A day at the races or a summer wedding? A friend’s garden party or a bouji beach barbecue? Summer — aka silly season — is nothing if not a hotchpotch of social occasions. How wonderful, right? Well, yes, until it’s time to dress for them. The smart money is on a “one look suits all” solution. Think a great dress that can take you from a party in a beer garden to a late summer wedding reception. Or, if trousers are your thing, a perfect white suit that makes you feel as cool as Bianca Jagger. Plan accordingly, by thinking about what events are filling up your diary and how you can dress for them without breaking the bank.
The key is having versatile statement pieces that can be adapted with well-chosen jewellery or by switching up your shoes. Having a smart selection of tailoring in your wardrobe will also work a treat. See the perfect ivory blazer and a smart pair of linen trousers that can be dressed up or down to suit your mood. If you want to embrace colour, red is a great place to start this year. Opting for block-coloured pieces in the shade — a long dress or a great pencil skirt — will make achieving high-summer glamour seem like an effortless proposition. The season’s hottest prints — abstract motifs not ditsy florals — are also a great idea. As a general rule, team with low-key accessories and prioritise comfort. There’s no point going all out if you feel like a sweaty mess an hour into festivities. Think breathable fabrics and easy, loose fits. Get ready to party.
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Red letter days
From left:
• Mules, £26, stradivarius.com
• Strapless dress, £370, Solace London, net-a-porter.com
• Front-pleat maxidress, £139, Ro&Zo, selfridges.com
• Silk shirt, £297, and matching skirt, £276, joseph-fashion.com
• Pleated maxidress, £115, cos.com
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• Silk slip dress, £139, arket.com
• Linen dress, £178, thereformation.com
• Leather bag, £294, Coperni, coggles.com
• Satin camisole dress, £129, massimodutti.com
• Earrings, £169, Biko, wolfandbadger.com
• Red trousers, £99, and waistcoat, £119, aligne.co
The minimalists
• Draped dress, £570, toteme.com
• Bag, £28, johnlewis.com
• White jacket, £86, and shorts, £44, next.co.uk
• Giant bow clip, £16, reserved.com
• Slip dress, £80, oliverbonas.com
• Silk dress, £750, camillaandmarc.com
• Crochet bomber, £234, and matching skirt, £110, stories.com
• Sandals, £175, russellandbromley.co.uk
• Puff-sleeve dress, £355, vanessasposi.com
• Cropped blazer, £169, massimodutti.com
• Pearl and crystal studs, £225, pondlondon.com
• Silk shirt, £152, and skirt, £145, thefrankieshop.com
Sparkling season
• Long-sleeve maxidress, £480, rotatebirgerchristensen.com
• Pouch bag, £25, sixstories.co.uk
• Cropped top, £19, and matching skirt, £28, hm.com
• Flared mididress, £460, self-portrait.com
• Shift maxidress, £55, riverisland.com
• Embellished dress, £75, frenchconnection.com
• Sequinned shirt, £60, arket.com
• Midiskirt, £65, karenmillen.com
• Teardrop-sequinned dress, £350, mango.com
• Chunky hoop earrings, £35, pilgrim.net
• Knitted skirt, £35, and matching top, £30, marksandspencer.com
• Heeled sandals, £69, jonesbootmaker.com
Prints please
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• Racerback dress, £275, meandem.com
• Earrings, £175, Eva Remenyi, wolfandbadger.com
• Geometric shirt, £340, and matching wide-leg trousers, £270, reiss.com
• Scalloped linen blouse, £160, and matching skirt, £210, farmrio.uk
• Bag, £355, strathberry.com
• Shirt dress, £199, lkbennett.com
• Crepe mididress, £745, borgodenor.com
• Floral mididress, £89, nobodyschild.com
• Ruched dress, £484, Ulla Johnson, net-a-porter.com
• Marble-print dress, £229, whistles.com
• Mules, £15, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk
• Minidress, £270, Faithfull the Brand, revolve.com
