Latest news with #occasionwear
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm a fashion editor and these are the wedding guest dresses on my wishlist for summer - they're all under £100 but look so chic
It's an annual dilemma and the one question I am asked most as a fashion editor: where can you buy the best wedding guest dresses? When I say 'best' I mean affordable yet quality, flattering yet comfortable and something that's contemporary enough to wear now and whip out again when you get your next invite. Finding one is tricky enough, but if like one of my colleagues you have seven separate ceremonies to attend this summer, you might need multiple purse friendly styles that won't blow the budget. Having scoured the high street, these are the top 10 styles to shop now - and they're all less than £100. Nobody's Child £99 Shop This chocolate bandeau polka dot number is one of my favourite finds to date. The ruched bodice is ultra flattering and the flare circle skirt makes it perfect for sitting, eating and dancing. Nobody's Child is an expert when it comes to the midi silhouette - and if you don't like this print or colourway, it happens to come in 9 other iterations and all go up to a size 18. New Look New Look has a whole section dedicated to the cause, with 298 dress suggestions in the wedding guest edit starting at just £19.99. But the winner is this pistachio green linen number. The puff sleeves and underbust cut out are right on the money and the clever asymmetric panelling will skim curves and bumps. The best bit? It's less than £50. Mango Mango 's offering is always plentiful when it comes to occasion dressing. Ignore anyone that says you can't wear black to a wedding - you can. But avoid ditsy florals - or risk appearing outdated. Opt for graphic prints like this one instead. The asymmetric shoulder straps and hemline make it look far more expensive than it is and this colour will work for the winter months too. H&M This tangerine satin kaftan is draped in all the right places and the sleeves are perfect for when the weather isn't playing ball. I would style this with gold metallic mules and a raffia clutch to amp up the luxe White Lotus feel to this design. & Other Stories £97 Shop Heading for a hot destination? This fuschia cotton maxi with a dropped A-line waist will keep you looking and feeling cool. All this dress needs is a pair of statement studs and for a final flourish, match your lipstick to it. £89 Shop Omnes make some of the best slinky slip dresses you can get for under £100 - I have my eye on the blue two tone Maggy version with a sultry cut out at the front and back. It comes in a magenta and red colour combination too. F&F at Tesco Finally F&F at Tesco is available to shop online! Run, don't walk when it comes to this micro polka dot flutter sleeve midi. It's a steal for less than £30, plus this shape and print will still be around next summer. George at ASDA £24 Shop Speaking of supermarkets, George at ASDA doesn't disappoint either - especially when it comes to occasionwear. You can't go wrong with a plain red dress and even better, this one comes with pretty twist straps, a cowl neckline and clever ruching around the waist to flatter your stomach. And for just £24, you could buy it in the sage green or pale pink too. Bravo, George! Friends Like These £59 Shop Lipsy's diffusion line, Friends Like These, does must-have occasionwear. This chiffon blue floral style with angel sleeves and delicate lace trim detailing is sure to garner compliments. Plus, it comes in petite sizing. Never Fully Dressed £99 Shop As soon as temperatures rise, I scroll Never Fully Dressed flirty, fun summer dresses and holiday packing. This red and pink colour clashing Valentine smock dress will look gorgeous with a tan and a pair of leopard print kitten heels to match the trim of the design.
Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
I've dressed the Princess of Wales and Daisy Edgar-Jones – here are my style tips
Although she's sponsoring a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, Clare Hornby, founder of Me+Em, doesn't have much time to plunge her hands into the soil. However, she knows a thing or six about dressing for al fresco events and the UK's rich and varied summer season in general. That's why a growing number of high profile women have come to rely on the brand for exactly this, among them Lady Starmer, Claudia Winkleman, Ruthie Rogers, the Princess of Wales and her mother Carole Middleton, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Lupita Nyong'o, Katie Holmes, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (in her black tuxedo on several occasions), Phoebe Dynevor and Daisy Edgar-Jones. As someone who almost always wears trousers, but has a business selling clothes to women who want (plenty of) other choices, Hornby has adopted an analytical approach to dressing up. Not coincidentally, occasionwear – once considered a fuddy-duddy concept – has become an increasingly important part of Me+Em's business – quite the evolution for a label that began 15 years ago as a source of loungewear but grew by offering a more sophisticated repertoire of designs. Perhaps we're not such a nation of sloppy dressers after all. She's an obsessive cruncher of data, not just the hard numbers of what's selling and what isn't, but of the more intimate, nuanced feedback loop from customers who come into her stores. I'm intrigued to discover how she's cracked some of the more subtle demands baked into our social gatherings. 'Dress codes really throw a lot of people,' she says. Weddings and Royal Ascot can be particularly intimidating because of ideas around propriety. People want to look the part without feeling they're cosplaying. Arms are a great bugbear. 'Some women really want to hide them. Others want to show them off.' One of Hornby's answers to all these conundrums is to play with transparency – just a hint. 'Lace or chiffon, or a sheer sleeve can all look very demure and pretty without being too covered.' Lace blue shirt, £175 and Lace blue A-line midi skirt, £225, Me+Em A grail of modern dressing, it seems to me, is an air of effortlessness. No one wants to look overdone – the blowsy blowdry, obvious make-up, trussed up, ill-at-ease discomfort are the antithesis of everything many stylish women aspire to. Yet some interpretations of effortlessness seem ridiculously effortful. 'Playing with different textures is a big part of putting together an outfit that looks elevated but not overthought.' Not wearing heels if you don't want to is another key to effortlessness. 'I've broken both knees over the years, so I'm obsessed with footwear comfort,' says Hornby. 'We're playing with the fancy flat – a square-toed ballerina because it's flattering and doesn't squash the toes – and a comfortable heel in cork.' Suede square toe ballerina flat, £295, Me+Em; Cork platform heel, £295, Me+Em 'Spend time pinning down those understated but perfect pieces,' says Hornby. Get them right and they're a library you can repeatedly go back to without too much thought. 'Everything has to be spot on. The jersey T-shirt that drapes just right, the sleek tan bag that you can wear with everything, the blazer that's only slightly oversized so it doesn't look silly, the jacket with sleeves that will actually stay up when you push them up your arms.' To this end, she has a jacket for autumn with 'scrunch' built into the sleeves. A former ad executive, Hornby is a dab hand at coining a tagline. Terms like 'Intelligent Design' and the three F's – flattering, functional, forever – are stitched into descriptions on the website. Forever is a particularly bold promise, especially when you're essentially mining fashion – but an important idea when people are spending a major chunk of their budget on occasionwear. So, I'm curious to know whether she thinks brown – traditionally a winter colour (when it isn't being completely ignored, which it was for three decades) – is a keeper or a fizzler? Last year, Max Mara mixed it with white for summer, which looked both earthy and sophisticated. But now it's everywhere, including Me+Em, where it repeatedly sells out. Jersey knot detail dress, £350, Me+Em Linen blend trousers, £250, Me+Em; Leather crossbody bag, £325, Me+Em 'I reckon it's become a classic already,' she says. 'Once you start to explore the chocolate shades, you realise how great they are at grounding other colours. All those fashionable sorbets look beautiful with brown. Chocolate brown holds so many colours. Honestly, it's a game changer. We've contrasted it with orange, purple, black… For evening, it's lovely with gold jewellery or shoes. There's a shade for everyone, and obviously it's much less harsh than black or navy. Jersey off the shoulder top, £85, Me+Em 'Also, fabrications have finally stepped up to meet it. In the past, unless you worked brown with satin or silk, or high-quality yarns, brown tended to look muddy or flat. We've been working with silk velvets, brushed cashmere and fabrics that have a subtle sheen to them. It's beautiful. I've got a brown jumpsuit that I'll wear to weddings with a brown velvet blazer. One of my other wardrobe anchors is a brown trouser suit which I enjoy wearing with matching nails.' We were bound to get to tailoring sooner or later. It's the cornerstone of Hornby's own wardrobe after all. 