INSPIRATION

Fred Task

This morning we have been looking at the design process, after looking through my research for the module so far I identified 5 themes and 5 specific subjects and put them into 2 columns. From the list I then created another but this time I put the 10 points down the middle of the page and worked out what would be the theme and subject for each point.

 Then I we were given the task of finding:

• 10 words related to the subject/theme
• 10 facts about the subject/theme
• 10 objects related to the subject/theme
• 10 people associated with the subject/theme 

Dress Codes

Facts

1.  In Iran, men are not allowed to wear shorts.
2. Many regions of the world, national costumes and styles in clothing and ornament declare membership in a certain village, caste, religion.
3. Chinese people are very conservative when it comes to clothing. Most of them don't wear swimsuits on the beach. During traditional festival, the Chinese like to dress up before joining the festival. Middle aged women wear cheong-sam which is a skirt; men usually dress up in a suit and tie.
4. In Iran there are rules for outsiders; color, head, body, and legs/feet must be covered.
5. In Mexico, what clothes you wear is important. When going out to a formal dinner men should wear a shirt and tie, and women should always wear a formal dress; however, this might be only valid for more old and conservative generations. For breakfast and lunch semi-casual clothing would be fine.
6. A Sikh or Muslim man may display his religious affiliation by wearing a turban and other traditional clothing. Many Muslim women wear head or body covering (see Sartorial hijab, hijab, burqa or niqab, chador and abaya) that proclaims their status as respectable women and as considered a means for covering the Awrah. A Jewish man may indicate his observance of Judaism by wearing a yarmulke.
7. In Tonga, it is illegal for men to appear in public without a shirt.
8. In New Guinea and Vanuatu, there are areas where it is customary for the men to wear nothing but penis sheaths in public - this is uncommon in more developed areas. Women wear string skirts. In remote areas of Bali, women may go topless. In America there are nude beaches and in China women have started wearing only the top of their traditional dresses baring their legs entirely to copy west .
9. In the United States, a few businesses or restaurants display dress code signs requiring shoes and shirts, claiming to be there on account of a health code, although no such health codes exist.
10. The Chinese feel that wearing an indecent dress will take away your dignity. The younger generation would wear semi formal clothing to fit in the banquet.

Objects

1. Trousers
2. Shirt
3. Tie
4. Dress
5. Skirt
6. Shoes
7. Socks
8. Hats
9. Shorts
10. T-Shirt

People

1. The Military
2. Police
3. Ambulance Service
4. School Children
5. Business Men
6. Fire Service
7. Athletes
8. Super Market Staff
9. Teachers
10. Bouncers

Words

1. Buisness Casual
2. Smart Casual
3. Uniform
4. Casual
5. Smart
6. Formal
7. Informal
8. Dinner Suit
9. Semi-Casual
10.  Image

Smart Casual

Facts

1.  Smart casual (as distinct from business casual) is a loosely defined dress code, casual, yet "smart"
2. It has been suggested that smart casual for men consists of dress trousers—this includes chinos—a long-sleeve dress shirt (tie optional), leather loafers or dressy slip-ons, dress socks, a belt, and, if appropriate, a sport coat or blazer.
3. An alternative form, the Burnt Hills smart casual, allows for crisp blue jeans to be worn (no holes or places where you stepped on the heel too much). A tie is usually introduced to the ensemble, and the wearing of a jacket is stressed.
4. For women, it consists of slacks or a skirt (long or short), a blouse or turtleneck, a fashionable belt, a jacket, a vest, or a sweater coordinated to the outfit, hosiery or socks with boots, flats (leather, suede, or fabric) or mid-heel shoes. Women may also wear jewelry, such as earrings, that complement their overall outfit.
5. Smart Casual, the debut album from Kids in Glass Houses, recorded during late 2007 at Long Wave Studios with Romesh Dodangoda.
6. You can get a smart casual outfit from about £15
7. 
   

