It seems that footwear is the one principle missing from the article. It’d be interesting to hear your opinion on that. Blouse is the right answer for many occasions. Un look irrésistiblement cool et confortable mais qui reste élégant et féminin. Ebook – Le style casual-chic Un ebook super qualitatif, comme d’habitude avec un max de photos, d’exemples de tenues pour savoir créer des looks dans l’esprit casual chic ! “Elegance” also has a social component, which is more subjective and arbitrary. If that is done well, it’s not cheap – it’s the one thing fans of classic menswear often underestimate about designer brands. This style can be also inspired by fashion icons or celebrities. Hem lines are a bit wider, and shirts a big baggier. Let's run through them. Hey I’d never heard of The Anthology before, so I just chalked it up to eccentricity of a relatively new company. I often find that “normal” shirts, standing alone, make the wearer look a little bland or naked., often revealing flaws in wearer’s body. Those mixes are often a little less robust. One of the biggest such sites in the world, it receives up to 500,000 page views a month. Or wear a ruffled blouse with your favorite baggy trousers and flats. I own several cashmere cable knit sweaters From LF which I like a lot (nocciola is particularly gorgeous). Also I see that it fills the parameters you review in the post. In previous centuries, after all, an elegant man wore a richly embroidered waistcoat or a scarlet doublet. Again, this is all pretty intuitive, but given how many readers ask about whether one item of clothing is smarter than another, it’s worth spelling out. The simple fact of having an extra layer (over anything, really: shirt, polo, tee even…) is often sufficient. You will add only the shoes and the look is complete. Seems to me that “elegance” encompasses both objective and subjective considerations. Navy and grey still predominate - and when other colours come in, they're similarly toned down. I think you probably have to distinguish between rumpling that happens because of the materials, and because of the fit. Sage advice but don’t you think you are pushing sand uphill ? Say Yes to Jeans Quality clothes in tasteful colours, well made and well fitted, will always be elegant. I wear casual clothing for work but would still prefer to wear a Macintosh and a good umbrella on a wet day. The scope of acceptable color ranges and cuts in men’s non-streetwear fashion seems to have shrunk dramatically over the years, and settings in which formal clothing (and the dramatic effect of the strictures of style and palette they produce) have largely vanished. We're in the Corono Del Mar section of Newport Beach, California with Raili Claisen. White T-shirt is a perfect choice for both daily and evening occasions. Mix your outfits with layers. But I wouldn't recommend it as much for a suit perhaps. The pricing on their knitwear is expensive but not unreasonable, given the quality. Does picking a lighter cloth help to achieve this effect? Plain or stripes? Hat was a watch cap sitting in the pocket of a coat indoors. Hopefully that will never get to string vests. J’adore les associations qui sont proposées et le fait que ça ne soit pas des inspirations Pinterest ou Instagram mais personnelles de Cindy. Enjoyed the post today. The quality of Connolly is probably higher, and the Faloni is a fairly light gauge, so there’s less cashmere in it. No hat? Cord detail on the collar. He has even been promoted at his work. So this is also one of the must haves of women with casual chic style. Like Coco Chanel said: »Remove one piece of jewelry right before you leave the house.« So stick to a statement necklace, dangling earrings or a cocktail ring – just don’t walk out the house wearing your whole jewelry collection. But Ivy tends to be presented as the style of worn out, battered clothes, function over form and so on. Their style, particularly the collar, is very well done. However, it’s also worth noting that RL does a very wide range of looks, and Purple label is often very tonal. Plus, casual clothing doesn’t have as much of the craft that goes into tailoring, with its hand-rolled lapels and hand-sewn buttonholes. Casual chic attire basically requires that you mix a dressy element, like tailored slacks or a very feminine blouse, with something completely informal … I find that it elevates the outfit to similar levels of an odd jacket in terms of elegance but maintaining a much more casual look. The point is that there is no obvious affectation - no clothes that are too loud, or trying too hard. And so on and so forth. I have learned (and continue to learn) a great deal here. On the cheaper side of the spectrum, UNIQL’s Extra Fine Merino Woo knitwear is pretty good quality, and shockingly so for the price. Simon, That's where I got my boots from actually, but I didn't notice that on the tassels. If you didn’t know, we have to tell you that our hair is one of our most valuable accessories, due to it can completely change your appearance. This simple, casual clothing is not