Translated from English, the term 'Casual' (read as 'casual') means a casual style of clothing or a casual style. The main idea of a casual dress code is to choose comfortable, practical and versatile clothing that does not fit the strict rules of formal wear and strict forms of the dress code.
It's safe to say that a rare man does not have jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, sneakers, leather jackets and so on in his wardrobe. The combination of all this is casual style, including the use of different clothing manufacturers and fashion trends in one look.
The history of casual style begins in the European city of Aberdeen, Scotland. Fans of the local football club founded the 'Aberdeen Soccer Casuals' movement, where a distinctive feature was the wearing of a certain brand of clothing and the absence of any stripes or paraphernalia on clothes. It was sports that catalyzed the growth of the popularity of casual style, especially during the late 20th century.
There are two main types of dress code: smart casual style and business casual style, however, the division is arbitrary and the boundaries are rather blurred.
What is casual style
As in any style, one of the important requirements for casual clothing is the right size. No matter how good the clothes are, if they are not according to your figure, then consider the money wasted. Very often, the models of a particular clothing manufacturer may not suit you in style, fit or anything else. This is normal. The main thing is to find the clothes that fit you well, and then choose the right wardrobe items according to your figure.
What to wear on top?
T-shirt
A casual style cannot be imagined without a T-shirt. During warmer months, it is best to wear a short sleeve T-shirt that ends in the middle of the bicep. The shape of the T-shirt should moderately hug your torso, and the bottom should end at waist level, just below the waist.
The T-shirt is worn with jeans, boots or sneakers. For a change, try wearing a cotton blazer top and chinos. The color of the T-shirt can be any color, however, I recommend having a white, gray, black and navy T-shirt in your wardrobe.
Lilac casual t-shirt
Black casual t-shirt
Shirt
The casual shirt is characterized by a variety of colors and patterns of the fabric from which it is made. Often, the shirt is not tucked in but hangs over jeans or other pants. When choosing a shirt color, be guided, again, by the ability to combine with other wardrobe elements. Universal colors: white, blue, burgundy, black, gray. However, you should still have a couple of color options to add variety to your wardrobe.
A casual shirt, like a shirt under a suit, should fit the width of the collar and the length of the sleeves. The easiest option is to put on a shirt and try to slip 2 fingers between your neck and collar. When turning your head, the collar should stay in place.
The sleeve cuff should end at the beginning of the wrist. Remember that if you are wearing a blazer or jacket, the cuff should protrude 1-1.5 cm from under the jacket sleeve. Check out the infographic on how a shirt should fit.
Plaid casual shirt
Blue casual shirt
Polo T-shirt
The polo shirt with short sleeves and a soft collar has proven itself among people who prefer a casual style of clothing. It is best to have a few different colored polo shirts, such as white, black, purple, orange. You should not buy a polo shirt with large patterns on the back or chest, unless it is corporate clothing. By the way, I recommend reading about the types of men's T-shirts on our website.
Red polo shirt
Gray polo shirt
hoody
The sweatshirt with a hood and symbols on the back has moved into a casual style from the world of sports, where athletes wore it over T-shirts outside the sports field. The sweatshirt will work with jeans, sneakers, a T-shirt, but most likely will not work with chinos and a shirt. Therefore, you should choose the right sweatshirt for your wardrobe, so as not to limit yourself too much in choosing other wardrobe details.
Sweatshirts can be of any color, but the best fit is not a plain one, but a colored one with an unusual pattern on the back or chest to diversify your wardrobe.
Blue hoodie
Beige sweatshirt
Jersey
In the cold season, a good sweater helps to keep warm. There are a huge number of models, varieties of materials and colors of sweaters, which we reviewed in the article on how to choose a sweater for a man. I will mention only a few points:
Thin sweaters with round and V-shaped collars without buttons and zippers have the most formal look. These models can be worn over a shirt or T-shirt. Thicker chunky knits have a more casual, casual look.
Black sweater
Blue sweater
Casual blazer
Choosing a casual jacket should be guided by the same principles as when buying a business suit. The jacket should fit well in the shoulders, the sleeves should be slightly shorter than the shirt sleeves. The length of the jacket should be at the level of the thumb if you put your hand down. For casual style, only a single-breasted jacket with one or two buttons is suitable. The material should be from a line of more casual, such as: cotton, linen, tweed, cotton and wool blend.
