Guide To Matching Up Casual and Official Wear

Every man must have a few casual and official wear in the wardrobe. Official wear symbolizes formality and casual wear is just easy going. Depending on your job occupation, there are days when everything is not so serious and work ends up earlier than usual. Maybe it is the weekend or you are going for a concert after work or a teambuilding trip. Whatever the reason, there are days when you don’t want to look too serious or too frivolous. The answer is blending casual and formal wear to give out a moderate impression. In order to do that, there are certain rules you must follow not to look ridiculous or out of touch.

1. Matching the right outfits- Mixing casual and official wear is a no brainer but do not think just about every casual wear can be blended with formal wear. Of course you would look extremely ludicrous trying to mix up jogger pants or sweatpants with formal wear. Maybe it will change in the future since fashion is quite unpredictable but it is better to try out a trend that is widely accepted. Take for instance, khaki trousers can rarely go wrong when matched with formal blazers and shirts. You might even go Ray Donavan style and match up a blazer, dress shirt and jeans trouser. A t-shirt can also be matched with a suit blazer and casual trousers. However, you should also consider the color, fabric and size.

2. Identify the right colors- Probably the biggest blunder you can commit while matching casual and formal wear is mixing up the wrong colors and end up looking like a clown. The most preferred contrast is balancing light and dark tone in a mature manner. In most cases, if you wear a shirt or t-shirt with a lighter tone and pants with a darker shade, you are unlikely to go wrong. Of course, don’t forget to blend the tie with the hue. If you do happen to put on a suit jacket, make sure the color corresponds with the tone of the pants. For instance, a dark brown blazer can blend well with black trousers. Although, no rule is constant in fashion since neutral colors such as dark blue, grey, white, ivory, black, beige and brown can blend to any color. Another simple method of knowing what will work is wearing checked or patterned shirt and matching the dark shade of the shirt with the pants or vice-versa. For those who want to appear taller, matching similar colors will do the trick.

3. 
   Pick out the right fabrics- Mixing fabric provides a little depth and intensity into your dressing but you should know which ones will suit you better. In fact, fabric dictates the color density of your clothes. Most men’s shirts are made out of linen or pure cotton which can easily blend with denim pants. Probably the most versatile fabric is khaki trousers since they can match up with any shirt and can be used for both casual and formal dress code. No wonder khaki pants have been trending in men’s fashion lately. On the other hand, rayon, silk and nylon fabric give out very bright color shades for shirts and can be matched with denim, polyester or cotton-silk blend trousers. Although they are a perfect casual-official theme for a party, most men think silk, rayon and nylon fabrics shirts are not that comfortable and only wear it when the weather is favorable.

4. Know your size- For obvious reasons, never wear baggy clothes whenever matching casual and formal wear. The 90’s era is long gone and you don’t want to look smaller than your actual size. Just make sure your clothes are fitting without making you strain too much. To your advantage, high quality casual pants are less prone to tear compared to their official counterparts.

5. Matching skin tone with the color shade- Most men don’t realize how their complexion and the color of clothes they wear has a huge impact on their appearances. People with different complexions of the same height and weight have a different impression when they wear the exact same color. For that reason, you should know which shade of color will match better with your skin tone. Men with light skin tone and dark hair can wear shirts and suits with a distinction to their skin such as beige or navy blue jacket suit with white or fair shade type of shirts. Pastel and pink are also complimenting colors for their skin. Men with darker skin tone and little disparity between their hair and skin should opt for a monochromatic dressing for an outstanding look. Gloomy or earthy types of shades tend to blend well with a darker skin tone. For those with a middle toned skin which is neither dark nor light ought to wear light-dark combo suits and lighter shirts. However, they should avoid very dark or very light tones.