Objects

1. Blazer
2. Chinos
3. Dress Trousers
4. Skirt
5. Shoes
6. Tie
7. Shirt
8. Heels
9. Slacks
10. Blouse
    

People

1. Graphic Designers
2. Uni Lecturers
3. Teachers
4. Shop Keepers
5. Retail Staff
6. Sales Assistants
7. 
   

Words

1. Business Casual
2. Smart Casual
3. Uniform
4. Casual
5. Smart
6. Formal
7. Informal
8. Semi-Casual
9.  Image
10. Relaxed
    

Info Graphics

Facts

1. Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge.
2. Info graphics present complex information quickly and clearly^, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. With an information graphic, computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians develop and communicate concepts using a single symbol to process information.
3. In newspapers, info graphics are commonly used to show the weather, as well as maps and site plans for newsworthy events, and graphs for statistical data
4. Although they are used heavily in children's books, they are also common in scientific literature, where they illustrate physical systems, especially ones that cannot be photographed (such as cutaway diagrams, astronomical diagrams, and images of microscopic or sub-microscopic systems).
5. Modern maps, especially route maps for transit systems, use infographic techniques to integrate a variety of information, such as the conceptual layout of the transit network, transfer points, and local landmarks.
6. In prehistory, early humans created the first information graphics: cave paintings and later maps. 
7. Map-making began several millennia before writing, and the map at Çatalhöyük dates from around 7500 BCE. Later icons were used to keep records of cattle and stock. The Indians of Mesoamerica used imagery to depict the journeys of past generations. Illegible on their own, they served as a supportive element to memory and storytelling.
8. In 1626 Christopher Scheiner published the Rosa Ursina sive Sol which used a variety of graphics to reveal his astronomical research on the sun. He used a series of images to explain the rotation of the sun over time (by tracking sunspots).
9. In 1786, William Playfair published the first data graphs in his book The Commercial and Political Atlas. The book is filled with statistical graphs, bar charts, line graphs and histograms, that represent the economy of 18th century England.
10. In 1857, English nurse Florence Nightingale used information graphics persuading Queen Victoria to improve conditions in military hospitals, principally the Coxcomb chart, a combination of stacked bar and pie charts, depicting the number and causes of deaths during each month of the Crimean War.

Objects

1. Booklets
2. Posters
3. Computers
4. Leaflets
5. Bill Boards
6. Packaging
7. Maps
8. Signs
9. Banners
10. Flags 

People

1. Jacques Bertin
2. William S. Cleveland 
3. Paul Lewi
4. Thomas L. Hankins
5. Robert L. Harris 
6. Eric K. Meyer
7. Edward R. Tufte
8. John Wilder Tukey
9. Ben Shneiderman
10. Edward Tufte  

Words

1. Information
2. Knowledge
3. Data
4. Instructions
5. Education
6. Statistics
7. Mapping
8. Visual Communication
9.  Diagrams
10. Symbols

Clothing Storage

Words

1. Organisation
2. Preservation
3. Tidy
4. Hanging
5. Folding
6. Fresh
7. Neat
8. Drying

Objects

1. Wardrobe 
2. Draws
3. Cupboard
4. Coat Hangers
5. Shelves
6. Trousers
7. Shirts
8. Coats
9. T-shirts
10. Racks

Clothing Costs

 Words

1. Money
2. Delivery
3. Cost to Make
4. Budget
5. Shopping
6. Materials
7. Where it was made
8. Production
9. Make?
10. Location