as objectively formal as tailoring. But it’s simplistic to split people into two groups like that. A navy knitted T-shirt worn with cream-flannel trousers is extremely elegant, yet feels a world away from a suit and tie. What gage would you consider heavy? I know you’ve presented some of these ideas before, but this ties everything together nicely. Thoughts on where you see them versus some of the other brands you mention? And before everyone else. I’ve always liked the P Johnson aesthetic, yes. Not often, no. I am a longtime reader of your blog, and would like to thank you for your many interesting and very informative posts. It’s the linen offered by most British mills – W Bill, Holland & Sherry and so on. If you wear an oxford shirt, chinos and a wool overshirt, they will be smartest in colours like white, navy and grey (perhaps respectively). So what traits do such casual, chic clothes have? Looks rather bulky to be successfully accomplished, or at all comfortable, if so…. And perhaps as a way to dress up jeans etc. Jogging habillé ( sarouel, molleton, fluide) Veste fluide / veste cascade. Do they have to be linen to look elegant? Otherwise you have to make sure that you have clean well cared hair. (styles of shoulder pads/roping, shoes with such pinched waists and points that they appear to be straight from an early 19th century drawing, etc.). Yeah, it's a lot easier when you don't have to put out a physical mag every month... To be honest it won't be soon, as it's not such a big or unique point. Good observations. Il est très important où vous comptez porter votre tenue casual chic. I don’t dispute the effect of muted colors as you describe it, but I think that part of this stems from an arbitrary and at this point perhaps largely obsolete cultural norm that equates reserve and uniformity with masculine elegance and dignity. Whether it is or not is irrelevant (ref. Hi Simon I feel like five years from now I’ll be reading a well-written, well-researched PS article about looking good in pajama bottoms, crocs and a string vest because they cost 2 grand and are made by Cucinelli…. Trends this year dictate lines per hundred and one ways, wide and thin, basic blue and white, and even more colorful. Style casual chic femme et tenue élégante pour aller au travail. Thanks Dan. Simon, what´s your opinion of this 100Hands linen overshirt? (the shoes make a disproportionate difference). How to Style Low Heels: Best 15 Elegant & Natural Outfit Ideas for Women, How to Wear White Kitten Heels: Best 13 Lean & Refreshing Outfit Ideas for Women, Best 13 Gold Kitten Heels Outfit Ideas for Ladies. No one in Tesco would have noticed anyway. I should also qualify that having read your article the issue could be the choice of trousers and I will actually invest in some better fitting/MTM casual trousers. You lose a lot of Ivy if you always dress like that, but someone who likes that style could easily turn to a blue oxford, navy shetland, neat stone chinos and cordovan loafers, when they wanted to be smarter without tailoring. Alan Flusser expresses this better than I could in, "The first measuring stick for [smart] attire should be cleanliness. Quality clothes in tasteful colours, well made and well fitted, will always be elegant. Have you tried it on and if so, what are your impressions? That’s pretty much all warm-weather clothing. If you have longer hair you can sometimes get away with ponytail. I’m afraid I won’t be taking any social dress cues from Mr Johnson! Having said that, I wore a tailored jacket and tie this weekend and it was a lovely feeling indeed. Connolly does some very chunky ones too with loads of it. Quick tip for desperate casual-chic feshionista’s: keep a spray bottle handy on your bathroom counter and use it to quickly fix bed head. I’m sure I’ll gravitate more towards casual suits and jacket/trousers combos come fall, but this will always be a very nice foundation. In this day and age, there is a need for men to be properly educated on the art of looking smart in casual clothes. I’ll always be aiming to present the best way to remain elegant in quality clothing, whatever the current social mores. Nice segue. Curious for your thoughts on it too. Dan. (Some of Connolly’s other pricing seems exorbitant – e.g., their RTW dress shirts are more expensive than a bespoke shirt from Luca Avitabile. A clean pair of pressed trousers looks much smarter than slightly soiled wrinkled ones. I would say most good shoes for this exist where the smartest trainers meet the most casual shoes. That’s why (for men at least), muted colors tend to be more elegant than loud colors. I disagree, slightly. Here are some casual chic pieces: – Stripes are always in fashion. Email [email protected]. I can certainly see a roll neck and tailored trousers fitting nicely with a Mackintosh. We never have. He concludes: "Whatever clothes you choose to wear to work, make sure they have the same characteristics you look for in a fine suit: good material, fine workmanship and excellent fit. Your proposed roundup of brands in this casual elegance category