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The top 10 essentials on smart-casual dressing for the workplace

'Smart casual' says the event dress code, but there are a thousand ways to interpret that. What's your most likely choice of outfit?

Well, given that it's Friday, we chose to bring you this guide to smart casuals at work, in a bid to lighten your reading collection from all that is happening in the external environment.

So, check out this research, collated by Hidepark, which looked at the most common terms used to describe ?smart casual?.

The responses were analysed, with over 3,000 words run through Google?s Natural Language processing tool, to extract the most commonly used terms providing a clear picture of what relates to ?smart casual? - with ?comfydence? cited as key - the combination of being comfy and confident at work.

According to the research, a smart casual wardrobe for women at work could include the following 10 items:

1. Mid-length dress2. Fitted jeans3. Tailored blazer4. Ankle boots5. Flat shoes6. Plain coloured top7. White trainers8. Midi skirt9. Jewellery10. Lace designs

Heels appeared frequently in the dataset, however, the fashion experts only considered them necessary if the person wished to ?elevate their look? beyond smart casual.

The top 10 smart-casual clothing items for male office workers were as follows:

1. Dark jeans2. Plain shirt3. Tailored jacket4. Polished shoes5. Non-patterned trousers6. Suede Loafers7. Pressed chinos8. White trainers9. Suede boots10. Plain t-shirts

As with all researches, don't take this one too seriously - use it as a guide when in doubt or to share with newbies who might need some help getting their wardrobe basics right!

Andy Bojko, MD of Hidepark, said: "Smart casual can be a terrifying phrase for some, and we realised that there had not been a collective decision on what this looks like, so we thought we?d find out ourselves. We?re not surprised to see jeans and tailored tops feature so prominently as this is what comes to mind for most in a relaxed office, but we didn?t expect trainers to be so universally accepted."

Responses also highlighted the top smart-casual faux pas:

1. Bold colours2. Ripped clothing3. Formal suits4. Heels5. Ties6. Creased clothing7. Worn-looking trainers8. Cropped tops9. Boyfriend jeans10. Slogan t-shirts

One of the experts involved in the research,?Claire Lopez?discussed the dress code further: "The term 'smart casual' used to be synonymous with dress-down Fridays but as dress codes have changed and relaxed, it actually now encompasses a vast swathe of what a lot of people wear on a daily basis.

"It can often seem as if it is the tricky middle ground that is hard to nail, but if you think of it as the key, versatile pieces that form the building blocks of your wardrobe and that can be dressed up or down, then you are on the right track."

Photo / 123RF

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