'I love the idea of one suit you can wear to everything. If I were building a capsule summer event wardrobe, I'd always start with a suit, because it's so easy to build out from there. You can wear the blazer over dresses and the trousers with a crisp white shirt for a cool, evening look, or with a floral silk blouse.' She thinks she'll wear a flared trouser suit in poppy red – with a brown top. Even in the early, more casual days of Me+Em, Hornby and her design team consistently tweaked the trousers, essentially becoming a lab intent on making trousers as flattering for as many body types as possible. That you would never know she has short legs is testimony to their success. What works for her? Raised waistbands. 'They're generally good on most women, with or without a bust.' If you examine many of Me+Em's dresses through the seasons, you'll notice they too have slightly raised waistlines. One of the many reasons for the brand's success is that once perfected, the same shapes reappear each season in different fabrics. And yes, florals are still selling, but the prints this summer are more botanical. Silk hydrangea print dress, £495, Me+Em Peach is proving phenomenally popular both as a background colour and as a solid. This may surprise you if you had it down as a no go for most Caucasian skin. 'In fact,' says Hornby, 'peach is one of those unicorn universal colours that suits everyone. It's unbelievably popular this summer' – possibly because customers are taking advice from the Me+Em sales advisors and teaming it with brown. Tailored front pleat trouser, £225, Me+Em; Lightweight tailored waistcoat, £195, Me+Em Finally, I want to know her biggest challenge to getting dressed up? 'I'm a northerner. I have a big fear of the cold,' she says. 'It bugged me for years.' Then the solution came to her – a cropped shearling cape that elongates legs, works over any silhouette, and doesn't crush your sleeves. 'It's an on-off piece,' says Hornby, meaning it's easy to flip in and out of. The slits allow you to show off the sleeves of whatever you're wearing underneath. 'I wore it to my stepson's wedding last year and sold about ten that day. We've brought it back for summer. It looks cool whether you wear it under tailoring or something.' Shearling cape, £695, Me+Em It's one of those high-priced items that Me+Em keeps in the mix because its customers recognise a piece they'll return to for years. For autumn, they'll be doing another version – in none other than chocolate brown.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
What to wear to every occasion this summer
What is it about event dressing that can floor even the most confident of dressers? The weighted significance, the (possibly unwritten) rules, the fear of looking at oneself in a photo in 10 years time at an outfit that somehow missed the mark… ' Occasion wear is difficult because there are a few conflicting psychological things at play,' says Sara Parker Bowles, a former fashion editor and now co-founder of personal styling platform Wrapp10 (also a woman we'd trust to navigate just about every dress code there is). The Wrapp10 occasion wear style guide begins with the words: Don't do fancy dress – stay true to yourself and your natural style. Parker Bowles is refreshingly relatable when it comes to sharing sartorial advice. In fact, she says the concept for her business came about 'when I was stressing about what to wear to Royal Ascot that year. I just wanted highly curated, well-informed, inspiring style advice and I wanted it to be immediate and affordable. ' The pressure of special occasion dressing is: 'You need to get it 'right' – ie there is a literal/official dress code and a cultural 'received wisdom' of what is appropriate/correct . So you need to tick that box first and foremost because no-one wants to get it wrong,' she says. 'But then you also want to feel special, because it's an exciting, special occasion and occasion wear can be really expensive and so you worry you will only wear it once and that makes it hard to justify the price. It is also – often – brand new territory, so it can be scary.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by saraparkerbowles (@saraparkerbowles) When Parker Bowles works with clients who are gong to special events she asks them for information on everything, from the host to the invitation, the location to the environment, and the schedule of events to the ground they'll be walking on. 'Balancing practicality with feeling chic and complying with the literal rules is the golden formula,' she says. 