Style Guide

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Your summer style guide – with stylist Alice Hare

Your summer style guide – with stylist Alice Hare

Whether it’s Wimbledon, Lords, a picnic in the countryside or the local village fete, stylist and fashion writer Alice Hare will help you dress for summertime events with ease.

For my school trip to Bocketts Farm in year one, my mother (at my insistence) bought me a head-to-toe Barbie-branded look from M&S. Barbie pink trainers, Barbie jeans, Barbie t-shirt, and, the pièce de resistance, a Barbie denim bucket hat. Safe to say, I’ve always loved a dress code, an excuse to meticulously plan an outfit. But I know the same cannot be said for everyone: I am aware the words ‘summer social season’ send shivers down the spines of some at the thought of so many outfits to plan. From someone whose main joy at an invitation is the prospect of planning the outfit, consider this your stress-free guide to every dress code this summer might throw at you. From women's linen to men's polos.

Anyone for tennis? What to wear to Wimbledon

I fell over spectacularly in the queue at Wimbledon last year and cut my knee, much to the mirth of my four sisters and the group of Australian tourists behind us. It probably didn’t help that I was dressed as if I had tickets for the royal box (vintage Valentino white skirt suit, what else) when in fact I had been in the queue since 5am. The toe of my kitten heels got caught on one of the plastic sheets on the floor – a truly symbolic struggle between the pretty and the practical that gave a whole new meaning to ‘fashion is pain’. My lesson? I didn’t learn one. Zero regrets. Dress for the job you want, etc. etc. Wimbledon is drenched in old-school tradition – that’s what makes it so special. In a place where the umpires and line judges wear jackets and ties, it would feel rude to turn up in scruffs. Even if that does mean a graze to the knee.

That said, you’ll immediately highlight yourself as a Wimbledon newbie if you wear something too OTT – it’s not the same vibe as the races or a wedding. Schöffel’s Daisy Linen Dress strikes the perfect balance. Its shirt-style and tie waist offer an elegance that perfectly befits the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, while its linen fabric adds a relaxed note.

Hats are tricky at Wimbledon as they can obstruct the view of the person sitting behind you – a raffia headband is therefore a better bet. Our model’s is by Emi Milverton and paired with matching raffia shoes and clutch bag. On which note, espadrille wedges are ok for Wimbledon, for picnics and barbecues, less so for weddings and the races. My soul leaves my body a tiny bit every time I see a beautiful raceday or wedding guest ensemble ruined by espadrilles whose casualness clashes with the rest of the look. For Wimbledon and the like, Penelope Chilvers’s espadrille wedges are set apart from cheaper alternatives by their rich colours and opulent velvet ribbons. Our model is wearing the ‘high Sevillana Dali’ style in pink/green.

For the boys, Wimbledon is one of life’s rare occasions when you can wear a shirt/tie and jacket with chinos rather than as a full suit. Schöffel’s Cowes Linen Jacket has a light blue, pinstriped lining you can match to the blue of the Greenwich Shirt for extra detail-orientated points. The Chichester Chinos in Cloud are an off-white colour that nods to tennis whites without making you look like you’ve come to Wimbledon in costume as a polo player. (Bright white trousers on men are a fashion crime akin to socks and sandals).

Life’s a (high-end) picnic... What to wear for a picnic

Hint: this is the type of picnic where Perelló olives and truffle-flavoured bags of crisps that cost over a fiver will feature. For our model’s elevated picnic look, I wanted to showcase the versatility of Schöffel’s could-be-casual Daphne Linen Shorts and Lavenham Linen Top by dressing them up. A cream and black polka dot hat by Trudy Comfort is the focal point and adds immediate Pretty Woman, Audrey Hepburn-reminiscent vintage glamour. (A similar look would also work for vintage-themed Goodwood Festival of Speed for that reason). Gobstopper, ’80s clip-on earrings sourced by vintage jewellery supremo Susan Caplan and slingback, black raffia kitten complete the monochrome look. The best part? The Daphne Shorts and Lavenham Top provide serious bang for your buck – swap the kitten heels for flat sandals to take you to the beach. Just invest in a handheld steamer to keep all that linen looking smart when travelling – Tefal’s mini one is my go-to.

For men, a high-end picnic is the perfect backdrop to try something new, to lean into your slightly dramatic alter-ego. He who wears Schöffel’s Berwick Nehru-collared waistcoat instead of a traditional jacket, for example. The Berwick is different without being excessively flamboyant, and that’s down to its familiar fabric – tweed from the esteemed Lovat Mill in Scotland and a luxurious silk lining.

As for the picnic paraphernalia? A picnic attendee without a basket is as useful as a snake with a broken neck. While Fortnum & Mason’s iconic picnic hampers are acceptable around the house (I rather glamorously store my thermals in one at the end of my bed), I always feel it veers on crass when people post their obviously staged picnic photos featuring a bevy of strategically placed (‘make sure they’re in shot!’) F&M-branded hampers. A quiet luxury approach to picnic hampers is much chicer. Try ‘Not Another Bill’ for hampers and the Tartan Blanket Co. for rugs (as clutched by our male model here).

Bowled over! How to dress for watching the cricket

I know so little about cricket that I seriously thought Finland had a world-class cricket team. When my boyfriend’s cricket-mad father mentioned ‘Finland are playing tonight’, I enthusiastically responded ‘ahh yes, the cricket!’, when in fact it was football. Oh dear. But what I don’t know about the sport I make up for in enthusiasm for its sartorial codes. For our model’s cricket-spectating look, I went for a thematic approach. Schöffel’s Hambledon Jumper is a keep-forever classic – I love that the pink trims add a feminine touch to a menswear classic, and its wide rib, chunky cotton composition makes it tactile in the extreme. I pulled out the pink of the jumper with the seersucker Aster Shorts and finished the look with a preppy nod appropriate for a preppy sport – Schöffel’s striped socks and loafers (old season by Grenson).

I’d advise men to adopt a similarly thematic approach when choosing an outfit to watch cricket – something as traditional as the game. It’s not the place to reinvent the fashion wheel. The classic Chichester Chinos come in a French Navy that’s a lighter alternative to traditional navy, perfect for the summer months. Their soft-stretch fabric makes them supremely comfortable – ideal if a long game means you end up sitting in them for hours. From the linen collection, the Walsingham Linen Shirt will keep you cool on even the hottest day in the stands (and it’s machine washable, rare for 100% linen). Now, I just need to practise nodding approvingly while saying things like ‘that cover drive was straight out of the MCC handbook’ – a phrase I’ve copied from my future father-in-law.

Best in show... What to wear to the village fête?

If your Victoria sponge is going to win best in show at the village fête, heaven forbid you’re not dressed accordingly to collect your prize. Schöffel’s Flora Gingham Shirt is just the ticket – there’s something charmingly Enid Blyton about gingham that makes it perfect for a quaint English village fête. Gingham, a Peter Pan collar and smocked, ruffled cuffs? A triple threat. Classic chino shorts like Schöffel’s Iris pair let the shirt take centre-stage, while flat Mary Janes fit the bucolic, old-worldly tone. The key accessory for this look, though? Your prize marrow.

Country casual is the way forward for the boys here. Think checked shirts like the Burnham Tattersall and jeans like the Chilterns – clothes as classic as Battenberg cake and Earl Grey tea. Just add rosettes aplenty.