Objects

1. Wardrobe
2. Dress
3. Skirt
4. Blouse
5. Money
6. Till
7. Trousers
8. Shirts
9. T-shirts
10. Shirts

Booklet / Tag Design

Words

1. Branding
2. Price
3. Company
4. Design
5. Image
6. Materials
7. Ethics
8. Net
9. Cost
10. Colour

Objects

1. Tags
2. Booklets
3. Nets
4. Card
5. Plastic
6. Metal
7. Fabric
8. Price Tag
9. Leaflets
10. Poster

Boosting moral in the work place

Facts

 
Casual wear Business wear Human Resources Survey

1. 90% of all US companies have casual day of some kind
2. 1/3 of all companies allow casual clothing every day
3. More than 40% of all companies have expanded their casual dress options in the last three years
4. 87% - improves morale
5. 81% - perceived by employees as a benefit
6. 51% - employees save money because of casual dress
7. 47% - improves productivity 
8. Given the chance, 96% of employees take advantage 
9. 57% - Better camaraderie with managers & co-workers
10. 51% - Do best work when casually dressed
11. 43% - Boss is more approachable

 Words

1. Happiness
2. Productivity
3. Company
4. Work Ethics
5. Sadness
6. Friendly
7. Relationship
8. Casual
9. Relaxed
10. Work

Objects

1.  

Fabric Care

Facts

1. Polyester, the most commonly used manufactured fiber, is made from petroleum in an energy-intensive process that emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and acid gases into the air. The process also uses a large amount of water for cooling.
2. The manufacturing of nylon emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a carbon footprint 310 times that of carbon dioxide. 
3. Rayon, derived from wood pulp, often relies on clearing old growth forests to make way for water-hungry eucalyptus trees, from which the fiber is derived.
4. Cotton, found in most clothing, is the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world. It takes one-third of a pound of pesticides to make one t-shirt.

Ironing Techniques

Extend the Life of Clothing

How to : Shirt Ironing Temperatures

Research

I have come across some information which displays what temperature the iron must be on when dealing with different materials on http://laundry.about.com/od/ironing/a/irontemp.htm

Using a scale of 1 to 7 - 1 being cool, 7 being very hot. To fill in the gaps and prevent disasters, here is a simple chart to help you.

Ironing Guidelines

Fabric	Iron Setting	Tips
Acetate	1	Press on wrong side while damp.
Acrylic	3
Beaded	1	Place on plush white towel, press on wrong side.
Cashmere	-	Do not press, steam only.
Corduroy	7	Place on plush white towel, press on wrong side. Use steam on front to refresh crushed pile.
Cotton, lightweight	5
Cotton, heavyweight	7	Press while damp.
Damask	5	Use cloth between fabric and iron.
Lace	3	Use cloth between fabric and iron.
Linen	5	Iron on wrong side while damp.
Nylon	1
Olefin	3
Polyester	3
Ramie	3	Iron on wrong side while damp.
Rayon	3	Iron on wrong side.
Satin	3	Press on wrong side with cloth between iron and fabric. Use no steam.
Sequined fabric	-	Do not iron, use light steam.
Silk	3	Press on wrong side. Use no steam.
Synthetic Blends	3
Velvet	3	Place on plush white towel, press on wrong side. Use steam on front to refresh crushed pile.
Woven wool	3	Use a damp cloth between iron and fabric. Iron on wrong side.

Info Graphics

I have found a collection of Info graphics that I like and think may help with our project at the moment.

 
By Visible

I really like the style of this info graphics piece, its simple and informative, I like the typefaces used they are legible and appealing. 

This is a quite humorous info graphic piece, I like the illustration style and the layout, this is something to consider when designing our booklet.

Here is a short video I found useful

How to : Wardrobe

Wardrobe

For my shirt research we each went home and looked at our wardrobe arrangement to see how we kept our shirts. As you can see I hang all my shirts up but this is just to get out creases.

 

                              Pocket Size : 12cmx13cm                                                              Pocket Size : 11cmx12cm

I measured the pocket sizes to see what measurements we can make the booklet, I'm thinking around 8x10 or something around that value. I will discuss it with the group.

How to Preserve your Shirt : Survey Results

How To Preserve your shirt : Crit Feed Back

After the Crit we are feeling allot more confident with what direction to take. Originally we were just looking at how to preserve your shirt - Iron, Wash, Store. But we decided that actually its more about saving money and getting the most out of your shirt.

