Who sits across the table sets the dress code: lunch with friends or family allows Minimalist Sneakers and a relaxed Oxford Shirt, while a coworker lunch calls for Business Casual, with Chinos and a Blazer or a structured top.
Most of them rest on two or three shades, and the fit rules at the end (shoulder seams, hem length, balance) apply to every one.
1. Oxford Shirt
A light blue button-down is the shirt I would buy before any other. Pale blue goes with black trousers, navy, gray and khaki, so one shirt covers a lot of lunches.
Wear it untucked and open at the collar for a casual day, or tuck it in with a belt when the plans get dressier. Roll the sleeves twice, and it looks relaxed without looking sloppy.
2. Chinos
Beige chinos sit right between jeans and dress trousers, which is why they suit a lunch where you can’t predict the dress code. Linen shirts and loafers pair well with them, and everything stays light.
Choose a color close to tan rather than a stark white, since it hides less of your day and pairs with nearly any shirt. A clean, slightly tapered leg looks sharper than a baggy one.
3. Blazer
Throw an off-white blazer over a navy t-shirt and jeans, and a basic outfit starts to look planned. The structure of the jacket does the work, so the rest can stay simple.
I like the contrast of a light jacket against a dark tee. Tan suede loafers keep the palette warm.
The trade-off: off-white shows dirt faster than navy, so watch the iced coffee.
4. Structured Tops
Tucking the shirt in with a black belt defines your waist, so the outfit reads as deliberate even when it’s quick.
Pick tops with a collar and some stiffness in the fabric; they hold their shape through a long lunch where a limp tee won’t. A watch finishes it without effort.
5. The Shoes
Black leather slip-on loafers are the easiest decision in this outfit. Slip them on and you’re done, with no laces to tie and nothing to coordinate beyond the trousers.
With black dress trousers, black loafers make an unbroken line that looks sharp and takes zero thought. Textured leather adds interest without noise.
If you own one pair of dressy shoes, I’d make it this one.
6. Smart Casual
Smart casual works best when one piece is relaxed and the other is a little dressier. A maroon shirt over cream wide-leg trousers does exactly that: the color gives it life, and the cut keeps it easy.
Keep the palette to two or three shades so it doesn’t look busy. Wide-leg trousers need a shirt that isn’t oversized, or the proportions get lost.
This one suits dates and casual meetings alike.
Smart casual outfits are about balance, but just like a seesaw, getting the distance between each pole right is critical. Super smart with super casual is doable, but get a single detail wrong and you’ll lose the equilibrium that makes the outfit work.
— Esquire
7. Layering
A brown overshirt over a white shirt gives you a layer you can drop the moment the restaurant warms up. The white underneath keeps the brown from looking heavy.
Keep the pieces in two families, here brown and white, so adding or removing one never clashes. Leave the overshirt open for an easy line.
Wear it on a day when you can’t predict the temperature.
8. Neutral Colors
Brown and cream are all this outfit uses, and that restraint is why nothing in it can fight.
Brown, cream and tan sit close together on the color wheel, so a linen shirt, light trousers and brown leather shoes match with no planning. Keep every piece in the warm family and the outfit works.
Pick one dark and one light, then repeat the dark in your shoes. Sunglasses and a belt in the same brown tie it together.
Plain pieces get dull fast, so look for texture, like the linen here.
9. Business Casual
A light gray quarter-zip over a white collared shirt is business casual with the tie removed. The collar peeking out keeps it professional, and the knit softens it.
Zip it partway so the collar sits flat and neat.
I prefer this to a full blazer for a lunch that follows a morning of work.
10. Minimalist Sneakers
Plain low-top sneakers keep jeans and a tan button-down looking finished. Choose a clean, simple pair with no loud logos, so the shoes stay quiet and the shirt carries the outfit.
Wipe them down before you wear them, since scuffs ruin the polished effect faster than anything else.
Skip the extras beyond a simple watch and a pair of sunglasses; 2 small accessories finish a sneaker outfit and keep it from looking tried too hard.
A solid pick for a casual lunch where loafers would feel like too much.
Choosing the Right Fit
Shoulder seams, hem length and how the top half balances against the bottom half: get those three right and most outfits hold together.
Colors that don’t clash and a shape that suits your frame do the rest. If all three line up, the price tag and the store stop mattering.
Start with the shoulders, because a tailor can’t easily fix them. The seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder bone, not past it and not pulled in.
Length comes next. A shirt worn untucked should end around mid-zipper, and sleeves should stop at the wrist bone.
For proportion, balance volume. If the top is loose, keep the bottom closer to the leg, and the other way around.
Occasion Appropriateness
Before you pick anything, ask 2 questions: what is the occasion, and who is coming?
A birthday dinner, an anniversary or a lunch with coworkers asks for a step up: a collared shirt or fine-gauge knit, and darker pants. A last-minute meal with friends or your parents allows a more relaxed one.
Business casual works for a work lunch because it looks relaxed enough to be friendly and tidy enough to stay professional. Wearing a tie adds formality, and leaving it off relaxes the table.
Let the venue set the level. At a casual restaurant, I’d say you can loosen up quite a bit more than you could in a corporate conference room.
Casual doesn’t mean careless. Put in a little effort, and make sure it looks deliberate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good outfit for a lunch for men?
For lunch, a light blue button-down, beige chinos and brown loafers wins for me: nothing in it needs a second thought.
Pale blue works with navy, gray, khaki and black trousers alike, and chinos land neatly between jeans and dress pants in formality. For a dressier table, add an off-white blazer over a dark tee and jeans.
How to dress for a casual lunch?
Start with basics that are clean and fit well, then pick one detail to stand out, such as a good watch or a pair of polished shoes.
Casual doesn’t mean careless, so a collared shirt or plain low-top sneakers with jeans keeps it finished.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for men’s clothing?
I don’t rely on a fixed 3-3-3 formula, but the closest rule I use is to keep an outfit to 2 or 3 shades. That keeps it from looking busy.
