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Smart Casual Won. Formal Wear Just Doesn't Know It Yet.
Smart Casual Won. Formal Wear Just Doesn't Know It Yet.
No tie, no stiff collar, still looks like you tried. That's the whole game now.
TL;DR
- TCS/Infosys = business-casual-to-semi-formal
- Startups = full smart casual, no rules
- Cotton isn't a preference in Indian heat, it's survival
The dress code split by company type isn't random. Big services firms lean semi-formal. Product companies and startups have basically dropped formal entirely. But one rule holds everywhere: polyester on a 38°C commute is a bad time. Cotton stopped being optional.
Startup advice is even blunter — look sharp, stay comfortable, be consistent. That's just... a good shirt. Not costume-formal, not a stretched-out tee. Something that reads intentional without trying too hard.
Quick Q&A
Is smart casual basically permanent now?
Looks that way. Even traditional sectors are loosening up post-2020.
What actually signals 'effort' in smart casual?
Texture and fit, mostly. A proper collar roll, a weave that isn't flat — small things that read as considered.
Shirting built the way this piece talks about — in-house, Gandhi Nagar.
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