Men's smart casual: the seven pieces that do the work

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Smart casual is the dress code most men wear most often, and the one that causes the most second-guessing. It sits between a suit and a sweatshirt: sharp enough for a client dinner, relaxed enough for a Saturday. The good news is that it rests on a short list of pieces. Buy these well, in quiet colors, and almost every combination works.

1. The navy blazer

If you own one tailored jacket, make it navy. It goes with grey, tan, white, olive and denim, and it looks right from a first date to a wedding rehearsal. Choose an unstructured or lightly padded shoulder for smart casual; a stiff, fully canvassed suit jacket looks borrowed when worn with chinos.

2. The turtleneck

A fine-gauge merino or cashmere turtleneck replaces a shirt and tie under a jacket and looks more modern than either. Black and navy are the easiest; cream and camel look warmer and more expensive. Keep it slim so it sits cleanly under a blazer or overcoat.

3. The leather jacket

The leather jacket is the casual end of the wardrobe. A black biker or a brown café racer, worn over a turtleneck or a plain T-shirt with dark jeans, is about as reliable as menswear gets. Buy it close-fitting at the shoulder; it will soften and shape to you with wear.

4. A suit you can split

A suit in navy, mid-blue or deep green earns its keep twice: worn together for weddings and work, and split apart, with the jacket over jeans or the trousers under a knit. Double-breasted cuts look sharpest worn buttoned; single-breasted is easier to wear open.

5. Chelsea boots

Chelsea boots are the one shoe that works with every piece on this list. Brown suede is the most versatile pair to start with: it dresses down jeans and dresses up chinos. Black leather is the dressier second pair, sharp enough for a suit.

6. A good belt

A belt is a small detail that shows you thought about the rest. Match the leather to your shoes, brown with brown and black with black, and choose a simple buckle in brass or brushed steel. A wider, heavier belt suits jeans; a slimmer one suits tailoring.

7. The winter scarf

In cold weather a chunky knit scarf in charcoal, olive or camel finishes an overcoat or a blazer and adds texture to an outfit of plain pieces. Wrap it once and leave the ends loose, or loop it through itself for extra warmth.

Putting it together

Choose two or three colors and stay with them: navy, grey and tan, or black, camel and olive. Keep patterns to one piece at a time. Make sure the fit is right before anything else. A tailor's adjustment to sleeve and trouser length does more for an outfit than any label.

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