From here we are going to research:

• Life spans of Clothing
• How much people wear specific items
• Cost of an Out Fit
• Number of Wears
• Are people getting there moneys worth out of the clothes?
• How to Care for clothes
• Data Flow 
• Dont Go with Tag Idea
• Aim towards High End Brands

We will create some surveys to find out how much people spend on their clothes and how many wears they get from them. We will turn all our findings into Info Graphics to give people an idea of what money they waste or save. Hopefully the booklet will inform people on how they can save money and look after their clothing.

How to : Look Preserve / Look after your Shirt.

Preserve Your Shirt

The latest Brief we have been given is a group brief, following last weeks research we were put into groups and had to make a decision on what how to, to carry on with. We decided to change Andy's How to Iron a Shirt, to How to look after or preserve your shirt.

We decided to aim to topic at young professionals, as we would expect rich business men to just get everything dry cleaned and bought new where as a young professional will have to look after his shirts. He will consider:

• Washing
• Drying
• Ironing
• Storing 

We considered different ways of presenting the information, but felt a tag would work quite well, seen as they are on every shirt already. We thought this would be the most efficient way of conveying the message but we will have to look at how we can fit allot of information on a small tag...Fold out?

Shirt Research

Here is some research I found on shirt preservation on www.mensflair.com/style-advice/dress-shirt-caring.php.

 

Ironing

• Begin to iron your dress shirt by beginning with the underside of the collar. Smooth away from the collar points towards the back of the neck. Continue by ironing the front of the collar.
• Next, iron the yoke area from the neck outwards, and then iron the pleats in the same direction of the fold.
• Iron the cuffs of your shirt inside out as well. Put the sleeves down flat and iron upwards toward the shoulders.
• Don’t forget to iron the other side of the shirt sleeve before moving on to the next sleeve!
• Iron the body of your shirt by starting at the top and moving downwards towards the hem.

Tips to Extend the Life of Your Dress Shirts

• Ironing your shirt: Check for stains before you begin to press your shirt. It must be clean, or you will set the stain into the fabric. To remove stains such as ink, you can purchase an over-the-counter ink stain remover or use a home remedy such as rubbing alcohol. Remove red wine stains by pouring white wine over the mark and laundering again.
• If you don’t have good quality steam iron, you should try to iron your shirt when the fabric is damp. You can press it far more easily to remove all wrinkles, and it’s less likely that you will damage your shirt in any way.
• Spray your cologne on your body instead of on your shirts. Wait for it to dry before dressing, as cologne can stain your shirt permanently over time.
• Check dress shirts occasionally for damage or needed repairs. Keep your eyes open for loose threads and buttons.

Storing

• Hang your dress shirt on a supportive hanger such as a wooden one or a thicker plastic one. If the hanger has firm shoulders, it will prevent unsightly bumps. Wire hangers are not recommended for your shirts.
• If you store your shirts from season to season, be sure to have them washed before packing them away. Store them in a plastic case to prevent insects and odors from reaching your dress shirts during storage.

Shirt Life Span

The industry standard, as backed by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute and the Better Business Bureau, is that a shirt's expected life span can't really be guaranteed beyond two years if you're wearing the shirt regularly. But that's not a great measuring stick - you might have shirts you wear almost every week and then others you only wear once every couple of months. A more precise standard than calendar time is the number of times a shirt is washed - in which case the expected life span of a shirt should be somewhere between 35 and 50 washings. Even that standard is going to fluctuate based on certain conditions, like how much abrasion or friction you're subjecting the shirt to, how much strain is placed on the shirt (if a shirt is tight and you're stretching it out regularly in parts), and the stains that may develop on an item, even if that item is washed shortly thereafter.

http://web1.westgatesoftware.com/content.aspx?id=46 

 

 Further Research ( http://uk.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_200/211_fashion_advice.html )

1- Limit your dry cleaning

It's not a myth; dry-cleaning your clothes too often isn't a good idea. Blame it on the chemicals used in the process, which can cause the fabric to deteriorate and lose its shape in the long run. Instead, spot clean your suits by hand -- using water and mild soap -- and have them professionally steamed and pressed when needed.