Try wearing chinos, matching a tie with a jacket and shirt, then you will be able to create a smart casual style that looks more formal.
Navy casual blazer
Beige casual blazer
Leather Jacket
Perhaps one of the most iconic items of men's casual wardrobe is a leather jacket. Throughout the 20th century, she personified freedom, rebellious character and strength. There is no doubt that you should have at least one black sheepskin or calfskin leather jacket in your closet that will look great with jeans, a T-shirt and classic men's shoes.
Leather casual jacket
Casual Leather Jacket
Jean jacket
For many, a denim jacket will be associated with the period of the 90s, when every second man wore a denim jacket. However, fashion is slowly returning and it is quite possible to afford to wear chinos or corduroy pants, and on top of a classic denim jacket with a T-shirt.
I strongly advise against wearing a denim jacket on top and jeans on the bottom. Stylish way, you can't name it.
Classic denim jacket
Dark denim jacket
Duffle coat
The duffle coat is a single-breasted coat with a hood and buttons in the shape of a tooth or fang of the beast. Duffle coats are loved by students, as well as people of art in France and Great Britain. Once upon a time, a duffle coat was made for the military, but later it became a stylish piece of outerwear.
In the autumn or spring season, a duffle coat will be a great addition to a casual style. As for the color, beige or dark blue can be called classic, but you can buy any other one according to your taste.
Navy blue duffle coat
Classic duffle coat
What to wear underneath?
Jeans
In any image, there is a main component that characterizes the style. Jeans are the main component of casual style. It is best to choose tight (not fully-fitting) selvedge denim jeans. It is easy to find such jeans in the store, just tuck the pant leg and pay attention to the hem, it should be the same as shown in the picture.
Hem on selvedge denim jeans
I am deeply convinced that every man should have 2-3 jeans of different colors in his closet. Classic colors can be considered: light blue with scuffs, dark blue / indigo.
Never buy jeans with any patches or inscriptions on the entire fifth point!
Selvedge denim casual jeans
Selvedge denim jeans
Chino trousers
Chinos are a great alternative to jeans. I recommend having a pair of pants in a more formal and less formal color. For example, neutral and classic colors such as navy blue, gray, beige and brown will look more formal. Green, orange, burgundy are informal colors.
Sports blazers or jackets work well under chinos. As for the material, tweed, corduroy is suitable in cold weather; in the warm season – cotton or a mixture of cotton and linen.
Beige casual chinos
Navy casual chinos
Casual casual shoes
One black and one white sneakers with a minimum of additional details / decorations – everything you need in summer or warm spring. To slightly expand the list of summer casual shoes, you can use top siders or moccasins.
Casual shoes moccasins in dark blue
Brown casual topside shoes
In winter, the best choice would be “work” boots (Work boots) or sports boots. The latter are very similar to sneakers with fur. Read more about winter men's shoes in previous publications.
Timberland Boots
Leather sneakers
You can try to combine classic shoes and casual style. Classic men's shoes are not only shoes with a pointed toe, so I recommend reading the article on bowandtie.ru here.
Accessories
In addition to basic casual clothes, you can pick up some accessories. First of all, this is a watch, a belt and a pocket square, which should also correspond to everyday style.
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The watch can be of any shape and color; with leather, metal, plastic or fabric strap. The watch can even be sporty, it will not harm the casual style. For more information on how to choose a watch for a man, read our previous publications.
As for the belt, it should also fit the casual style. Typically, casual belts are made of thick leather with a large buckle or fabric with a serrated clip buckle. How to choose a belt for a man can also be found in our early publications.
It is best to choose a pocket square with an unusual color or pattern to match with other garments. By the way, read how to fold a scarf in a casual style so as not to go wrong with the shape.
Finally
Of course, I have listed far from all the details of the casual wardrobe that are in stores today. Nevertheless, you now have a general idea of the everyday style. The main goal that the casual style always pursues is to be dressed as comfortable and practical as possible. Choose the right size and buy clothes made from natural materials.
Find your casual style and do not be afraid to experiment, because here, like nowhere else, you can combine seemingly incongruous things. The main thing is that you feel comfortable in what you wear.
