagues and there's nobody in my office on much less than £50/hr (apart from maybe some of the junior draffy's-ahem sorry, designers). So it's absolutely not necessary to wear a suit to earn reasonable money...

[Soovy]

Plotloss said:

Soovy said:

zcacogp said:

Soovy said:

WTF is "smakrt casual" anyway.

People at work should WEAR A SUIT.

Ding!

Unless there is a good reason not to (i.e. climbing scaffolding etc) then a suit should be de rigeur.


Oli.

Bang on.

You don't HAVE to wear a suit here. But who do you think gets the promotions and the big bonuses? That's right, the suited ones.

If I turned up to a prospect in a suit I'd feel like I was selling double glazing.

It just doesnt work.

Going to see the bank, court, any other formal situation then suit every time but its not suitable for my work on either the site of prospect/customer side.

Of course it depends a lot on industry. But if you came to sell me a massive home AV install and you came in a suit the first time, I'd feel happier. Assuming it wasn't a machine washable one.