2- Machine-wash & hand-press your dress shirts

The same rule applies to cotton dress shirts; if you can't afford to buy new shirts every year, then you shouldn't have them dry-cleaned too often because they'll deteriorate and lose their luster real quick. Machine-wash and hang them to dry instead. Furthermore, when you do take your shirts to the dry cleaner, make sure they're hand-pressed rather than machine-pressed. It will help keep the seams, collars and cuffs looking great, longer.

Note: There is an exception when it comes to machine-washing shirts; dark colored dress shirts should be dry-cleaned in order to prevent fading and discoloring.

3- Leave your bottom button undone

Ever wonder which buttons on your three-button suit should be fastened and which ones shouldn't? If so, you're not alone -- I get that question all the time. When wearing a three-button suit, never fasten your bottom button, no matter what type of suit it is. As a general rule, you should always fasten your top button, except if your suit features soft, rollover lapels. In that case, it's okay to keep the top and bottom button unfastened for a more relaxed look.

4- Iron your cotton dress shirt

The key to properly pressing your cotton dress shirts is to crank up your iron's heat to its maximum level. And in order to avoid burning your shirt, fill up the iron with water (for steam) and use a spray bottle to moisten the shirt prior to ironing.

6- Get rid of wrinkles quickly

If you're running late for work in the morning and don't have time to iron your shirt meticulously, then simply iron the cuffs, collar and front part of your shirt. The rest of your shirt will be covered once you slip on your jacket. But this is a last resort; if you have a bunch of other shirts to wear with your suit, then wear one of those instead, until you have time to do a real ironing job.

 

Washing Instructions ( www.thewhiteshirthaberdasher.com/page.php?id_pag=108 )

 

Before washing, make sure you undo all the buttons. This will reduce the strain on the stitches holding the buttons in place.

It’s also important to remove the collar stays before washing. This will avoid uneven wear on the collar points. It also saves you from trying to find them in the drum after washing. (Collar stays should be removed before sending shirts to the dry cleaners).

When washing, make sure you turn all shirts inside out. This not only protects the mother of pearl buttons from chipping on the steel drum, but enables the soap powder to work directly on under-arm stains.

Wash in water at a temperature of 40°C to 60°C (104°F to 140°F), making sure you first read the washing instructions on the label.

We ask you to think climate and recommend a lower wash temp 30°C

After washing is completed, dry the shirt either on a line or in an airing cupboard. This will prolong the life of the shirt. Do not tumble dry as the steel drum tends to wear out the points on the collar and cuffs.

Note: All good quality cottons will shrink approximately 2 1/2" during the first few washes. We take this into account by making our collars 1/2 inch larger and our sleeves 7/8 inch longer than their stated size.

Clothing Labels

As all shirts come with a tag already on we have decided to included all our information on a tag, I have researched some tags that I like to start off. This might give us a better clue of where to start off.

Thomas Selway

I like the look of black and white, its simple and sofisticated

Danielle Clough

 I like the idea of cutting shapes from tags, maybe cut a shirt shape out of our tags with the information behind?

 Ryan Jacobs

this set of tags looks really great, I like the simple use of shapes and colour

 Stacy Nesbitt

Nice vintage photography, gives a classy feel, appealing to young professionals 

 I like the ides of incorpoting a origonal shapes into the booklet.

SHN Mood Booklet

Clever Deisgn work here. 

 Harry Nesbitt

 

Andys Designs 

Here are some Designs Andy has Come up with:

I like where Andy is going with this, I do feel the tag/booklet needs to be bigger and but more compact so we can fit more information on it but I like his initial ideas.

 

Photo Shop Tutorial

Session 1

In today's Photoshop tutorial I learned about amending photos correctly, first of all we were showed how to alter photos by creating an identical layer to create a non destructive transformation, If this is done wrong the photo will have an irreversible change. Once the 2nd layer has been created you can play about with the photo as shown in the following images.

