Summer Event Dressing: 10 Buys That Will Dazzle

Dressing up? These elegant buys will ensure you wow at your next summer occasion …

Say yes to the dress. And the woven bag, and the straw hat, and the black strappy kitten heels … Summer occasionwear has a new verve that is at once polished and – thankfully! – (semi) practical.

Whether you’ve got a summer wedding, a garden party or a communion lunch to go to, here’s what you need to know. Heel heights are lower, bags have sized up beyond teeny clutches – see the collaboration between Rixo and ‘It’ bag brand Dragon Diffusion which boasts woven leather styles in compact but roomy shapes – and personality hats are conveniently on trend to shield you from the sun. (We noticed cool women in New York wearing petite chapeaus, like the one below from Arket, recently.)

As for dresses, strapless styles in natural fabrics are still the last word in elegance. Look for shirred fabric or bodice detailing which is trendy now. Jacquemus’ fit-and-flare black dress has an eccentricity that we like. While, on the high street, Massimo Dutti and COS are go-tos for statement-making pink dresses.

Shop our edit of covetable summer occasion buys below.