Summer Event Dressing done right.

Once those summer invites start landing on your doorstep – you know the ones, which have you wondering what on earth to wear. That wedding you’d completely forgotten about, the last minute dash to Ascot or that garden party invite. Or even if you’re heading to the Royal Wedding this weekend, (although I would hope you might have your act together already… but you never know). These are the perfect occasions to go large on your dress-up style with a little killer summer event dressing nous up your sleeve.

I’m not the first one to stick my hand up and offer to dress up by day, but if an event calls for it, I do like to do it right and pull out all the stops. This season I’ve got all sorts to get my head around on the summer event dressing front – from the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, to a series of fun evenings at Grange Park Opera as well as a few special vacay nights out planned along the way. So this year I thought I’d start early and plan my event requirements from the get-go.

The White Company dainty bracelets – similar here

Some summer events have strict dress codes – see Royal Ascot, Henley and the members enclosure at Wimbledon. In my experience, that means not touting the fleshy bits and being a tad conservative. Think mid-length dresses, covered up shoulders and no plunging necklines. Around this time of year I’m also a fan of a luxe fabric or two (catch my post on layering dresses here), so anything silk, chiffon or crepe-de-chine is a great fit for this kind of occasion. You might also want to check out broderie, lace and linen as summer dress-up winners.

This summer I invested in this amazing Peter Pilotto dress, I’ve paired it here with last year’s J.Crew satin block heels (similar here) and the cutest Nannacay basket bag (more this season ones here).

Summer event dressing… where to shop.

Whilst not all the dresses in this edit fit the exacting standards of the Royal Enclosure at Ascot; there are some real cuties here. Look for SS18 trends like brights, pastels, florals, colour and pattern clash and luxe fabrics. There are plenty of high-end event dresses out there, but on the high street keep a look out for L.K.Bennett, Coast, Next and Karen Millen for some great buys. Here’s an edit of some of my faves – click the images to shop.

With thanks to the amazing Jane Looker for the images.