Correcting the Tones

Here is a picture of statue, none of the features can be seen here so in order to correct it I used the magic wand tool to highlight the statue, I then created a layer and changed the tones to make the statue more visible, finally I changed the sky to make it more vibrant.

Dark Statue

 After changing the brightness levels I amended the statue

 Finally I altered the background

Playing with the Hue

 Using the Marquette tool I put the photo into sections then changed the hue to get these wacky images

 Playing with the Saturation

This photo contains colours that can not be printed as they are not in the CMYK colour band so in order to create an image that can be printed it has to be changed. To start with we did the usual process of making a duplicate layer and clicking the show proof colour button to see what Gamut colours show up, by playing with the Saturation we can reduce the colours so that they will look better for print.

 Original

Finally I changed the hue here so that the colour could be more vibrant for print as this red has a bigger colour band in CMYK.

Smart Casual Research

For OUGD405 I have been given the task of researching how to dress smart casual. I need to find quantitative and qualitative research.

Quantitative Data

Definition: Related to, or expressed in terms of measured numeric values, quantity or statistical comparison derived from systematic survey, observation or analysis of the subject; this may include probabilistic evaluation. Quantitative research is based on measurable data gathered from a wide range of sources, often followed by objective analysis. A general description includes facts, figures and scientific observation that can be statistically analyzed and then can be reduced to something that can be enumerated. The collected data is often subjected to statistical tests to see if the results are internally consistent or representative of random chance. Typically, it describes patterns and trends in size and quantity. Quantitative data is often classified as being real.

Qualitative Data

Definition: Relating to, or expressed in terms of, quality. Qualitative research is based on individual, often subjective analysis. A general description of properties that cannot be written in numbers, that cannot be reduced to something that can be enumerated. Relating to or based on the quality or character of something, often as opposed to its size or quantity. Typically describes people's knowledge, attitudes or behaviors. adj. A type of data used as a method of labeling and identifying. Qualitative data are classified as being either nominal or ordinal.  

Smart Casual

What is smart Casual? Wikipedia...
Smart Casual is a loosely defined dress code, casual, yet "smart" (i.e. "neat") enough to conform to the particular standards of certain Western social groups.

Menswear
It has been suggested that smart casual for men consists of dress trousers—this includes chinos—a long-sleeve dress shirt (tie optional), leather loafers or dressy slip-ons, dress socks, a belt, and, if appropriate, a sport coat or blazer. Some interpretations allow for sweaters and knit pullovers paired with button-down shirts; especially v-neck sweaters.
An alternative form, the Burnt Hills smart casual, allows for crisp blue jeans to be worn (no holes or places where you stepped on the heel too much). A tie is usually introduced to the ensemble, and the wearing of a jacket is stressed.
Smart casual dress may be contrasted with "unsmart" casual dress, which often consists of ugly sweaters, corduroys, and suede jackets.

 Womenswear
For women, it consists of slacks or a skirt (long or short), a blouse or turtleneck, a fashionable belt, a jacket, a vest, or a sweater coordinated to the outfit, hosiery or socks with boots, flats (leather, suede, or fabric) or mid-heel shoes. Women may also wear jewelry, such as earrings, that complement their overall outfit.

Questionnaire Primary Research

I sent out a survey on Survey Monkey to see what people think is smart casual attire. Here are some screen shots of the survey. : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T5L5Z3M

I asked 6 questions which were:

What would you class as Smart Casual Wear for a man?

What would you class as Smart Casual Wear for a woman?

What Jobs do you think accept smart casual wear?

Where would you go to buy a smart Casual outfit?

How much would you be looking to pay for a smart casual outfit?

