Smart | Casual

Where does the time go at the moment? The last few weeks have possibly been the busiest of my life – painting, lugging boxes from one corner of the room to the other, arranging the furniture when it all turned up at once after having literally just a mattress and a desk for 2 weeks… Moving house is fun bloody tiring!

I’ve finally felt back on track the past couple of days and I’ve been wanting to post this outfit for what feels like ages!
I’ve always struggled with the words ‘smart-casual'(why bung two completely opposing words together and call that a dress code??) and dressing for giving presentations and briefings from important clients terrifies me. Graphic Design isn’t the most formal of professions, but you don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed when you’re talking to the head of BBC Worldwide, right?

 I came across this Miss Selfridge bow shirt a while back but hesitated as the fit is quite loose and the material flowy – I’m really not your typical girly girl and loose-fitting things with bows are the opposite end of the spectrum to what I’d usually wear. However, this one just about manages to strike the balance between masculine tailoring and feminine fabrics, making it smart but with the ability to wear it casually. The bow gives a nice contrast, almost like a tie.

Pairing the shirt with loose-fitting smart joggers not only makes this a really comfortable outfit, but also gives it a utility feel (because it was obviously still too girly for me…), a trend I jumped on from the Spring ranges this year. Brogues bring it back to smart again, but the joggers could also be worn more casually with a pair of plimsolls.

By Beth Chudley

www.littlecapsulewardrobe.com