The new codes of smart-casual
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In Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2017 film Phantom Thread, ruthless 1950s dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock decompresses after a long day by changing out of his suit and into his pyjamas. But he doesn’t stop there. For Martinis and a casual home-cooked dinner of asparagus and butter, he tops his dusty-pink cotton sleepwear with a tweed blazer, a fine-gauge wool cardigan and a cravat.
Woodcock’s dedication to formality, even on the most informal of occasions, can often feel like a distant memory. But casual clothing can still be smart, and vice versa. Even at a time when comfort seems to take priority over all other dress codes, it is still possible to slouch about the house in style.
“Generally there is a lack of a sense of elegance, I suppose,” says Luke Edward Hall, artist and founder of clothing brand Chateau Orlando, of the current menswear landscape. He advocates wearing cotton shorts instead of sweatpants regardless of the season: “That’s my kind of dressing down.” Inspired by Cecil Beaton and David Hockney, Hall wears a collared shirt every day at home in the Cotswolds, part of a uniform that includes a wool jumper, those shorts (by Colorful Standard – although the Gucci wool iterations in this shoot are equally inviting) and a pair of “big country boots”.
Alternatively, visitors to the David Hockney retrospective now open at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, could simply add the painter’s portraits to their sartorial moodboard: is there any chicer depiction of smart-casual than that encapsulated in Hockney’s portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy, 1970-71, and George Lawson and Wayne Sleep, 1972-75?
For those looking to tread the line between cosy and sophisticated, knitwear is the answer. The right jumper can be both lounge-friendly and formal-ready, but here proportion is the key: the jumper needs to be roomy but not oversized. Anderson & Sheppard’s Haberdashery does a fine line in rakish knitwear. And at British luxury brand Connolly, customers have been buying the Favourite cashmere jumper, which combines the slightly boxy shape of a classic American sweatshirt with the refinement of a fine knit. Retail director Ivan Calderon takes one on every work trip, to wear with flannel trousers and a blazer, but notes how many clients wear them to “just to sit around at home”. Another hit at Connolly has been the Bohemian shirt and matching trousers, which Calderon describes as “the new answer to the tuxedo” and sits somewhere between pyjamas and a dinner suit.
Good easy-going alternatives to the suit can be found at slouchy-elegant brands such as Atelier Saman Amel, P Johnson and Loro Piana, defined by loose, swooping shapes and a lack of traditional structure. But the slickness resides in the quality of the fabric and the attention to detail, such as the ruching on the sleeve head of the Connolly shirt. When you wear it, “you don’t look like anybody else in the room”, says Calderon. “It [speaks to] a quiet confidence, and our clients love that.” Too casual for Reynolds Woodcock, no doubt, but more than smart enough for asparagus and Martinis at home.
Models, Archie Carr at D1 Models, John Flynn at Wilhelmina, Louis Paul Martinand at Storm, Luka and Sam Talajic Sims, Martin King at Mayer Models, Ryder Forsyth at IMG and Tom Davison at Xdirectn. Casting, Piergiorgio Del Moro and Helena Balladino at DM Casting. Hair, Matt Mulhall at Streeters. Make-up, Jimmy Owen Jones. Lighting assistant, Bradley Polkinghorne. Digital operator, Alex Cornes. Stylist’s assistant, Mitja Olenik. Hair assistant, Diana Berry. Make-up assistant, Luca Chirico. On-set production, Victoria Pugh and Esme Whitehead. Production, Artistry Global
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