Until lately, a myth has pervaded the fashion world. It is that style and comfort are sworn enemies whose incongruity only the likes of Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty could understand.
But this summer’s social season has seen a decided shift among the A-list: practicality is order of the day — with zero compromise on style, of course.
And thank goodness. It turns out that style and practicality can coexist after all. It started when Zara Tindall wore plastic heel stoppers over her designer heels to a Buckingham Palace garden party in May to avoid sinking into the grass — so seemingly obvious, but so clever.
Here, we reveal the top summer style hacks the insiders swear by that will keep you looking perfect from an 11am wedding ceremony all the way to midnight carriages.
Avoid that sinking feeling
Heel stoppers, £5.86 for six pairs, amazon.co.uk
Whoever said practicality and fashion were not friends had clearly never met Zara Tindall.
The royal was pictured at a Buckingham Palace garden party in May in £495 Emmy London heels, complete with cheap-as-chips heel stoppers.
These clever inventions — available for a few pounds on Amazon — slot on to the bottoms of stilettos to avoid both ruining one’s shoes and the embarrassment of sinking into the grass. Talk about style and substance.
An alternative route comes courtesy of Zara’s cousin, Princess Beatrice. At Ascot last month, she chose to eschew stilettos in favour of Chanel’s iconic block heel slingbacks, counterbalancing the French fashion house’s £910 price tag with a £23 bag with acrylic handles (clutch, begone) from Urban Outfitters.
The key to making block heels chic is to avoid stompy wedge styles, particularly espadrille wedges — the latter so often ruin an otherwise elegant ensemble at weddings and the like because they’re simply too casual. Save them for barbecues instead.
Look for block-heeled styles rooted in vintage sensibilities. Slingbacks lend a 1950s-style elegance, all the better if they come complete with a Chanelstyle contrast toe. Head to Camilla Elphick (camillaelphick.com) or Colibri (colibri.boutique) for striking block heels you won’t see on everyone else.
The emergency cover-up
Silk scarf, £150, aspinaloflondon.com
L-r: Orange and purple, £15.99, zara.com; Printed, £85, bellasingleton. com
No, not the dreaded Noughties pashmina risen from the ashes. Rather, a silk scarf (stick to silk to avoid knitted, Mrs Doubtfire territory) is useful for a myriad of reasons in 2024.
Spill red wine down your front? Drape the silk scarf over it. Dress has become irreversibly creased? Drape away. And in the right print, a silk scarf won’t look dated over your shoulders for warmth come evening.
Handily, it also becomes tiny once folded, so is easy to stash into your bag at events and it won’t take up room in your luggage on overnight trips. Bella Singleton’s striking scarves are artworks on silk (bella singleton.com).
Handbag essentials
As a stylist, I’m always popular in Portaloos at a wedding because the mini styling kit I carry around in my bag has saved many a guest facing a sartorial emergency.
A blob of clear nail varnish halts ladders in tights, hairspray applied to the underside of a dress stops static, a trimmed-down sanitary towel stuck to the inside of a heel (yes, really) stops blisters. Tying bra straps together at the back with a hair tie converts a regular bra into a racerback.
L-r: Mini hairspray, £3.25, boots.com; Earrings, clip-on to order, £170, pinarozevlat.com
Clip-on earrings are comfortable all day long and won’t drag down lobes — Pinar Ozevlat (pinar ozevlat.com), Patricia Cobiella (patspats.org) and Laurence Coste (laurence-coste.com) make the best.
Peel-and-stick sweat pads (as cheap as £5.99 for 30 from Amazon) are completely unnoticeable and stop sweat patches appearing on light or silky fabrics and prevent the ensuing yellowing of a beloved garment.
What’s underneath is just as important
Slip dress, £74, intimissimi.com
Gone are the days where the ‘correct underwear’ (yawn) meant forcing oneself into some suffocating ‘magic’ pants that were more torture-by-corsetry than magic.
This year’s underwear solutions are clever, not cruel. Next sells anti-chafing cycling shorts that avoid the dreaded thigh chafe (£22 for two, next.co.uk). They’re a great knicker solution too, as their seamless shape means no visible panty line. A nude, knee-length slip (looks grannyish, result is anything but) stops the static that makes fabrics cling to your legs and is an anti-flashing prevention method under white (£16 for two, marksandspencer.com).
Check in a mirror — even expensive white dresses are often completely see-through in some lights. The prize for innovation goes to John Lewis. When Carole Middleton lost her shoe momentarily at Ascot last month, she no doubt wished for a pair of its non-slip tights (£15 for two, johnlewis.com). The grippy sole stops feet sliding out of heels.
Don’t rain on this (fashion) parade
L-r: Red umbrella, £95, pickett.co.uk; Green umbrella, £40, fortnumandmason.com
At Wimbledon last week, it was with great reluctance that I sheltered under my sister’s visual offence of an umbrella (luminous green with lifelike cats all over it).
The key to facing rain with style is not to look like you’ve been caught out — something producing a £5 Union Jack-emblazoned monstrosity procured from a tourist stand from the depths of your handbag will always achieve.
The King favours an umbrella by Mario Talarico, a fifth-generation brolly maker from Naples. With his designs selling for thousands, Pickett London is your next best bet for similar bamboo handles — £95 (pickett.co.uk), but it will last a lifetime.
And don’t forget the Army’s mantra to bring some military rigour to your event prep: ‘Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance’.
Crep Protect spray (£12, amazon.co.uk) is the best out there for waterproofing suede shoes, while adhesive sole grips (a few pounds from Amazon) prevent tumbles on slippery surfaces in smooth-soled heels.
Adieu, the clutch
Bag, £45.99, and dress, £89.99, reserved. com
L-r: Silk Ikat, £85, worldsecrets.co.uk; £189, wolf1834.com
A clutch bag has you doing just that — clutching a bag, drink, canape and order of service simultaneously as you attempt to shake someone’s hand.
The solution? A vintage-inspired mini bag with a neat top handle you nestle in the crook of your arm.
Gucci’s ‘1947’ (named after the year of its creation) bag with its bamboo handle is the A-list’s go-to, but even the tiniest version comes in at more than £1,000. Wolf (wolf1834.com) has similar bags for under £200 in retro prints.
Maison M (maisonmlondon.com) and World Secrets (world secrets.co.uk) make pouch bags with bracelet-style, ruched silk and velvet handles that can sit on your arm without digging in.
