Fashion onwednesday
Seasonal dressing from polo to Proms
The first impulse I felt on waking up to sunshine on Sunday was to throw open my balcony doors and soak it in. The second was to paint my toenails. But that’s one small step for me, and a giant leap needed to get my wardrobe shipshape in time for the summer season. That will take planning, and a strategic approach to meeting the dress codes of the invitations that have already started filtering into my inbox (and, much nicer, my postbox). Which are, in no particular order:
Kitchen suppers
Problematic in many ways, the kitchen supper. They’re usually very casual (especially when I’m hosting, as I’m invariably running late, and must choose between dressing for dinner and making dinner) but there’s always the possibility that your host may appear in a new frock and jewelled headband, so it’s better to hedge your bets. A smart skirt – something silk or chiffon, pleated or printed – with a lightweight knit or blouse is just right: you won’t look absurdly overdressed sitting on one of the “extra” (read: child-sized or outdoor) chairs to eat Liv’s latest one-dish bake followed by a Gu pot topped with a solitary raspberry, or wildly underdressed if Helen’s spent all afternoon hand-quilling place cards and worriting over coquilles St Jacques. Wear flats, since you’re less likely to be asked to take your shoes off at the door if there’s no danger you’ll pit the laminate: look for something distantly related to a slipper in satin or velvet. Even so, you might end up barefoot – so no socks or tights, moisturise your heels and shave your big toes (or is that just me?).
Weddings
Wedding guest dressing has become much easier in the last few years, with brands like Rixo, Stine Goya, Ganni and the revamped Ghost offering beautiful, not eye-wateringly pricey printed dresses that tick multiple summer-event boxes in one. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, then look at Mother of Pearl for consciously made beautiful floral silks and The Vampire’s Wife for modest-butstill-sexy ruffled maxi dresses.
I’m currently trying to persuade a friend that I should wear the latter in the capacity of maid of honour later this year.
If you prefer trousers to dresses, Me+em has a brilliant pink trouser suit with slightly cropped legs (so you can wear heels or flats) or a wide-leg trouser and halter-neck top combination in the same colour. I’d wear the former over a white silk scarf-neck blouse, and the latter under a sharp white blazer, but depending on the specific day – church/town hall/country/city/ garden/hotel etc – you could swap for a floral blouse, or a jacket in tweed, leather, or even sequins.
If you’re not on a deadline, then off the peg isn’t the only option. Suzannah (suzannah.com) and Beulah (beulahlondon.com) – both worn by the Duchess of Cambridge – offer varying degrees of bespoke: Suzannah’s atelier service (made to order in standard sizes) takes up to eight weeks, and fully bespoke orders 12; Beulah London’s made-to-measure service takes 8-10. At the cheaper end of the spectrum, I’ve been weighing up an order with Lofty Frocks (loftyfrocks.uk), which offers a range of dress silhouettes made to order in beautiful vintage fabrics from £75.
If you’re after a hat, this is the season for it. The catwalks, usually a hat-free zone, bore the fruit of last year’s royal wedding fever: there were saucers with long veils wrapped around the neck like scarves at Erdem, Miss Havisham lace-veiled wide brims at Simone Rocha, abstract origami flowers at Delpozo, jaunty saucers at Moschino, tall straw beach hats at Chanel and Valentino.
Make the time to visit a boutique local to you that has a good selection and try everything on, even the hats you’re sure will look shocking on
(at best, you’ll be pleasantly surprised – at worst, you’ll have a laugh). If you’re in London, I can personally recommend Fenwick, where the unflappable Mr Tony will firmly guide you through the options, and can be trusted to give an honest opinion when asked (which I did).
Race days and The Polo
I have an on-again-off-again relationship with Royal Ascot.
Just when I think I’m over it, I get a wave of nostalgia and accept an invitation to Ladies
Day (as I have this year), which is followed by an immediate wave of panic because: hats. The rest of your outfit should be wedding-guest smart (see above) but otherwise you can go wild
– any colour, print or silhouette is appropriate – though check your course or enclosure’s website for specifics on hem lengths, straps etc. If you’ve got a wedding to go to, the same outfit should do you proud for both, so long as you remember the lawn, and avoid stilettos or kitten heels. Espadrilles are a bit on the casual side for Ascot’s Royal enclosure (I wear block heels instead), but I wore a black pair to the Polo last year and was in good company. For many of us – OK, for me – the hat is the real sticking point.
This year, though, I might just find something I really like, since there’s a proliferation of un-hats in the shops: those padded Anne Boleynbands, as worn on the Prada catwalk and to Prince Louis’s christening by the
Duchess of Cambridge; veiled headbands, which are particularly flattering in bright sunshine or try a turbanette, as championed by my fearless leader, Lisa Armstrong. Finding your match means kissing a lot of frogs, but since the occasions that call for hats are few and far between, wearing one can be fun, as soon as you overcome that first hurdle of leaving the house. Once you arrive everyone will be wearing a hat (or un-hat), some of gargantuan proportions, and suddenly you’ll be glad you persevered. If not, you can always persuade a half-cut chap to swap his top hat.
As a postscript, a word of warning on sunglasses. Your usual pair might look completely wrong with a hat, and since much of your day will be spent in bright sunlight (hopefully), it might be worth buying a smart pair – cateye or metal-rimmed, and more delicate than your usual.
Garden parties
At what other event could you ask adults to sit on a damp lawn eating unwashed strawberries off paper plates and call it entertaining? Look for crease-resistant fabrics with a bit of stretch in the mix, and wear prints with a dark base colour, to disguise any grass (or strawberry) stains. I’d recommend a floral dress, colourful cardi (Rouje has some brilliant ones) and flat or stacked-heel sandals in a wipeclean fabric like leather.
Spectator sports
…of the non-horsey kind, like the Henley Royal Regatta, or Wimbledon. Henley’s dress code doesn’t permit women to wear trousers, which I think is shocking, so you’ll need a dress or skirt to below the knee for that one. None of Ascot’s rules re strap widths or strapless frocks applies, though, so you may already have something suitable: navy and white always look particularly chic by the water, and polka dots offer an of-themoment alternative to stripes.
Hats aren’t essential but are recommended – though keep it small.
It’s passive aggressive to wear a large hat unless you’re in tiered spectator stands, as you’ll constantly block someone else’s view. Clearly the powers that be at Wimbledon agree, as it’s against the rules for any guest in the royal box to wear a hat – last year, the Duchess of Sussex was forced to carry her fedora (by chic French label Maison Michel, should you be sitting elsewhere). She was, at least, able to wear trousers – take note, Henley – and chose a wide-legged white paired with a striped shirt.
Glyndebourne and Proms in the Park
Glyndebourne doesn’t have a strict dress code, but it is opera, so I’d say black tie-ish. Avoid silk (too cold), and look for cotton or brocade – Rejina Pyo has some beautiful cotton dresses with almost sculptural elements to the cut, which balance out the casualness of the fabric. A wine blanket will only take you so far, so unless your night under the stars is mid heatwave, you’ll need a party coat – the British-climate-friendly alternative to a party dress. On a designer budget, Mansur Gavriel has an embellished blush pink one that would be beautiful over tailored trousers, and Erdem, Dries van Noten and Prada do the best of the best in this category. But there are affordable options too: Baum und Pferdgarten has jacquard and organza coats from £250, and Free People has some beautiful options. At the latest collections, Dior showed large blanket capes belted at the waist, which gives us all an excuse to wear our sofa throws (print and material dependent) on cooler summer evenings. Just make sure you don’t match the picnic blanket.