What is casual wear?

Articles of clothing suitable for informal occasions or situations.

Origin of casual wear:

Casual wear (casual attire or clothing) is a Western dress code that is relaxed,
occasional, spontaneous and suited for everyday use. Casual wear became popular
in the Western world following the counterculture of the 1960s. When
emphasizing casual wear's comfort, it may be referred to as leisurewear.

What do we mean by casual men wear?

 Jeans, dress shirt (casually turn down collared), and a T-shirt or
sleeveless shirt are typically considered casual wear for men in modern times.

The 6 Rules of Casual Dress:

Pay Attention to Fit
As with tailoring, fit can make all the difference with casual attire. The difference
is, you don’t always have to look tailored. How should your clothing fit? This
really depends on the look you’re going for and your body type.
Traditionalists will say that a slim-but-not-restricting fit should be the ideal to aim
for, but there’s been a shift towards looser styles in reason seasons, with boxy
shirts, and outerwear, and wide-legged trousers proving popular amongst designers
and fashion-forward consumers. That said, there’s still an argument for slimmer
fitting clothing that flatters the wearer’s body shape.

The point is, fit is one of the most important aspects when it comes to clothing and
it should be considered above all else.

Know What You’re Comfortable In

There’s no use investing in hoards of the latest streetwear if you don’t feel
comfortable wearing it. Wear what feels right to you, because if you feel self-
conscious then this will show and it won’t matter how many hundreds you’ve
dropped.

Keep It Simple

Minimal style is not necessarily en vogue right now; rather, loud logos and

oversized statement pieces are where it’s at… for some. But simple, pared-back
clothing will never not be cool, so swerve the masses and combine easy,
straightforward garments together for an effortless take on casual style. Turn to
A.P.C., AMI, and Whistles for inspiration, or look to high street brands such as
COS and Arket for well made takes on unfussy clothing.

Details Are Key

Take a denim jean and T-shirt combination; it’s arguably the archetypal casual
ensemble, yet it still can be worn in numerous ways. Tuck, half-tuck or untuck the
T-shirt? Roll the sleeves or leave them be? Pinroll the jeans or have them tailored?
Slim or relaxed cut jeans? These are all subtle tweaks and variations, yet they make
a fairly substantial difference.
Find A Uniform
Many people find the idea of a ‘uniform’ stifling and restrictive, but for others it’s
an exercise in simplification and reduction. Find a way of dressing that’s easy and
effortless, not dissimilar from wearing a suit in the sense you can get up, throw it
on and head out the door. You’ll find yourself saving time during your morning
routine that you can spend on coffee, or sitting on the edge of your bed pondering
the big questions. Or looking at memes.

A casual uniform can be found in style – a rotation of navy trousers, white Oxford

shirts and white sneakers perhaps, or colour; a preference for black could mean
that black jeans and a leather jacket becomes a uniform for you. Google ‘Jeff
Goldblum leather jacket’ to see what we’re talking about.

Nod To Trends But Don’t Be Dominated By Them

Casual style is dominated by trends, from high street to high end. Whilst this is all
well and good, the very nature of trends ensures they will fall out of favour soon
enough. So, if you want to future-proof your wardrobe, it’s preferable to only
dabble in trends and instead spend big on pieces that will last – a solid bomber
jacket, rather than the aforementioned Vetements DHL T-shirt, for example.

A good rule of thumb is to utilise just one ‘trend’ item per outfit – a logo baseball
cap, perhaps – and keep the rest classic.

6 Key Casual Pieces

Of course, you could just ignore the above and wear what the hell you want. There
are no limitations to casual style, so feel free to experiment and discover what
works for you. It would be boring if everyone dressed the same anyway. That said,
here are some classic casual garments to get you started.
Denim Jeans
According to Nick Ashley, creative director of Private White V.C., “menswear has
been casual since the Second World War – men couldn’t wait to get out of
uniform”. One of the garments they did want to wear though was jeans. The
backbone of casual wardrobes since the 1950s, denim jeans are a staple and can
form the basis of numerous off-duty looks today.

While their popularity has never dwindled, there’s been a rise in the popularity of
artisanal denim in recent years, with many brands making use of high quality raw
denim that’s put together on vintage looms, in the way they would have been made
50 years ago. Go this route and you’ll pay a bit more, but you’ll enjoy a pair that
will last decades and will only get better with age.

T-Shirt
Today the humble T-shirt can be worn with anything, even tailoring, as John
Harrison, creative director of Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes notes, there’s
been a “shift to styling the suit with T-shirts or crew necks, especially with summer
tailoring”. So it’s basically official: there’s nothing the T-shirt can’t do.

Naturally, there are many variations on the ubiquitous garment. Look out for a
good quality cotton – Uniqlo’s Supima cotton is a good, affordable place to begin –
and a flattering cut. For a point of difference go for a thin Breton strip – a summer
staple – or a knitted version, of which Mango produces a solid linen take.

Understated Trainers
The luxury sneaker market has been one of the largest growing branches of
menswear over the past few years, and there’s no signs of it slowing. Even
traditional Northampton-based shoemakers have had to get in on the act, such is
the demand. Tim Little, owner of Grenson acknowledges that “Sneakers have
exploded in recent years and are now as important on the street as on the track. We
introduced them a few seasons back and I wondered what the reaction would be,
but nobody blinked.”