'There are those moments where you walk into an event and you look at someone and think, 'she's got it just right'. That's the holy grail of style. We all want that, and we can achieve it with good advice. So have the courage of your convictions and always stay true to yourself and trust your style instincts.' With Parker Bowles' advice in mind, we Telegraph fashion team members have put together the outfit we'd would wear for summer's formal events – be they in the country or the city, with a black-tie dress code, or (panic alert!) no dress code at all. Dressing for 'no dress code' events Sarah Bailey, Acting Fashion Director Sarah wears: Pebble textured blouse, £495, Edeline Lee; Jacquard skirt, £240, Stine Goya; Veiled headband, £300, Stephen Jones Just because a summer wedding invitation doesn't have a specific code, that doesn't mean that you should dress down. You still want to look your best and choose something memorable that makes you feel uplifted the moment you try it on. My advice would be to invest in a beautiful co-ord that you can break down into different special occasion looks, like this 'Circe' blouse and 'Hannah' skirt by Edeline Lee, crafted in her signature pebble-textured jacquard (which skims rather than clings to the body) and bounces out of suitcases after travelling for hours with nary a crease in sight. I had the pleasure of doing a massive try-on session at Lee's east London studio to find something that could be worn again and again. 'I always encourage women to invest in pieces that fit well, give you confidence and offer versatility,' says Lee. 'I don't believe in saving things to wear: good clothes shouldn't be reserved for just one moment, they should work hard for you across your calendar. A beautifully cut co-ord or dress in a strong colour can be styled up or down with accessories, hair and make-up. That's how I approach design: creating clothes that transition effortlessly between different parts of a woman's life.' Sarah wears: Balloon sleeve blouse, £87, & Other Stories; Pebble textured Hannah skirt, £700, Edeline Lee; Gold plated earrings, £130, Soeur; Shoes, Sarah's own; Shimmering crinoline hat, £690, Stephen Jones I wore my Edeline Lee co-ord for two big family celebrations – styled just as you see them above. The buttercup blouse from AndOtherStories (which looks like something Emma Stone might have worn in Poor Things) was a surprising high street find and the Stine Goya brocade skirt is (just like the Edeline Lee co-ord) another piece I will wear for life. I felt elevated, but I also felt very much myself, which meant that I could stop worrying about my outfit and just enjoy myself instead. As for what Lee herself would wear to a 'no dress code' wedding? 'Our 'Camilla Dress' has detachable cape sleeves to be left on for a dramatic arrival, then removed later when it's time to let loose and dance. I'd finish the look with our Triangle Court Shoes, a strong lip and a bold piece of jewellery. For me, it's always about balancing elegance with ease'. Try these What about hats? I wore a Stephen Jones creation (with a vintage suit) when I got married, so I know all about how a piece of magical millinery can transform your look. The hats I borrowed from Jones' enchanting Covent Garden shop for these pictures show how you can elevate separates to something really spectacular with a beautiful exaggerated boater, or a super-glam band with a tiny veil. The moment you put them on your posture changes. If you are not typically a millinery person, it can be tempting to approach a dress code that requires a hat with a defensive mindset… beware the half-hearted fascinator! If budget is an issue, consider renting (Jess Collett Milliner has a great rental selection), but don't stint on your selection. After all, wearing a hat gives you the opportunity to stand taller, make more of an impact and feel more majestic if only for a day. How do you find the hat for you? According to the master milliner himself, Stephen Jones: 'The main thing about hats is that they are an adventure in style. Somebody can experiment with a hat upon their head. Every hat has been re-worn either by you or someone else; they are the most sustainable items of clothing. It is the hat that makes you feel fabulous, whether it is a blue Alice band or a 1-meter-wide fuchsia fascinator.' On a practical note, shopping for a hat with a friend is a good idea, or ask the sales assistant to take photos on your phone from different angles. Looking great in a hat is all about a 360 point of view. Dressing for evening events Hansveni Dave, Fashion contributor Hansveni wears: Veiled ribbon bow headband, £485, Awon Golding; Silk dress, £348, Reformation; Sandals, £39.50, Marks & Spencer; Gold plated and sapphire earrings, £225, Loveness Lee; Double gold plated bangles, £410, YSSO I tend to stay away from prints for the evening because I always find the low lighting doesn't give them the attention they deserve, so save that for the day. Opting for a solid but rich colour, like this Reformation dress, has an impact without being too fussy. Petulia Galvin, a senior designer at Omnes, says: 'Soft hues like butter yellow, pinks and powder blues can be impactful – and often more memorable than playing it safe with a little black dress.' Fabric always plays a big part in my evening dress choice and I think silk and chiffon perfectly elevate a look. You can't go wrong with an elegant silk dress, it's classic. Chiffon or cotton crepe may be a less popular choice, but a great modern option. When worn layered with a slip underneath it gives the outfit a simple but interesting structure. Susamusa and Gimaguas are my favorite brands for those sheer pieces that still give me that elegant look I'm after. Get the look Where I think you can have the most fun with evening wear is in the jewellery. I've never been one for dainty jewellery – it should always make a statement, especially in the evening. Pairing hammered pieces with a straight hung fabric, like silk, makes the jewellery stand out even more. My go-to