The main problem with business casual is that it retains many of the elements of 1960s business attire, but ditches the jacket. And it’s the tailored jacket that makes the older uniform so visually appealing. Suits and sport coats are distinct from other forms of dress in that the jacket is built up from many layers of material: haircloth, canvas and padding, which are skillfully sewn together using techniques such as pad stitching. This allows a tailor to build up a person’s shoulder line and create that flattering V-shaped figure. Without the jacket, you only have a dress shirt – some limp thing covering the body.

If you can, hold onto the tailored jacket. You can do this by opting for more casual forms of tailoring, such as sport coats in casual materials such as tweed and cotton, rather than suits in fine, worsted wools. Aim for jackets with a softer, natural shoulder line; they’ll feel more comfortable and have a relaxed look that conveys a more casual vibe.

You can dress this down by losing the tie and wearing semi-casual shirts, such as Oxford cloth button-downs, chambrays or snap-button denim western shirts rather than your dressier smooth poplin button-ups. If you need to dress things down further, try tan chinos instead of grey wool trousers.

Jeans can work if they’re in the right cut – a slim-straight leg with a non-overly low rise works best. It also helps if the denim is dark blue or white rather than anything too pre-distressed or washed. Instead of wearing Oxford dress shoes in formal materials such as black calfskin, opt for Derby shoes, chukkas, or penny loafers in brown suede. Or try plain white sneakers, such as Common Projects Achilles.

Most outfits benefit from a finishing layer, which is why a dress shirt worn on its own can feel so unsatisfying. If a sport coat is too formal for your lifestyle, try a casual jacket. In a creative office, this may mean wearing a trucker jacket or chore coat with tan chinos and a plaid flannel shirt. In more reserved settings, try Valstar’s take on the American A-1 bomber jacket. Known as the Valstarino, it’s made in a slightly slimmer fit and comes in refined materials. The Valstarino works in place of a sport coat and can be paired with everything from blue jeans to tan chinos to grey flannel trousers.

Texture is one of the easiest ways to introduce visual interest to a plainer outfit. A simple and smooth merino crew neck or V-neck can work underneath a tailored jacket, but it feels like a missed opportunity when worn on its own. Instead, try a chunky Aran, flecked Donegal, lofty Shetland, cable knit, or fisherman sweater. Unique materials such as mohair, boucle, and brushed cashmere can also add a lot to a look.

The same can be done for every other piece in your outfit. Instead of chinos, try ribbed five-pocket cords; instead of calfskin shoes, try napped suede. A spongy Shetland or fisherman knit worn with five-pocket cords and suede chukkas will look a lot more stylish than the default business casual uniform of a plain merino knit with a dress shirt and chinos.

The challenge of business casual is knowing how to balance personal expression with professional responsibility. You want to dress in a stylish and personally satisfying way while also looking professional in front of colleagues and clients. In today’s vague office dress culture, many have defaulted to flat-front chinos and plain button-ups, making it difficult to wear anything else without drawing unwanted attention. But some labels are better than others at helping you walk this tightrope.

Mr Agyesh Madan is a former Isaia employee who founded his NYC-based label, Stòffa, about 10 years ago. His company specialises in comfortable, ethically made casualwear, but in designs that retain much of the elegance of tailored clothing. It has high-waisted, peached cotton trousers built with side tabs, silky mouline cotton polo shirts made with a unique collar, belted wool topcoats, camp-collar overshirts and jackets inspired by workwear designs – bombers, double riders, and field jackets – but made with finer materials and unique silhouettes. The colour palette is always elegant – chalky browns, cream with a hint of lemon and greens in the colour of dried bay leaves – which look sophisticated without drawing attention.

Similarly, the Parisian label De Bonne Facture makes understated clothes that look at home in professional settings, but always with some unexpected element that distinguishes them from others. Its nubby boucle sweaters and boiled-wool overshirts can be paired with tailored trousers in grey flannel or tan whipcord. These clothes are made in small French workshops using ethically produced materials such as mulesing-free wool. For something a little more adventurous, try Lemaire. Its clothes are always full in the right places – drapey overcoats and dropped shoulder seam sweaters – which allows you to play more with a silhouette.

In much more conservative settings, you may not be able to wear anything more than a button-up shirt and chinos, but you can always improve the look by refining the fit. Two decades ago, style writers warned men about the dangers of overly baggy clothing. Nowadays, men are more likely to wear something too tight than too large.

The easiest way to tell if your clothes are too tight is to look for pulling. If your dress shirt placket is straining, you need to size up. If the trouser hip pockets are flaring out and the legs cling to the back of your calves, you may do better in a different size or even model. Aim to have things drape cleanly all around.

You can also improve this look by wearing slightly higher-waisted trousers, which will give better proportions between your torso and legs. A button-down collar – named so because the collar points button-down onto the shirt – will stand up better on its own than its spread collar counterparts. Get these details right and you will be ahead of the crowd.