Ask a Stylist: dressing for summer events — whatever the weather

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I’d like some help with how to stay warm and stylish at summer events that are outdoors or in the evenings!

Ah! I had that very problem at a family wedding this month. You’d think in the summer months of June to August we’d be safe from such concerns, but sadly it cannot be guaranteed in the UK.

For my cousin’s outdoor wedding, which was followed by a reception in a beautiful but open-sided set of tipis, I wore an organza dress from Sir — not dissimilar to this beautiful Staud organza dress, available to rent from Hurr (sadly, in small sizes only, from £72 for four days, hurrcollective.com). Being diaphanous and sheer doesn’t exactly add much to keeping one warm. 

Knowing that I could always remove any under layers in the event of overheating, I wore a super-fine silk Hanro cami under the slip dress that matched the dress. Silk is clever — just like merino, it can help to regulate your body temperature in both hot and cold environments.

I then layered a sleeveless linen-mix waistcoat (the Victoria Beckham x Mango collaboration one) over the dress and a heavy linen Raey blazer on top. We all know that layers trap air between them to keep the wearer warm, and this worked pretty well. I even removed the blazer at one point when the sun momentarily showed its face.

The dress in question is one for a bare leg, as most summer options are. I wore my silver Jigsaw sandals (similar to these, £79, jigsaw-online.com), styled with a pair of fine gunmetal merino socks from Cos (these sheer ones are rather tasty, £7, cos.com) — another item that is easy to remove and stash in my bag should my feet get sufficiently warm. 

In order for this to work and for you not to feel as if you’re trying too hard or auditioning to play a nursery child, you do need to tone the sock to the sandal. And it doesn’t work with all sandals, I’m afraid. Avoid espadrille soles, cork wedges and the like. They just look a bit odd with a sock. Any with toe posts won’t work unless you have a tabi sock.  

If that really isn’t your bag, then opt for a closed-toe court or a slingback — I simply couldn’t resist this joyful stripy offering from LK Bennett (£289, lkbennett.com). It would look great with a simple wide-leg trouser.

If you are more of a trouser person, don’t feel you have to force yourself into a dress for weddings or parties. Trousers are a great option and they give more coverage. If you’re petite, take care not to add bulky items or too much fuss. The taller you are, the more you can layer outward. 

Suits are also an option. Trust Max Mara to come up with a banging red one (£460, net-a-porter.com). You could add a plain silk tee (try Joseph, Pinko or Twinset), a long-sleeve top plus a waistcoat, or go for the full suit here with matching jacket (£1,045, gb.maxmara.com). Equally marvellous is Paul Smith’s brilliant wool hopsack, which barely creases and is a knockout in orange (£492, paulsmith.com).

Something at the throat always feels warming. This silky blouse from LilySilk looks smart and chic (£165, lilysilk.com), or select a textured silk knit from Ulla Johnson if you have a smaller bust (£363, net-a-porter.com). For a fuller bust, this silk-mix V-neck from Calvin Klein will keep you comfortable (£120, calvinklein.co.uk).

Alternatively, why not wear something spectacular that you don’t want to take off? Wiggy Kit’s eye-catching opera coat can be worn with the matching dress if you wish — and pretend you are in Rome instead of the Kent countryside (£765, wiggykit.com).

Fine cashmere also does the trick. This N Peal style is available in a pleasing array of colours (£265, farfetch.com). Thom Browne and Miu Miu both have expensive flamboyant cardigans, while Self Portrait has a button-up lurex cardigan that is very versatile and can be dressed down with jeans for the weekend (£360, farfetch.com). For events, wear it over a simple dress or midi skirt.

For something a little more elegant, super-light cashmere scarves can be wrapped or draped over any outfit, and can also go on top of a jacket or coat. Rise and Fall’s fine cashmere scarves come in 10 delicious shades (£185, riseandfall.co). If you want something smaller, look at Begg x Co’s whisper-weight scarves from Scotland (£395, beggxco.com). This orange would pop a navy suit or dress, and the “ballet shoes” hue looks fantastic against black. 

And there you have it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to sacrifice comfort for style.