Trainers are being worn differently today too, and can be taken out of their
sportswear niche to tone down more traditionally formal attire. Robin Winch, co-
founder of luxury luggage brand Bennett Winch says, “It feels as though people
have become more knowledgeable about how to wear their clothes; you’ll see
some guys wearing tailored trousers with a vintage jacket and a brand-new pair of
Nike trainers. It’s a cool juxtaposition.” It’s arguably the trainer’s versatility that
has made it the most covetable shoe style of today.White trainers are still the most
‘classic’, and can be worn with the widest array of styles – go for leather if you
want something slightly smarter. But, for an injection of character, opt for off-
white – they don’t look so blindingly fresh out the box – or a pair with a
contrasting gum sole or subtle branding. They’ll still be easy to wear, but are
slightly more interesting than plain white.

Lightweight Jacket
From the bomber jacket to the denim trucker, lightweight outerwear can add
plenty of individuality to a look. The latter option is a good place to start, and has
been favoured by numerous style icons over the years “from George Harrison in
the ‘60s to Rihanna wearing them today”, says Cheung.

Elsewhere, the bomber is an adaptable staple. Alexandre Mattiusi, founder of AMI,

acknowledges its versatility as well as the fact it will stand the test of time if
chosen well: “We play around with the fabrics and details of our different bombers
so that each one will sit differently along the spectrum of streetwear, sportswear
and sophistication. The proportions of the bomber jacket shift subtly from season
to season according to trends but notwithstanding, a classically shaped bomber in a
beautiful fabric is going to last.”
Whatever style you go for, it’s worth spending as much as you can and investing in
something that will be worn for years, as with outerwear you generally get what
you pay for.

Versatile Knitwear
A good in-between layer, a loopback sweatshirt or thin Merino knit are both easy
to wear, laidback options for cooler days. Wear them as an outer layer or
underneath a lightweight jacket and you can’t go too far wrong. The loopback
option used to be reserved solely for the sporting arena, yet has now firmly
infiltrated the casual menswear canon – opt for classic grey or off-white and wear
liberally.

Similar to the T-shirt, a Breton stripe can spice things up – look for a knit with a
solid base of navy with a white over-stripe and calmly await the French fisherman
remarks from less stylish friends. Elsewhere, a knitted polo will do the trick if
you’re after something slightly sharper – pair with your selvedge denim and you’re
good to go.

A Backpack
In relatively little time at all the backpack has become the new luggage norm. Out
of nowhere it’s somehow shed its college student/gap year status and now any
brand worth its salt is producing its take on the ubiquitous style. This is at least
partly due its practicalities and functional qualities and is very much in line with
the more casual way that many men are dressing.

For those that work in cities, the backpack is arguably the default option – having
both hands free is a valuable asset as you navigate public transport. But which style
to go for? A full leather bag is naturally the most luxurious, but cotton canvas is
equally classic and more robust. Ultimately, you want to aim for a relatively simple
design, as Winch notes if you buy right you’ll be “using your bag for more than
one purpose. You can take it to work, use it on the weekends, and it can go on a
city break with you.”

Manufacturing process:
A One Stop Shop
A one stop shop for small, medium and even large sized shirt designers,
manufacturers, wholesalers and even small entrepreneurs, we are able to support
our customers through every step of the manufacturing process. Being a full
service clothing manufacturer, we always start from scratch. If you do not have
your technical designs or tech pack; you can send us a rough drawing or sketch and
we will be in charge of the rest.
Tech Pack and Design Development
We understand that not everyone has it all together from the beginning; we can
help you with the process of creating a Tech Pack for your garment even if it
means starting from basics. If you have a sample or basic dimensions and
knowledge of what you want or need we will help you through the rest.

Pattern Making and Grading

Do you need to create patterns for your garments? No problem, we have
experienced pattern makers who can generate your patterns from scratch or from a
sample garment. Already have your patterns? Not a problem either, with our CAD
software we are able to import most files and have you set up in minutes.

If you need to have your pattern graded, we can help you with that as well. Just
give us exact dimensions or a rough idea of what you need and we can grade your
pattern for you. Once setup we will send you dimension scale for your approval
and we are set.
Material and Trims Developing and Sourcing
Since we always deliver exclusive garments for every clothing line, we have a
team of sourcing experts to do the right job. The region has many years of
experience in the textile industry and obtaining your trims is second nature to us.

Sewing
Our sewing team is skilled for very fine stitching. With our typical garment being
sewn using at least 16spi (sews per inch), we are accustomed to producing quality
high-end garments. This, however, does not limit us to high end pieces; we are able
to produce simpler garments efficiently and cost sensitive as well.

Embroidery
Need your shirts or boxers embroidered? No problem, we have our own multi head
embroidery machine in house for your ease and security

Private Label and Tag 

Private Label is also part of what we do. We can develop all labels and hang tags
for you and source them, insuring the best quality and price all around. Just send us
your designs and we will do the rest.

Quality Control:
Our Quality Control Department has very strict enforcement standards and has
many years’ experience in the industry. All stages of production are controlled
throughout the process, insuring that from sample to bulk production, your garment
will be consistently manufactured to your specs and to the highest standards in the
industry.