brand for textured jewellery is always Loveness Lee, their unique style provides you with compliments all evening. As for the fascinator – it's a style that used to intimidate me. I never felt like I could find a fascinator that would suit me. This Awon Golding one gives the ideal amount of drama without overwhelming the look; their modern style intertwined with the classic veils and bows makes the idea of wearing this traditional style a lot less daunting. Dressing for destination events Tamara Abraham, Acting Deputy Fashion Director Tamara wears: Stretch viscose blend dress, £325, Me+Em; Leather sandals, £200, Bobbies; Faux pearl bag, £98, Reiss; Enamel dipped earrings, £35, Whistles Destination events at this time of year tend to be accompanied by blazing sun and unrelenting heat, which can pose challenges on the style front (creasing and sweat marks being the least desirable). Lightweight, billowy fabrics are your friend, as is anything textured, like seersucker. That said, I love the clean lines and structure of this Me+Em dress, it looks elegant, feels comfortable, can accommodate a bra and I find pockets always key to giving the wearer a certain nonchalance. The viscose fabric won't crease – important for an all-day affair which might include long periods sitting, but also needs to look great on the dance floor in the early hours. Joyfully, there are more dresses of this calibre around than in seasons past. Fashion brands are finally waking up to the notion that, in fact, not all customers are leggy teenagers, and we need our occasion wear to work really hard for us. Finding something that ticks all the boxes comes as such a relief, it will be re-worn on special occasions for years to come. So, yes, it needs to be timeless too. Try these My more superficial advice? Don't be a wallflower. I love to wear a monochrome palette in my day-to-day life, but it's important to acknowledge that events this time of year are celebratory, so seize on that spirit and have fun with your look. Bright colour comes alive in the sun, so even if it's out of your comfort zone, give it a whirl. Trust me, it'll make sense in situ. Dressing for events in the city Sophie Tobin, Junior Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie wears: Cecilie Bahnsen Beth dress, rent from £131.49, Hurr; Leather shoes, £450, Dear Frances; Zirconia and rhodium plated necklace, £815 and earrings, £255, Completedworks; Silk bag, £88, Hai City events have a certain cool factor to them which is also coupled with feeling very overdressed on public transport and tackling cobblestones in heels. Rental has evolved in the past few years to become the first stop for many people looking for occasion wear, as it was for me when beginning the search for this feature. 'What we offer is a curated shortcut' says Meg O'Hara of Rites, who keeps the rental platform's offering to a carefully selected edit of timeless, elevated and easy-to-wear pieces that photograph beautifully. Most of their rentals are around 10 to 15 per cent of retail price, so you're saving 85 to 90 per cent upfront, she says, meaning that you can wear something that would usually be out of your budget that feels really special, like this Cecilie Bahnsen dress which I'd had my eye on for a while. At just above ankle length (no trailing on dirty pavements) and in a textured fabric that's guaranteed not to crease, I felt comfortable and not too overdressed. Get inspired I'm never one for a stiletto and always look for an ankle strap and chunky heel. With the ballet flat resurgence comes all manner of flat shoes that can be worn to events – I particularly like About Arianne's 'Mina' pumps with a block heel and plenty of colour choices. Tailoring is a great option for the city and you can always add or remove a blazer depending on the weather – check out The Fold for waistcoats with high necklines. If in doubt, I would always choose a block colour and add fabulous accessories. Completedworks is my go-to for statement jewellery and Hai's dainty silk bags will fit everything you need. Dressing for black tie events Sonia Haria, Beauty Director Viscose and velvet dress, £475, Rixo; Leather shoes, £178 and drop earrings, £58, Reiss The first time I dressed in what I'd consider 'black tie' was at my school prom, aged 16. I wore a shiny, tomato-red satin ankle-length dress – with a bow around the waist in matching fabric, obviously – and some silver sparkly shoes. It may sound stylish but don't let that fool you: it was 2003. I had an updo, two hairsprayed-stiff ringlets of hair falling by either side of my face, a smattering of teenage acne and far too much silver eyeshadow (to match the shoes, naturally). Thankfully, times have changed and black tie doesn't need to mean fussy fabrics, extreme hair and uncomfortable heels. Case in point: this elegant black dress I'm wearing in our Telegraph shoot is exactly the feminine style of dressing I love, just a little elevated. It's not too flashy but the mixed fabrics – soft velvet for the main part with silk around the bust – keep it looking interesting. The halter neckline makes a nice change from a usual strappy gown style, and means you can skip a necklace and wear sparkly earrings, instead. Look smart I called a friend, the uber-stylish and fancy event-goer fashion influencer Kavita Cola, to find out how she styles black tie. 