How often do you dress smart casual?Results 

From the survey this is what I found out about peoples perception of smart casual:

1. What would you class as Smart Casual Wear for a man?

• Formal, but quite relaxed

• Blazer x5

• Smart Shoes x5

• Jeans x9 (dark)

• T-Shirt x 3

• Shirt x 3

• Winkle pickers x 1

•   Shirt but not Fancy x2

2. What would you class as Smart Casual Wear for a woman?

• Formal, but quite relaxed

• A plain dress x 3

• Nice Jeans / trousers x 4

• Blouse x 5

• Cardigan x 1

• Skirt x 3

• Shirt x 2

3. What Jobs do you think accept smart casual wear?

From the questionnaire I learned that peoples perceive smart casual to consist of nice shoes, jeans, trousers, a collared shirt, blouse, blazer or dress. In terms of jobs they associated smart casual with Offices, Teachers, Small Business's, Creative Jobs Cafe's and Graphic Designers.

4. Where would you go to buy a smart Casual outfit?

  The results show most people shop at Topman, Zara and River Island.

  5. How much would you be looking to pay for a smart casual outfit?

Most people spend £40-£60 on a smart casual outfit
 
6. How often do you dress smart casual?

Most people dress smart casual once a week

Online Secondary Research

I came across this research on http://www.dresscodeguide.com/default.asp?Dresscode=2&Local=1&Climate=2&TimeOfDay=2&Gender=2&Reload=1&MoreCodes=&AutoRun=1 
  

Smart Casual Morning/Day For Her
(UK and Commonwealth)

Hat

Hats are not normally worn

Coat

Coat If weather requires.

Jacket

Any Jacket If desired. Avoid Denim.

Designer Jacket

Top

Knit-Shirt

Jumper

Fashionable Top Avoid slogans and logos.

Blouse

Sweater Avoid slogans and logos.

Cardigan

T-Shirt T-shirts should probably be avoided for most occasions as they do not have a collar which is normally one of the defining features of 'smart' dress, but can look smart, for example if worn with a jacket.

Bottom

Designer Trousers With or without matching jacket. Avoid wearing two different patterns for the trousers and jacket - plain goes with anything.

Designer Skirt With or without matching jacket. Avoid wearing two different patterns for the skirt and jacket - plain goes with anything.

Skirt

Dress

Trousers

Fashion Jeans Not suitable for all occasions. If in doubt avoid. Always wear very smart or fashionable ones, if at all, and always in good condition.

Footwear

Shoes

Boots Nice ones of course ;)

Accessories

Jewelry Including watches. As much as you want! (Consider your personal security though.)

Smart Casual Morning/Day For Him
(UK and Commonwealth)

Hat

Hats are not normally worn

Coat

Coat If weather requires.

Jacket

Any Jacket If desired. Avoid Denim.

Designer Jacket

Top

Shirt Collared. Generally the safest option.

Polo Shirt or Tennis Shirt Or similar collared top.

Jumper

Fashionable Top Avoid slogans and logos.

Knit-Shirt

Sweater Avoid slogans and logos.

Cardigan

T-Shirt T-shirts should probably be avoided for most occasions as they do not have a collar which is normally one of the defining features of 'smart' dress, but can look smart, for example if worn with a jacket.

Bottom

Designer Trousers With or without matching jacket. Avoid wearing two different patterns for the trousers and jacket - plain goes with anything.

Dockers Or similar.

Trousers

Chinos

Fashion Jeans Not suitable for all occasions. If in doubt avoid. Always wear very smart or fashionable ones, if at all, and always in good condition.

Ankles

Dark Socks Can't go wrong with black.

Footwear

Shoes

Moccasins

Deck Shoes

Boots Normally black or brown.

Accessories

Watch If desired.

Rings A wedding or engagement ring is always allowed.

Neck Chain If normally worn.

Earring If normally worn.

Notes

In General

Wear something smart, comfortable, and inoffensive.

