Casual Styles For The Modern Man

To fight the dark nights and dreary weather, comforting casual clothes are vital, and the more layers you can wear the better! Casuals don’t have to be sloppy though, and whether you’re simply lazing around the house or braving the elements, with a few key items you can dress down without giving up on taste.

There are few rules for relaxed menswear, but think outside the white t-shirt. Polo shirts have always been a favourite alternative – consider them to be the smart shirt of the casual wear world. Buttoned up or left undone, piqued collars and colourful stripes in on-trend mouth watering shades of raspberry and chocolate add a touch of class, and short-sleeved polo shirts can be layered over long sleeved base shirts, or under a V-neck knitted sweater for extra warmth.

Another sportswear shirt remains unwaveringly popular in the style stakes – the rugby shirt. Thick cotton fabrics with banded stripes in your favourite teams’ colours, long sleeves and crisp white collars evoke memories of mud and mirth, and make a ‘rugger’ the perfect Sunday shirt, even if you hung up your boots long ago! Even with a pair of jeans and sneakers, rugby shirts will still look as gentlemanly as the sport from which they came.

Cover yourself in comfort with a great piece of knitwear, and this season it’s all about the Fair Isle knitwear sweaters. No longer just for Christmas, a chunky Fair Isle knit in a muted navy or brown with subtle white details is more fashionable than festive. Invest in a cosy patterned jumper, or a sleeveless button-down vest that’s easy to layer with a contrasting coloured shirt underneath, or get even further ahead of the trend by choosing a cardigan. If the look is still a little too twee for you, a Fair Isle patterned scarf or gloves is an easy way to wear it, not to mention highly practical too!

No autumnal weekend wardrobe could be complete though without some great fitting trousers, and they don’t come more comfortable than cords. Lightweight, soft and tactile yet wonderfully warm to wear, corduroy jeans in seasonal hues of navy and rusty red are denim jeans’ smarter cousin, though how smart you make them is up to you. Plaid shirts and classic knitwear can be teamed with them as easily as a plain tee or rugger, and finished off with brown leather loafers or suede desert boots for a complete casual look that’s not slack on style.