A summer heads-up
The six hats to see you through the Season
‘For those who would rather stick to frocks, this is a very good time to stock up on new ones because flattering designs are in copious supply’
Once upon a time, drudgy “occasion wear” was confined to the dark corners of regional department stores, ventured into with a heavy heart and resignation to try and find virtue in a badly fitting matronly guise.
Yet, thankfully, times have changed. For a start, it’s been rebranded “event wear” which has opened up the course to all sorts of outfit ideas. Ladies, this year should you feel the urge, you can wear a jumpsuit to Ascot. Imagine. It’s a game changer for all dressphobics. Tailored one pieces not only eliminate worries about what top goes with what skirt, quandaries over whether to fake-tan your legs or not (I’d err towards the negative, pale is infinitely better than orange streaks emerging from a sweaty marquee), but are temptingly comfortable and chic. Whistles is a veritable treasure trove of jumpsuits, as are the new online labels Kitri and Finery London.
For those who would rather stick to frocks, this is a very good season to stock up on new ones as flattering designs are in copious supply. Given that starting a dress-based label seems to be like opening a cupcake café for women of a certain bank balance with time to kill, there are plenty of under-the-radar labels which will help you avoid same-dress nightmare.
See the model/DJ Harley VieraNewton’s HVN line (available at matchesfashion.com) which does excellent tea dresses; model Susie Cave’s The Vampire’s Wife (thevampireswife.com) for beautifully fashioned pieces with a flattering Fifties silhouette; the Dragon’s Den winning Hope & Ivy (hopeandivy.co.uk) which offers very affordable pretty dresses (starting around £70) with bohemian floral hand-drawn prints and embroidery. Plus Turkish designer Gül Hürgel for full skirted softly striped shirt dresses and Sterling and Singh (sterlingandsingh.com), which launches in June with a chic poloinspired collection.
Other less-shopped labels we’d recommend looking at include: Orla Kiely (orlakiely.com), Saloni (net- a-porter.com) and Rebecca Taylor (matchesfashion.com), as well as William Vintage (williamvintage.com) – for those who can’t bear to rummage but do want something unique, his edit of pristine-condition pre-owned clothes is very good.
If your budget doesn’t stretch too far from the high street, then you’re still in luck: event dressing has been fervently adopted and updated: Karen Millen’s Kew Gardens-inspired Atelier collection and Jigsaw’s collaboration with artist Marcus James are both worth a look, as is Warehouse for sweet but not naff floral designs.
If you are heading forth to the Royal Enclosure – where, in spite of jumpsuits (ankle-length only please), the rules remain fairly stringent, a trip to Bicester Village, in Oxfordshire, which has teamed up with Debrett’s for an accurate appraisal of dress code dos and don’ts, will help you out.
But if you’re merely wandering around the outside courts at Wimbledon, there is no need to get too trussed up. Chinos (this season’s culotte – The Gap has great classic beige and navy pairs), and white or pale jeans (unless you’re prone to squash your strawberries on your person) will both work. For jeans, see Acne’s relaunched denim, which has very well-cut pairs available in skinny, straight leg and loose styles – pair them with an oversized blazer and jaunty flat shoe.
Kimono-jackets and coats are also having a moment this year, and provide excellent Agatha Christie heroine wafting opportunity (Zara is a good source). Wear with monochrome dresses or over trousers and a simple T-shirt. If you need structure, then cheering colourful suits are everywhere – and you’ll be able to get the most out of the investment by wearing each piece on its own at different occasions.
Similarly, if you want to update that dress that you held your breath over before buying last year, add a fabulously over-the-top pair of earrings (embellished ears are the new hats – great news for those who can’t bear the things) and get a blowdry, or even your make-up done professionally (if you’re in London, blowltd.com are very good and reasonably priced). It’s amazing how a little pampering can take the edge off a daunting event.