What is smart casual dress?
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EmailSmart casual is a step-up from business casual and a step down from business professional. The goal is to look professional but not formal.
Casual, business casual, smart casual, business…what does this all mean? Dressing to go to the office has changed post-COVID and the term smart casual reappeared. Smart casual first appeared in 1924 for women, then in the 1950’s for men and now it seems to have reappeared with the Zoom era.
What is smart casual? Smart casual can be described as a step-up from business casual and a step down from business professional. It is dressing professional but adding in trendy or chic pieces. The goal is to look professional but not formal.
For men, smart casual may mean khakis or it might be jeans, as long as the jeans look dressy and fresh, and paired with a button-down shirt and a sport coat, loafers or Chelsa boots. For women, it might also be jeans or slacks, a collared or dressy shirt, and a blazer paired with ballet flats, loafers or ankle boot. The key is to look stylish, sharp and put together. According to Forbes, smart casual works for any gender, including nonbinary. Go for pieces that make you confident and comfortable.
4-H leaders and other youth development volunteers can help youth prepare for the workforce, which can include helping them know how to dress for the job. No matter the subject area of a youth group (livestock, robotics, crafts, etc.), career education can be layered on top of these topics or taught in conjunction. The national 4-H curriculum, Build Your Future: Choices, Connections, Careers, is written for these types of situations and has many helpful activities for volunteers and teens.
Michigan State University Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development helps to prepare young people for successful futures. For more information about resources on career exploration, workforce preparation, youth financial education or youth entrepreneurship, email 4-HCareerPrep@anr.msu.edu.
