Meet the swacket! Finally, a men's alternative to formal workwear

The business landscape for male dressing has changed hugely and while suits are still popular for corporate interfacing, a new concept of comfortable business casual has come to the fore.

It's all about "dressing for the day", according to David O'Connor, the general manager of Louis Copeland stores. He points to how key knitwear has become central to the layering style story.

The term 'swacket' may be new to some but as the name suggests, it is a sweater crossed with a jacket and the Maurizio Baldassari beige one (left) is a perfect example of the merits of this hybrid, which is constructed like a jacket, right down to the seaming inside which resembles a sport jacket. The two-pocket navy one has Teflon coating, which means it is waterproof, while the move towards cashmere gilets adds a touch of luxe, like the Stenströms grey offering, and you can elevate its styling with thoughtful layering.

The Baldassari 'swacket' (bottom far right) is 100pc cashmere and is layered with print and texture. Another bonus with this gilet is that the stretch at the sides means it works equally well under or over a jacket.