Dress Code: Casual – Complete Guide & Rules

//Dress Code: Casual – Complete Guide & Rules

When it comes to casual attire, everyone does it but not many talk about it. While everyone seems to put a lot of emphasis on the mechanisms of creating the perfect evening outfit, there is quite little dissemination on how to assemble a great day to day outfit.

So how do you put together the perfect casual outfit?

#1. You pick a theme

When you decide you’re heading to a specific place, choose the theme of your outfit. Think in the terms of girly shopping outfit  or hip movie outfit  and work along those.

#2. You pick a central piece

 If you want to make your decision making process a lot easier, try selecting a specific piece and work around it, building your desired outfit. We personally love starting with the shoes.

#3. You accessorize

 After you’ve finished selecting the main pieces, select a couple of pieces of jewelry to complement the colors, textures and volumes you’ve used in assembling the outfit. Go by the principle of less is more.

#4. You own it

As simple as it sounds! You wear the clothes, not the other way around! Be comfortable and confident, have faith in your choices. 

What are the casual items that make an outfit?

Is there a recipe for success when it comes to casual attire? What are the items guaranteed to make your day to day look seem effortless and chic at the same time? We’re covered some of them in our list of 12 items every woman should own, but there’s so many more others that deserve just as much attention.

Jeans

There’s really no need to talk about the perfect pair of jeans, but we’re sure you know how amazing wearing your favorite pair can be: it can make or break an outfit.

Basic tops

The basic top mixes well with everything and is great in layering.

Cardigans

 

 As much as you need them for layering, they work wonders with bringing an outfit to life, especially if they have a bolder print or a special cut.

Flats

 Comfortable and gorgeous, they are a must in any casual outfit!

Sneakers

For the sportier fashionistas, sneakers are the must in casual outfit!

You might like 9 Most Stylish Running Sneakers

 

White shirts

 

They can be dressed up and dressed down, but they always scream “refinement” in an outfit.

Leggings

 

Though quite debated in the fashion world, we can’t but acknowledge the importance of leggings in day to day casual outfits. What else can we wear when we’re walking the dog, taking the trash, going shopping (well, just sometimes) or simply lounging around the house with our best friends?

Skater dresses

This is a way of dressing up the very casual outfit, yet still staying quite comfortable because of the very low maintenance style of the dress.

How about accessories?

We might like a very well adorned outfit, but sometimes less is more and with a laid back outfit, accessories can sometimes become a surplus. This is why we want to provide you with inspiration for a very minimalist approach to the idea of casual attire.

A huge bag

 

Not only do we love very big bags, but their level of utility makes them great to wear when you have to carry an “infinite” amount of items.

Go-to pair of sunglasses

You might have not had enough time to put on your make-up, you’re staying in the sun a lot or you simply love sporting your (oversized) pair of sunglasses: all are great reasons to incorporate a pair into your casual outfit.

Check out Hottest Sunglasses Trends For 2014

 

A watch

A timeless piece of jewelry, this is both useful and can easily double a piece of jewelry.

A piece of jewelry  

And when we say “a piece” we seriously mean one piece (except if you’re really keen on wearing a lot of jewelry, then we can totally agree!).

Now that we’ve discussed what goes in the anatomy of a casual outfit, let’s move on to the rules that tie it together and create a fluid look.

Here are the 6 Dress code: Casual Commandments

It all lies in comfort

Whether it’s for a picnic, for a trip to the grocery store or for raiding the mall with you best friends, the main thing you should consider is comfort. When you’re enjoying yourself in the company of your loved ones or running some early morning errands, the last thing you should have to think of is that annoying top that keeps creeping up your back and not looking as put together as you would like it to or those jeans that make you walk like a penguin because they’re too tight. (we understand your butt looks gorgeous in them, but it’s not worth it!)

Layer, layer and layer some more

It might be a long day you’re facing, so why have to struggle with the same amount of clothing all day long? Try topping that lovely crop top (that goes great in the noon weather) with a skinny cardigan (for before and after lunch, when it’s chillier) and a thicker jacket (for the evening and early morning weather) so that you’re (literally!) covered for all the possible weather you could face in a single day!

Less is more

Getting carried away can be so easy sometimes, but if you’re like some of us, you’ll end up taking off most of your jewelry by the end of the day, lose the scarf even earlier than that and pray that you hadn’t taken that hat just because it looked cute on your curled up hair (which is in a pony tail by the time you even get to where you were supposed to be). Try sticking to the basics!

Have faith in the sole

Let’s face it: you’ve tried wearing heels one too many times when you knew you were going to end up hating your feet and yourself by the finish of the day. Why torment yourself with those (yes, we know they’re cute) heels and not go for a way more comfortable pair of shoes? Ballet flats and sandals can be just as cute, and let’s not forget that most celebrities are now sporting their love for sportswear (pun intended).

Let the place guide you

Each occasion requires for a specific type of outfit, not necessarily as a social requirement, but mostly as a comfort one. Try seeking out more information with regards to where you’re spending the day so you can be prepared for whatever happens and not greet a day on the beach dressed in jeans and summer boots. Think of the practical aspect of it too: it would be awful to head shopping while wearing hard to get off shoes and a gazillion layers of clothing.

Tie all the loose strands

If all else fails, you can always tie an outfit together with your make-up and hairdo. Don’t worry if you’re not a beauty guru, just aim at getting a clean look and stylishness will ensue.

Did you find this little guide to casual outfit helpful?

I am looking forward to hearing your opinion in the comments below!

Feature image: pexels.com

By | 2017-06-13T20:31:05+02:00 May 18th, 2014|Style|

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