would make a wonderful follow-on; I also lingered on the point about mid-20th-century sportswear. Details on these points there, On MTM knitwear, I think it’s a minor point here, in that it only matters to the fit point, and only if you can’t find RTW knitwear that fits well on you. Quite similiar to workwear in that approach. Buy the best you can afford.". Which brings us onto point five. But she’s … And second, much of this is very cultural and social. We all have those lazy days, when we do not want to go out of bad. Take cues from Jennifer Aniston to get summer ready in casual street core elegance. Thanks for the insightful comment, and I’m very pleased you’ve found the site so useful. In my case I have found very useful the shawl cardigan. They need to escape that and see every piece individually. Hey. Knitwear – Navy crewneck, Oatmeal v neck, Grey crewneck, Outwear – Overshirt, Grey raglan coat, Navy polo coat, Trousers – Grey flannel, Beige Chino, Olive Linen, Would be cool to see something related to someone who has no need for tailoring per say but still wants to look elegant. You’re right, and that Ivy look would not be as chic – it would be more casual. Consider the archetypal Italian in summer: white shirt, cream trousers, a pair of espadrilles and a navy sweater over the shoulders. The association probably is outdated, as you say, but it still pertains in most places, and there’s little we can do about it. As you put it, their emphasis is on “basics” and they’re all very wearable. Would some historical pieces covering such design movements in more depth be of interest to the readership? I think more knitted wools and silks. The 36-year-old actress and director wore a $190 The Vampire's Wife T … After that, I checked out Connolly’s website. Le style casual chic est un style dans l’air du temps et qui correspond bien à ce que nous les femmes attendons actuellement de la mode. I know from comments, questions and analytics that there are lots and lots of people that want more advice in this area – that want to dress well but don’t have good guidance. I avoid their cashmere (it’s cheap but doesn’t last very long, and is noticeably inferior to Luca Faloni – hence the price difference, which is justified IMO) but the merino knitwear is good value for someone shopping at the lower end of the price spectrum. We all know how to wear suits from seeing them around us, on family and on colleagues. But then formality is a social value: it varies by industry, location and age. Piece of clothing that you’ll surely find on the shelves of trendy shops with clothes in countless versions. Given…. But it’s harder with more casual clothing. Other casual jackets that work in that respect, though, include smarter versions of suede jackets or suede or wool overshirts. Is there a movie star you wished you look like ?’ ‘Yes’ he said in a heartbeat, ‘Cary Grant’. I’ve seen companies charge twice what LF charges for knitwear of equal or inferior quality. Four is quality. Chemisiers en viscose, coton, soie. I would be careful about aiming for rumpling from a fit that isn’t right, but at the margins it can be nice, for example a shirt that is a little more blousy in the waist, tucked into a neat waistband. Could you also recommend casual jackets other than the Valstarinio that would serve this purpose? How can I achieve this rumpling on shirts and jackets without making them look bad? I have gravitated towards this look for some years now, balancing neutrals with navy and grey in casual as well as tailored clothing. How does your consultancy service work? Perhaps grey too, And either button down or spread collar, as long as it sits out proud from the lapels of the suit. Yes, there are certainly more refined versions of Ivy. For a casual chic look: no pleats or one pleat? (Although those wouldn’t necessarily all fit into this category of clothing). I’m not necessarily endorsing all of these conventions, but they are what they are. It’s a fashion, but also a heritage style, and practical to put on when you’re by the pool on holiday. Good article Simon. Could add stoffa to the list also. These are in fact constant for each spring and summer, without them you simply cannot imagine casual style vs sunny days. https://baltzar.com/products/100-hands/tobacco-brown-irish-linen-traveller-jacket/#! Or, those morning when you wake up late and just don’t have the enough time. Could you speak to this? The key of mix and matching the right clothes is to combine different fabrics and styles. They must be hand-spun string vests, made by a heritage vest maker, in the highest quality Italian string. Tucking in the right cut and weight of tee can be interesting. Thank You for the reply! Interestingly, much of this is commonplace in womenswear. Le look casual chic devient alors la tenue idéale pour aller travailler en toute occasion. If you will follow our steps you will definitely leave the house everyday looking chic, effortlessly. I often find there's a lot of anxiety among readers, and consultancy clients, about how to dress smartly without tailoring.