Esquire magazine for men says that there are new laws in casual clothing that men should know about before they assemble their outfit.  Here are a few of them:

Shirt

•    When in doubt, always wear an oxford shirt colored white.  Windowpane and Pinstripe shirts are good too.
•    Fitted shirts are good, snug ones are alright, but shirts fitted tightly are simply wrong.
•    Remember to always tuck in polo and dress shirts hanging below your hip.  Don’t ever tuck in turtlenecks and sweatshirts.
•    The universal language in casual clothing is cotton.  You can wear it anytime to fit in.
•    Only professional athletes can pull off the casual wearing of sports jerseys.
•    The most masculine thing that man can wear is a rugby shirt.

Denim

•    Denim is at the center of all things casual.  Here are some examples:
• Denim looks good all the time with cashmere sweater, navy-blue blazer, brown loafers, t-shirt, or cotton button-down.
•    It looks good most of the time with white sneakers, cotton turtleneck, tweed jacket, black loafers, and crewneck sweatshirt.
•    Sometimes it may look good with sports jersey, high-top sneakers, and hooded sweatshirt.
•    It doesn’t look good at all with necktie, flip-plops, silk shirt, and waistcoat.
•    Eastern Europe makes the best stone, acid, or other artificial washes.
•    A pair of jeans that cost $40 will fit you as well as the jeans that cost $200.

•    The more pointy or shiny your shoes are, the less casual it gets.
More Options

Men should always have more options when it comes to casual clothing.  Here are some of them:

•    Daytime Barbecue
•    Good – polo shirt, khaki chinos, and brown loafers
•    Better – short-sleeved rugby shirt, blue or red chinos, white canvas sneakers
•    Never – cargo shorts, flip-flops
•    Summer Cocktail Party
•    Good – crisp oxford button-down, cotton chinos, blue wool blazer
•    Better – rumpled oxford button-down, linen trousers, seersucker blazer
•    Never – bright madras blazer, shorts or jeans
•    Bar Drinking
•    Good – button-down shirt, light-blue jeans
•    Better – long-sleeved rugby shirt, dark-blue jeans
•    Never – sports jersey, sweatpants
•    Holiday Party
•    Good – crewneck sweater, corduroy pants
•    Better – turtleneck, cardigan sweater, flannel trousers
•    Never – any holiday costume

Finally, there are pieces of clothing you can dress up such as white sneakers, blue jeans, khaki sports, and polo shirts.