Smart casual is the ultimate 2025 dress code, blending comfort with confidence and personality with polish. From Zendaya’s menswear moments to Hailey Bieber’s effortless layers, it’s all about balance, tailoring, and playful accessorising. Get on with elevated basics, bold accents, and versatile layers that work everywhere, from lunch dates to fashion week, the smart casual is set to be your new go-to!
2025 is all about being the style icon in the room by blending your personality with ease. And no dress code captures that better than the smart casual. It is great for a lunch as beautifully as it fits attending a runway. It is polished but not stiff, relaxed but not messy, subtle but not boring, this is your wardrobe’s sweet spot. Smart casual needs to be your new fave go-to as it is the most wearable and versatile dress code of the year!
When it comes to styling smart casual, it is all about balance. You need to align a casual look with a sophisticated one, like blazers with cargo pants, tailored trousers with elevated tees, summer midi styled with clean sneakers, those are some of the ways of doing it right! Zendaya is known to be the queen of smart casual as she is often seen in menswear-inspired suits with sneakers or crop tops. Now that’s what we call effortless yet elevated. Or look at Timothée Chalamet, who is a master of coding relaxed clothing with statement jewellery and making it a moment!
And the best part about smart casual dress code is that it is fluid, less gendered and is all about pairing your personality with fashion. The colour palette for this style is neutral (beige, olive, charcoal) mixed with a bold pop of colour like burnt orange blazer or red sneakers to balance it out for a fair game. Hailey Beiber’s smart casual style has always been the talk of the town as she pairs oversized blazers with bike shorts and gold accessories. This is your gateway to look expensive without doing a lot!
How can you jump on the smart casual style bandwagon:
Invest in hybrid pieces
Polo shirts in luxe knits, or dressed that can be styled up or down with a fun game of accessories
Good tailoring FTW
When you add structure to relaxed tailoring it looks effortlessly beautiful. Tailored pants or shirts can elevate a casual base
Double up your footwear game
Ditch your one-sneaker-fits-all approach. Go for heeled mules, cowboy boots, or clean white trainers to strike the perfect balance
Layer like your life depends on it
Vests, wind-cheaters, or trench coats, layering adds a visual interest without looking too ‘neat’
