An edit

Smart Casual Outfits for Women

Tailored trousers, crisp shirts, fine knitwear and leather loafers for women who want sharp work clothes from independent boutiques.

Smart casual outfits for women pair sharp tailored trousers with relaxed shirts, fine knitwear, and clean leather shoes. Contrast drives the silhouette, balancing formal wool suiting against unstructured cotton tops in neutral shades like black, white, and grey. Office tailoring sheds stiffness when matched with soft merino sweaters or wide leg pants that drape freely.

Casual Friday began as Hawaii's Aloha Friday in the middle of the last century and spread through American offices by the nineties. Pleats Please Issey Miyake sews each piece first and pleats it after, and the clothes are light and easy to wash. UJOH was started by Mitsuru Nishizaki after years as a pattern cutter, and its tailoring has clean lines and bold asymmetric cuts.

WDLT117 in Toronto brings most of this wall, led by INTO THE EAST, Pleats Please Issey Miyake and RUOHAN. Utopia in Toronto adds wide leg and flared pants, some pre owned, and Due West adds Canada Goose knits. Tailored suits and blazers wear naturally alongside casual leather flats or soft cashmere tops.

Rick Owens Edfu Bauhuas Cargo Pants Black at Utopia, Toronto

Edfu Bauhuas Cargo Pants Black

Rick Owens Cargobelas Cargo Pants Black at Utopia, Toronto

Cargobelas Cargo Pants Black

MM6 Maison Margiela 2-in-1 Knit Cardigan Dark Grey at WDLT117, Toronto

MM6 Maison Margiela

2-in-1 Knit Cardigan Dark Grey

Les Deux Wool Rib Roundneck Sweater - Ivory at Due West, Toronto

Wool Rib Roundneck Sweater - Ivory

Louis Vuitton Tailored Technical Wool Track Pants at Utopia, Toronto

Tailored Technical Wool Track Pants

$707Lightly used

Gallery Dept. LA Painted Flare Carpenter Dark Brown at Utopia, Toronto

LA Painted Flare Carpenter Dark Brown

$495Lightly used

Avavav Petra Suitpants Sharpei Black at WDLT117, Toronto

Petra Suitpants Sharpei Blk

Avavav Pixie Pleated Sweatpants Black at WDLT117, Toronto

Pixie Pleated Sweatpants Blk

Gallery Dept. Flare Sweatpants Cream at Utopia, Toronto

Flare Sweatpants Cream

Gallery Dept. Chino Flare Pants Black at Utopia, Toronto

Chino Flare Pants Black

Acne Studios Baggy Wide Cargo Pants Washed Black at Utopia, Toronto

Baggy Wide Cargo Pants Washed Black

$283Lightly used

Kapital Souvenir Flare Track Pants Purple at Utopia, Toronto

Souvenir Flare Track Pants Purple

$177Lightly used

Chrome Hearts Blind Spot Bell Bottom Yoga Pants Grey at Utopia, Toronto

Blind Spot Bell Bottom Yoga Pants Grey

Gallery Dept. Paint Splatter Flare Carpenter Pants Green at Utopia, Toronto

Paint Splatter Flare Carpenter Pants Green

Sulvam Matching Stitch Wide Pants Beige at WDLT117, Toronto

Matching Stitch Wide Pants Beige

Rhude Smoking Pants Grey at Utopia, Toronto

Smoking Pants Grey

Avavav Jessie Sharpei Pleated Jeans Blue at WDLT117, Toronto

Jessie Sharpei Pleated Jeans Blue

P004 Black Double Panels Flare Jeans

Dior Sample Sorayama Silk Shirt at Utopia, Toronto

Sample Sorayama Silk Shirt

Piet F.C. Scarf Hoodie - Black at Due West, Toronto

F.C. Scarf Hoodie - Black

Cashmere Floral Logo Lounge Pants Black

Rivington Roi Rebis

Faster Flight Wide-Leg Logo Print Sweatpants Black

Athoa Knitted Polo - Black at Due West, Toronto

Knitted Polo - Black

Athoa Knitted Polo - White at Due West, Toronto

Knitted Polo - White

Looks in this edit

A December wedding in Riyadh. Flat lay of a sand INTO THE EAST cardigan, an olive blouse, an olive skirt and a white Goyard pouch.

A December wedding in Riyadh

A dinner party at home. Flat lay of a chocolate brown RUOHAN shirt, chocolate brown trousers and yellow MM6 mules.

A dinner party at home

A Christmas party in champagne. Flat lay of a pale gold INTO THE EAST skirt, a black MM6 blazer and red Guidi derbies.

A Christmas party in champagne

Chocolate pinstripe for December. Flat lay of a chocolate brown Ottolinger blazer, a chocolate skirt, dark brown Guidi boots and a brown RUOHAN bag.

Chocolate pinstripe for December

Chocolate tweed for Sunday brunch. Flat lay of a chocolate brown INTO THE EAST jacket, chocolate brown trousers and burgundy Guidi shoes.

Chocolate tweed for Sunday brunch

A double breasted jacket for the office. Flat lay of a black UJOH jacket, a graphite Litkovska shirt and black INTO THE EAST trousers.

A double breasted jacket for the office

Common questions

What defines smart casual attire for women?

Smart casual pairs structured pieces like blazers and wool trousers with softer items like knit sweaters, t shirts, or flat leather loafers. Rigid two piece corporate suits give way to clean separates in neutral shades.

Which designers make pieces suited for smart casual dressing?

Pleats Please Issey Miyake makes light pleated tops, trousers and dresses that are easy to wash. RUOHAN makes everyday womenswear with precise tailoring in neutral colours, and UJOH, started by a former pattern cutter, makes tailoring with clean lines and bold asymmetric cuts.

How should you style tailored trousers for an informal office?

Wear high rise wide leg wool pants with a tucked cotton shirt and a fine merino knit thrown over the shoulders. Leather flats or low block heels finish the outfit without the formality of stiff pumps.