Smart casual for men: a jacket, no tie, and a knit polo

My stance: swap the dress shirt for a knit polo. A shirt without a tie looks like you took the tie off in the car, while a knit polo looks chosen. It also hides a missed ironing.

Dress codes that say smart casual are asking for one thing, a jacket. Get that right and the rest can be relaxed.

Quick facts

• Jackets: CAD 100 pre owned, CAD 1,415 new, read 5 November 2026 on within.
• Trousers: CAD 239 for navy wool blend with a pressed crease.
• Knit polos: CAD 280 and CAD 479.
• Shoes: CAD 500 for a loafer, CAD 1,375 for a derby.
• Shipping: all 4 shops below ship to the US, the UK and Australia.
• Founded: Sunspel in 1860, Tiger of Sweden in 1903, A.P.C. in 1987.

The jacket: start used

Tiger of Sweden has cut men's suits since 1903. Its Gasparer semi slim blazer comes in black and in mink, both pre owned in size 46, CAD 100 each at Utopia, a resale shop. It undercuts the new jacket below by CAD 1,315.

If you want new and warm, Herno's Warm Tech blazer in brown is lined, patch pocketed and cut like a sport coat, CAD 1,415 at Due West. It replaces a coat on a mild day.

The polo: knit, not pique

WOOD WOOD's Kimi polo sweater in brown is wool, polyamide and alpaca, CAD 280. Brown under a black or mink jacket is the colour pair I would start with.

MM6 Maison Margiela's knit polo shirt, also brown, is CAD 479 at WDLT117, a designer shop. If a polo feels too sporty, A.P.C.'s Davis cardigan is 65% alpaca, CAD 329; Jean Touitou founded A.P.C. in Paris in 1987.

For the days a collar is too much, Sunspel's long sleeve crewneck is long staple cotton made in England, CAD 150. Sunspel has made clothes in England since 1860.

A shirt without a tie looks like you took the tie off in the car.

The trousers and the shoe

Les Deux, a Copenhagen label founded in 2011, makes wool reg suit pants in navy, half wool, with pressed creases, CAD 239. The crease is what makes trousers smart.

Guidi's Classic Derby 792V is black leather inside and out, made in Italy, CAD 1,375. A derby has open lacing, so it looks less formal than an Oxford, which is what smart casual wants.

Loafers do the same job with less effort. Louis Vuitton's Monte Carlo moccasin, pre owned in black, size 8.5, is CAD 500. Hoka's Speed Loafer in walnut is CAD 500 at parlor23, a running shoe company's idea of a loafer and a fair answer to a long day on your feet.

What smart casual is not

Jeans pass if they are dark and plain, never ripped. Sneakers pass only if they are leather and clean; a running shoe does not, even under a blazer.

For a stricter dress code, the suit edit goes up a level; the classic style page for men and men's suits and blazers hold more jackets. Smart casual is a jacket and a choice, and the choice is the polo.

Common questions

What is smart casual for men?

A jacket or blazer, trousers with a crease or dark jeans, a knit or open collar shirt, and leather shoes, with no tie. Tiger of Sweden blazers start at CAD 100 pre owned, read 5 November 2026.

Can you wear jeans for smart casual?

Yes, if they are dark, plain and not ripped. Wear them with a jacket and leather shoes, not sneakers.

What shoes are smart casual for men?

Derbies, loafers or clean leather sneakers. A Guidi derby is CAD 1,375 and a used Louis Vuitton moccasin is CAD 500.

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