How To Dress Semi Formal

Hi, I'm Claire Wacey and I'm a personal stylist, and today I'm going to give you some great style tips. For anything you don't find in these videos, go to my website and check out all the tips I have there. Hi! Today, I'm going to talk to you about how to dress semiformal or as I like to call it, smart casual.

What's really important with smart casual is to take elements of your smart clothing and mix it with your casual clothing and vice versa. So really, what it's saying as a rule is it's not overdressed but it's also really important not to be underdressed. The first look that I'm going to talk to you about is this one that I've put here on the mannequin.

I've taken a really formal shirt or blouse shape with a really nice pretty bow detailing, and to make it less formal, I've popped on a really nice knit which should then exaggerate the sleeves but also, it kind of shows off the best part of the blouse but also makes it less formal. Now, what I would do with that if I was taking into a more formal situation, I would add, for example, a really nice wide leg trouser. But this is a really really formal look, so to make it more smart casual, I would change up the trouser for a jean option which just then is mixing in your casual wardrobe with your smart wardrobe to create a really nice smart casual look.

Another way of dressing just this top section would be to add the pencil skirt and maybe a boot or a skirt in a boot shape because the boot will take it from being formal to a slightly less formal look. Another option, keep adding with these options, for example, if you're going for something a bit more youthful is to a really nice knit, a knee-high boot and then a short option. It just takes that kind of formality out of it and makes it much more of a trend look.

So really, it's important to mix your casual and your formal wardrobes. So, think about your jacket shape. This is a great blazer shape.

Now, you would usually, for a more formal situation, wear for example that smart trouser again which is a fantastic idea but actually looks very very formal. So instead of putting, for example, a blouse underneath, why don't you just go for something simple like a t-shirt top, so a really simple outfit underneath but your formality's coming from that really nice jacket shape and also, it gives you a blank canvas underneath so you can really accessorize that look with maybe just some oversized pearls or a really nice long statement necklace which just brings those two worlds together and combines them really nicely. Another idea is, for example, to take the idea of that basic t-shirt top that you might wear on a weekend with your jeans, really simple, easy look.

But to make it more smart casual, add it with a trouser. For example, this nice wide leg goes a bit different with a cigarette pam. And then, maybe think about layering on top of it so you could use, for example, this sleeveless blouse top with a cowl neck.

It's really nice and casual but with the wide leg trousers tucked in, makes it a real statement and a really fantastic outfit. Another way of dressing this t-shirt upward down is to perhaps pop a nice little waist coat over the top so it's cinching your body in. Add that formality to a simple long sleeved t-shirt.

So, you've taken that long sleeved t-shirt from your weekend hanging out in your jeans and taking it in your much more formal look. Another option is to take a simple dress shape. This is a shift dress.

Now, to make it really really formal, you'd put a really nice shoe, fantastic handbag, really go over the top with your accessories. What we can do is again take that t-shirt, pop it underneath, instantly makes it less smart, and still add your statement belt if you want to in the middle and then bring in a fun shoe or boot which makes it much less formal and it's that smart casual vibe, or add on that chunky knit we talked about earlier. So, add that knit over the top of a reall