Dear Member,
Now you’ve planned out your summer, it’s time to make sure all of your essentials are in order. Have you prepared your summer reading list? What dress codes are you dealing with for upcoming weddings and events? And what on earth is happening in fashion now every house has a new creative director? Never fear, TRS is here to help guide you through these pressing and important matters.
The one question that always fills our inboxes (other than ‘when will the society be building more courts?’) is to do with Summer dress codes. First and foremost, when it comes to the countless weddings and events we are all faced with attending, we are big believers in renting looks for the upcoming season. Not only does this avoid overconsumption (only acceptable when it comes to culture and champagne), but it also keeps your wardrobe feeling fresh and exciting to wear. No-one wants to be caught wearing the same thing to several events, nor do we want to bore the hosts or our friends with countless, ‘What are you wearing?’, ‘Do sequins count as cocktail attire?’, and ‘Can I wear white to a wedding if I don’t approve of the bride?’ related questions. So, in this issue, we will be decoding dress codes with our in house stylist picking her favourite rental options, as well as refreshing your reading list, and keeping you updated with all of the latest sartorial gossip. For those who would like a reminder on how to navigate the Summer Social season, you can find our guide from last year with some top tips for a handful of our favourite events.
The Dress Codes
Weddings: think about the location. This will be key for getting the tone of the wedding correct. Is it in the countryside vs city vs beach? All of these details will give you the cues you need to look and feel appropriate. Full tuxedo and harsh black looks with high contrast might look great at a city hall wedding, but not so much in the countryside in Tuscany. Fabrics can make all the difference when it comes to appropriateness and level of “dressiness”, and in many cases, more so than length, which can be a common misconception. The same goes for men. While we stand by the no brown shoes with navy suits *, we do condone a brown suede loafer with a navy suit. Materials matter. If in doubt, boys, pay attention to the Drake’s summer lookbook. It will never do you wrong.
- This suit will see you through wedding season, Percival at By Rotation.
- Butter yellow feels like a safe bet for most occasions, Proenza Schouler dress at By Rotation.
- Very chic Chanel sandals that pair perfectly with most colours and looks, Chanel sandals at By Rotation.
- This gorgeous Aje dress, which would work for weddings ranging from the British countryside to the shores of a Greek island.
- If you want to keep your outfit simple, let your clutch do the talking with this incredible clutch that looks like lillies in a vase.
- Side note, these are not related to this sub-section but apply to my personal all-time grails, the Miu Miu Fall 2011 show ankle boot heels.
Royal Ascot: Stick to the dress code. Nothing is more embarrassing than being asked to leave the Royal Enclosure due to an appropriate ensemble. A proper hat is required, and please be mindful of your bag. This is where a top handle bag comes into play. No crossbody, or overly spacious bags are permitted. While they do permit a pashmina, we simply do not, unless you want to age yourself up 15-20 years.
- Hats can be tricky. Whilst a show-stopping number can be fun and garner quite a bit of attention, your head will quickly get tired of the weight alongside various top-hatted individuals accidentally knocking you on the way to collect their winnings. Keep it appropriate but neck friendly with something like this Hobbs white hat.
- Ascot seems to always take place on the hottest day of the year so we love this Zimmerman Polkadot dress which is both weather and Royal Enclosure appropriate.
- We love this little blue Celine bag at By Rotation or this Loeffler Randall sheer clutch. They are the perfect size to hold all of your betting slips and cash winnings.
- Our beloved Aquazzura make the most comfortable and chic shoes. These would be perfect for navigating the grass at Ascot.
Grass Court season: This year sees the first WTA event held at the prestigious Queen’s Club in London (June 9 – June 15, followed by the Men’s ATP event). Then the grass courts of The All England Lawn Tennis Club come into focus for two weeks. Now dressing for Wimbledon differs greatly depending on your tickets. Centre Court, or dare we say Royal Box… will mean very different attire to those in the queue. We think it’s great to play up the tennis and preppy style, so go all in and have fun with it. Lacoste, Sporty & Rich and Polo Ralph Lauren are the go-to brands for our favourite preppy looks.
- A goldmine has been unearthed on page 21 of By Rotation with this Chanel dress, which you may recognise as it was worn by Alexa Chung, available to rent now.
- Throw on this blue workwear inspired jacket should there be a chance of rain… (there’s always a chance of rain).
- Keep it effortlessly cool with this oversized butter yellow two-piece Jacquemus suit.
- Take your lead from the players and embrace Wimbledon whites with this white blazer dress.
Henley Regatta: Definitely more casual than Ascot – think linen suits, floral dresses and optional hats. School blazers are always encouraged. Depending on your enclosure (we personally believe it’s Stewards or nothing), there are pretty strict dress codes
- Embrace some colour with this incredible Cecilie Bahnsen dress.