From my online research it shows that the people that took my survey were pretty spot on with the standard smart casual dress wear. Casual Fridays?  From working I thought about times when I had to dress smart casual and remember we had dress down fridays where we had to dress smart casual. Casual Friday along with dressing casually during the week became very prevalent during the Dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s rooted in a relaxed California-based business culture. The day (also known as Dress-down Friday, or simply Casual day) is an American and Canadian trend which for a time spread to other parts of the world, wherein some offices may celebrate a semi-reprieve from the constrictions of a formal dress code. Whereas, during the rest of the week, business shirts, suits, ties, trousers, and dress shoes would be the norm, on Casual Friday workers might be allowed to wear more casual dress. Some companies might allow jeans, casual blouses or T-shirts, hoodies, track jackets, and sneakers/running shoes or even stocking feet, but others require business casual or smart casual dress. Some offices allow a themed dress down day. On this day, even managers in such workplaces are allowed to dress down.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_Friday Here are some statistics I found about Casual Fridays that is quite interesting: Corporate Casual Statistics Casual Fridays And Dress Down Days In order to compete in the employment marketplace, employers in the 90s searched for creative options to attract new employees and retain present ones. So, what happened? Wearables shot to the #1 category in Promotional Products Up 3 points from 24% to 27% in one year Why did this happen? 90% of all US companies have casual day of some kind 1/3 of all companies allow casual clothing every day More than 40% of all companies have expanded their casual dress options in the last three years Casualwear Businesswear Human Resources Survey 87% - improves morale 81% - perceived by employees as a benefit 51% - employees save money because of casual dress 47% - improves productivity Given the chance, 96% of employees take advantage What employees said 81% - Improves morale 57% - I'm judged now more on my performance than appearance 57% - Better camaraderie with managers & co-workers 51% - Do best work when casually dressed 43% - Boss is more approachable 46% reported that if they were offered two equal positions, the employer which offered casual days every day would get preference. Corporate Casual Levels The 4 basic classifications of Corporate Casual at work today are: Boardroom Casual- Apparel that’s different than the traditional business suit, but still appropriate for the boardroom. Blazers, oxfords, vests, ties and scarves are the operative words here. Business Casual- Professional dressing that’s perfectly suited to attend a meeting, conduct a seminar or to meet a client. Banded collar shirts, oxfords, denims, vests, sweaters and turtlenecks are your main menu here. Relaxed Casual- Office-appropriate attire that’s professional enough to face customers, but comfortable enough to sit in front of the computer. Golf shirts reign supreme in this area, as well as denims, chambray shirts, fashion fleece, sweaters and turtlenecks. Dress Down Casual- Casual apparel for a labor-intensive day such as cleaning out files or organizing your area. Tees, sweats and denim are your directions on this one. British Stats I have found some information on dressing smart casual in the British Workplace on "Smart casual" takes pole position in the workplace Will this relaxed approach be mirrored in communication practices too? New research suggests the business suit is on the way out of the British workplace with fewer than a quarter of employees now required to wear one. In its place, smart casual and even completely casual wear on certain days is becoming the norm. The research, carried out by the Aziz Corporation, found a slide in suit-wearing requirements from 37% in 2004 to less than 24% now with most companies adopting a more relaxed approach to office dress. Appearance still important but attitudes changing Professor Khalid Aziz, chairman of The Aziz Corporation, says while the business suit is still the norm for formal meetings, for everyday use employees much prefer a more modern appearance. But does this casual attitude to workplace attire also reflect more casual working practices – for example, more informal meetings or communication channels?  “Far from wishing they could get away with ripped jeans and T-shirts, most employees take their professional image at work very seriously and will dress smartly by choice. However, there is no longer a perception that we have to wear suits in order to be smart. Enforcing a suits-only dress code is seen as outdated and perhaps a little insular in an increasingly international workplace, an image which savvy modern companies want to steer clear of.” Job threat would change the situation However, further statistics suggest that if the current economic downturn worsens, many workers fearing for their jobs may want to smarten themselves up.  Almost half (47%) would seriously consider dressing more smartly if they felt their job was at risk due to financial conditions, according to Professor Aziz.