'When it comes to styling for a fancy occasion I always think that you need to feel like you,' she explains. 'I don't buy into a look that I know doesn't suit me, and I'm very comfortable and secure in a low-key colour.' Knowing what to accessorise your outfit with is just as important. 'If you're opting for a simple dress, focus on a fun bag or piece of jewellery, or a cool lip colour like a crimson red or a pink,' she adds. 'I'm never in a pair of shoes that I won't walk a mile in, so keep it comfortable, or even pick a flat shoe if you dare, but make it sparkly.' Dressing for events in the country Jess Burrell, Acting Fashion Editor Solace London dress, rent from £15, By Rotation; Leather shoes, £89, Dune; Straw hat, £195, V V Rouleaux When it comes to big events, and particularly weddings, I think renting is the way forward, particularly if it's a country affair that you don't need to travel too far for (most rentals are by the day). As well as saving money and feeling more sustainable, the value is that it allows you to be a little more experimental, pushing the boundaries of your style comfort zone. For me, By Rotation is by far the best rental platform out there, not least because it has a pop-up space in Mayfair where you can try on a beautiful selection of occasion wear. That's where I found the sunshine-yellow dress by Solace London I wore for our shoot. With its form-fitting asymmetric top and pleated waterfall-hem skirt, it strikes the right balance between fun and formal, showing that you've made an effort without going overboard. It's not a colour I have elsewhere in my wardrobe, but that's the great thing about rentals. 'When dressing for a country wedding, or any special occasion, I always lean into joy,' says Eshita Kabra-Davies, the founder of By Rotation. 'Floaty dresses in bold prints or unexpected textures work beautifully in rural settings and look great in photos.' With this in mind, it's also worth considering contemporary takes on florals courtesy of De La Vali and Rixo (which look great surrounded by grass). Try these What makes this look even more wedding worthy is the straw hat – I have a very large head, so the thought of finding any other hat than a cap fills me with dread. Whether or not you share this issue, it's a real treat to head to V V Rouleaux's Marylebone store to try on hats (including those that accommodate for larger heads). This oversized style felt not only comfortable but fun to wear, with criss-cross detailing on the brim to make it feel more fitted to a wedding than a beach. Brown or tan accessories were a good match for the mustard hue of the Solace London dress, but whatever you choose, remember to go for a block or wedge heel for the country wedding – it's no fun sinking into grass all day.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
We've found a £60 version of Princess Beatrice's very expensive red brocade dress - as she wows with King Charles and Camilla at London event
With summer fast approaching, it's the ideal time to invest in standout occasionwear. For inspiration, look to Princess Beatrice, who exuded glamour at the Elephant Family reception and awards ceremony held at Kew Gardens. She wore a scarlet Rebecca Vallance gown, featuring a dramatic A-line silhouette with brocade detailing, a sharp collar, puff sleeves and a waist-defining belt. Letting the dress speak for itself, Beatrice kept her accessories minimal, choosing Jimmy Choo burgundy velvet court shoes and Chopard diamond stud earrings. Luckily, this exact dress is available to shop below. If it's beyond your budget, don't fret - we've rounded up the best high street alternatives to recreate the look. EXACT MATCH: Rebecca Vallance Henrietta Belted Brocade Gown £960 Shop High street alternatives Oasis Petite Satin Jacquard Dress £59.40 Shop Kitri Alex Red Tulip Print Dress £107 Shop Never Fully Dressed Lipstick Print Dress £99 Shop Phase Eight Janice Tapework Dress £369 Shop Joanie Floral Damask Dress £75 Shop Forever New Puff Sleeve Dress £110 Shop Earrings Shoes Clutch bags
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Six occasionwear outfits from the high street to impress with this season
From weddings to garden parties and events like Ascot and Henley Royal Regatta, the summer months are full of special occasions. This is exciting as it means there are plenty of opportunities for getting dressed up in something spectacular. Of course, with seemingly endless options out there right now, it can be hard to discern the must-have pieces from those that you should avoid. Our advice? Stick to light fabrics in floaty silhouettes. Florals are great but avoid anything too ditsy. Polka dots in any form have our seal of approval. And, when in doubt, add this season's accessory of choice: the chiffon scarf. Worn nonchalantly thrown over the shoulders, of course. Not sure where to start? Read on to see fashion director Sophie Dearden-Howell's top occasionwear picks that are sure to impress this season. Cultured Pearl Drop Earrings 14k gold plating £110 Shop Organically Shaped Infinity Ring 14k gold plating £90 Shop Cream Floral Jacquard Trench Coat Shop Full Maxi Skirt £89 Shop Beaded Necklace £32 Shop Hair: Jamie McCormick using Hair by Sam McKnight Make-up: Jose Bass using Chanel les Beiges Golden Hour Collection and No1 de Chanel Body Serum-In-Mist Model: Aishwarya at MMG With thanks to Dabton House
