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What’s This About
Australian country club style is relaxed, warm-weather smart-casual dressing built on linen jackets, Oxford and polo shirts, chinos or moleskins, loafers or elastic-sided boots and a brimmed hat.
This guide explains where the look comes from and how to wear it in Australian settings, such as
The British sporting and club influences behind the look
Australian country staples such as moleskins, felt hats and elastic-sided boots
A wardrobe of jackets, shirts, trousers and shoes for hot weather
Outfits for a casual day, business casual and a race-day lunch
Fit notes for different body shapes
and many more!
Start with a light jacket, a good shirt and one pair of brown loafers or boots, then add a hat for the sun.
Key Points
01The name describes a modern smart-casual look, not a formal historical style.
02Light cloth and sun protection matter more here than in cooler regional styles.
03Clubs and racecourses set their own dress codes, so check before you go.
04A day suit, even a double-breasted one, is not black tie.
Australian country club style is a relaxed, warm-weather version of classic smart-casual dressing, with linen and cotton jackets, Oxford and polo shirts, chinos or moleskins, loafers or elastic-sided boots and a brimmed hat.
It is not a formal historical style with fixed rules, but a useful name for the clothes many Australians wear to the races, polo, golf club lunches, garden parties and country weekends.
It sits alongside other classic regional looks such as French BCBG, the British Sloane Ranger, Italian classic style and American preppy.
What sets it apart is the climate, which favours light cloth and sun protection, and a few Australian-made country staples.
Where the look comes from
British clothing traditions shaped Australian men’s dress in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and lighter cloth and broad hats adapted them to a hot climate.
Many terms in the look, such as cricket whites, boating blazers and tweed, come from British sporting dress.
Today the same garments are labelled Old Money style, but the label describes clothes, not anyone’s background or income.
Sport and clubs
Sport gave the look its settings.
The first known polo match in Australia was played at Moore Park in Sydney on 15 August 1874, and by 1910 the Sydney Polo Club was playing at Kensington Racecourse.
The Royal Melbourne Golf Club was established in 1891, one of many golf, tennis and cricket clubs founded around that time.
Clubs set their own dress codes, often modelled on British ones, so it is worth checking a club’s current code before you go; many now accept smart casual for daytime.
For more on what clubs usually expect, see our guide to country club outfits.
Country clothes in the city
Rural working clothes have long crossed into town wardrobes in Australia.
Moleskin trousers, made from a dense, brushed cotton, are hard-wearing and look smart with a jacket.
Akubra hats date back to a hat business founded in Tasmania by Benjamin Dunkerley in 1876, and the Akubra name was registered in 1912.
R.M. Williams began making boots and pack saddles at his family home in Prospect, South Australia, in 1932, and elastic-sided boots of this kind are now worn with everything from jeans to suits.
Pairing these rural staples with a blazer or a crisp shirt is the heart of the look, and it reflects British tailoring adapted to local life.
Equestrian influence
Polo, show jumping and racing have given the look several practical garments.
Riding-style jackets and leather paddock or elastic-sided boots came from the stable and the field.
A tweed or lightweight wool jacket cut like a hacking jacket, with a slanted pocket and a single long vent, works well with moleskins and boots.
Our guide to equestrian style covers these garments in more detail.
Sun protection and older staples
The safari jacket, a belted cotton jacket with patch pockets, is a light layer for warm days.
The cork or pith sun helmet of the colonial era is a historical garment, and brimmed felt or straw hats now do the same job.
A Panama hat or a fur-felt Akubra gives real sun protection and suits most daytime events outdoors.
These garments have an old-world look, so keep the rest of the outfit simple when you wear one.
Wardrobe essentials
Garments
In linen or cotton, a single-breasted jacket with notch lapels in navy, sand or stone is the most useful layer for warm events.
For shirts, wear Oxford button-downs and cotton shirts in white, pale blue, pink, gingham or fine stripes.
Knitted and piqué polo shirts are smart enough under a jacket and comfortable on their own.
Trousers include chinos, cotton drill trousers, moleskins and light wool or wool-linen trousers in stone, khaki, navy and olive.
In coastal and very hot settings where shorts are accepted, wear tailored chino shorts ending at or just above the knee.
Knitwear for cooler evenings means a rugby shirt or a fine wool or cotton V-neck jumper or cardigan.
Footwear
Loafers in brown suede or polished leather are the most versatile choice.
Leather boat shoes suit the coast and boats.
Elastic-sided or jodhpur boots in brown leather work with moleskins, chinos and jeans, and with tailored trousers for a country look.
For formal events, wear black or dark brown oxfords or derbies.
Accessories
A plain leather belt with a simple brass or silver buckle suits both casual and smart outfits.
A Panama or fur-felt hat with a plain band protects you from the sun.
In cooler weather, a wool or tweed flat cap is an alternative.
Tortoiseshell sunglasses, a watch on a leather strap and a cotton or silk pocket square complete the look.
Colours
The palette is mostly neutral, built around sand, khaki, stone, cream and white, with navy, olive and charcoal for depth.
Small touches of burgundy, mustard or rust work well in ties, pocket squares or knitwear.
Outfits by occasion
Casual day event
Wear an unstructured navy linen jacket, a striped T-shirt or white polo shirt, stone chino shorts or chinos and white leather trainers or suede loafers, with a Panama hat and a canvas belt.
Business casual
Wear a sand cotton-linen jacket, a pale blue open-collar shirt, navy or charcoal trousers and brown suede loafers or elastic-sided boots, with a cotton pocket square and a leather-strap watch.
Races or country club lunch
Wear a navy or stone lightweight wool or wool-linen suit, a white or pale blue shirt, a silk tie, brown or black oxfords and a Panama or felt hat, and check the club’s or racecourse’s dress code first.
Black tie
A lightweight suit or a double-breasted day suit is not black tie.
For black tie, wear a black or midnight blue dinner suit, a white dress shirt, a black bow tie and black shoes; in hot weather some hosts accept an ivory dinner jacket.
Fit notes by body shape
The same garments work for any build, and fit matters more than a body-shape rule; these notes are suggestions if you already know your shape.
Trapezoid means your shoulders are a little broader than your waist, so choose jackets by fit at the shoulder; keep trousers trim but not tight.
Inverted triangle shapes suit soft, unstructured jackets and straight-leg trousers, which keep the outfit in balance.
Rectangle frames gain definition at the top from a jacket with some shoulder structure and layered knitwear.
Triangle. A structured jacket and lighter or brighter colours on top, with darker trousers, draw attention upward.
Oval builds can keep the line long with single-breasted jackets worn open, darker trousers and a slim belt.
Hourglass. Fitted jackets and shirts follow your shape without extra structure.
Next steps with The VOU
If you would like help applying these ideas to your own wardrobe, take our three quizzes, then book a consultation if you want personal help.
You can read about dressing for your body shape and your seasonal colour palette, and our guide to styling by occasion, location, season and time of day explains how to combine garments, footwear and accessories.
A label alone does not make an outfit work, as our articles on heritage fashion brands and Old Money style discuss.
1. Check your body shape
To check your body shape, take our body shape quiz for men.
2. Find your seasonal colours
To find your seasonal colours, take our seasonal colour quiz for men.
3. Take the fashion style quiz
Take the fashion style quiz for men to see which personal fashion styles match your taste, with outfit ideas for each.
None of the quizzes is needed to wear the outfits in this guide.
Book a consultation
Our styling services for men are paid consultations; the shop page lists what each one includes.
You can read about The VOU’s image consultants and stylists before you book.
You can also contact us with any questions.