How is it we have become a nation of UNDER dressers?

At the airport recently I noticed there were two groups of people; t-shirt, comfy pants and track shoe wearers were group one and the business suit attired made up group two. Now you can change comfy pants for jeans and t-shirts for casual polo style tops but that summed up a plane load of people!
The sad part of it all was the business suited lot looked like a really boring group of people with a strong ability to make you fall fast asleep if you were in a presentation with them.  As for the other lot...  Shabby, mumsy, unloved.  I understand some people where there for work and felt they needed to be "suited" (more on that one later) but surely this was a great chance to see some smart casual dressing... Nup!
The term Smart Casual - is mostly reserved for celebrities like Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba, "IT" model Carla Delevigne (who is in her early 20's so she doesn't really count) and ONE in the "36 + GST" years old category Elle Macpherson.  I find this "style" very hard to get right.  I understand suit/business dress dressing and I get exercise gear but there is a grand canyon in between those two!   I would love to say I've mastered shabby chic but in reality I find it very hard to look cool without loosing my personality or looking a bit more hobo than bo-ho! So for me I stay away from shabby chic.
For me that look is reserved for those individuals who are naturally shabby chic!  You know who you are.

Thus I find myself stuck in a no mans land of "smart casual". What the hell is that meant to mean??  Who knows what they really mean by smart casual when it's on an invitation?  At one recent event smart casual was jeans and a jacket. At another it was business suit minus the tie. How was I supposed to know that!  Of all people I thought I should have been able to pick it. I do LOVE the fact that we are not samey samey clones but our preference NOT to stand out in a croud and our nations culture of black is best has us in style limbo.
I'm still treating this "smart casual" ethic as a "WIP" but here 3 main pointers that I've learnt about smart casual so far:

• Mixing smart and casual is good - jackets or tailored crisp shirt with jeans.  Casual t-shirts with tailored pants.

Taylor Sequence Jacket - Black

Rag and Bone Jeans

• Choose your accessory thing - for me it's shoes. I LOVE different shoes. Whacking great heals in lime green with jeans or my orange pumps with black pants. If you are a jewellery person select your fav's and wear them with pride.  Putting on your favourite accessory will give an edge to any outfit and instantly lift your comfort level.

Chie Mihara

• Make sure the main part of your outfit suits your occasion then mix up your style.  Distressed jeans with a tailored jacket, tailored pants and sneakers (NOT running shoes but sneakers) or a suit with a much loved t-shirt.

Hope this helps a bit.  Most of all if you turn up in distressed jeans and a great tailored jacket with your favourite shoes and everyone else is wearing black pants, black top and black jacket - they might just be thinking how cool, comfortable and stylish you look!
xA