- Hats can be tricky and depending on which enclosure you’re in, can look slightly out of place. However, if you desperately need the shade, we prefer to go classic, like this boater style hat from Gucci. Leave the fascinators for the races, please. That, or an appropriate club (read: Leander Club) cap.
- Whether you spend most of your regatta time at a car park picnic or drinking pimm’s by the river, you can’t go wrong with a colourful Rixo dress.
F1 Silverstone: anything goes, but a little retro sporty vibe never goes amiss. Comfy walkable shoes are needed, and it’s always nice to support your favourite teams in their colours.
- Something about this Miu Miu bag says F1 to me?
- For any Ferrari fans, here’s a great excuse to wear this amazing Bode jacket.
- Embrace pitstop style with an annoyingly cool jumpsuit.
Stay tuned for more on By Rotation, as we will be interviewing the founder, Eshita, in an upcoming issue.
Summer Reading List
So what are we going to be reading over the summer months? Here is a collection of new releases and old favourites for you to pack in your suitcase or pile on your bedside table.
- Recommended by The Ringer’s Amanda Dobbins, The Talent by Daniel D’Addario follows the awards season and five key players in the race for the best actress award, from the chief correspondent for Variety.
- The latest release from Emily Henry, Great Big Beautiful Life, which has been chosen as part of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club.
- The Bombshell, by Darrow Farr is a wonderful debut filled with glamour and a summer spent in Corsica.
- One for September, but Ian McEwan’s latest novel, What We Can Know, is set to resonate as the award winning author takes on futurism. According to Amazon, ‘What We Can Know is a masterpiece, a fictional tour de force that reclaims the present from our sense of looming catastrophe, and imagines a future world where all is not quite lost.’ Colour us intrigued.
- The influencer and founder of beauty brand MEGABABE, Katie Sturino, has written her debut work of fiction, Sunny Side Up. The story has shades of a modern Carrie Bradshaw, as Sunny Greene, the protagonist, tries to launch a business and navigate romances in New York.
- Homework by Geoff Dyer is a coming-of-age memoir of post-war Britain from the author of Yoga for People Who Can’t Be Bothered to Do It.
- Table for Two by Amor Towles is a collection of short stories often set in New York in the 2000s, and one novella about the golden age of Hollywood.
- Travel to Japan on a slow train between Osaka and Kyoto with The Passengers on the Hankyu Line, from Hiro Arikawa. This heartwarming novel will take you on the journey of five peoples stories and lives.
- Nothing new, however, still on our never-ending reading list is Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, a story of daughters, lost love and enduring relationships.
- One for the dads as Father’s Day is approaching in the UK, Tree Hunting: 1,000 Trees to Find in Britain and Ireland Towns and Cities. You know this will go down well and keep them busy for weeks…
The Gossip
Now, this July features debuts at the biggest houses in the industry, including Dior and Celine. Here’s a cheat sheet of the key ones to remember and keep tabs on:
- Celine by Michael Rider 6th July – announced last autumn, this has been the long overdue first collection from the American designer of Polo Ralph Lauren, Nicolas Ghesquiere era Balenciaga, and Phoebe Philo’s Celine. Consider us excited.
- 27th June – Jonathan Anderson’s debut collection for the house of Dior, starting with a mens collection (which is how he began his career).
- Glen Martins at Maison Margiela couture, 9th July.
- Meanwhile, at couture week, Dior will skip its usual show as it added couture elements to its resort show in Rome. Demna will show his final collection for Balenciaga, and that show will be a couture show on 9th July. Get ready for some dramatics, and Chanel will show its last collection designed by the house ahead of Blazy’s debut on 8th July.
- Waiting until September/ October;Louise Trotter’s Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel, Pier Paolo’s Balenciaga, Demna’s Gucci and the Proenza boys’ Loewe.
Notes from the Clubhouse
As the grass courts are open for play, we remind members that all white attire is required, including socks and tennis shoes. Any member who does not adhere to this dress code will be named and shamed at the summer cocktail party, and escorted from the court with immediate effect. Our Lost and Found may offer some suspiciously off white items of clothing left by other members if you find yourself in a bit of a pickle.
The summer cocktail party will be hosted outdoors (weather permitting) and a formal dress code is required. Linen suits are fine, but no shorts or trainers. Women should maintain a level of elegance (until their third glass, at least). Flat shoes are permitted, as long as they are appropriate – velvet Mary Janes or Manolo Blahnik flats will suffice. Flip flops are strictly forbidden. We don’t care if you’ve been in Mustique for the last two months and ‘closed shoes make you feel trapped’.
We understand that many members will be OOO over the summer months, however we do request that members refrain from oversharing their holiday antics. And yes, while Italy might have superior food, please note that our kitchens do their best to provide culinary delights but are sadly not equipped with the same local produce as your friends ‘vine to farm to table to Michelin star restaurant’ Fattoria in Northern Italy. And no we will not be providing the Cipriani meringue cake…ever. Stop emailing.
For those who are spending Summer at home, this month’s book club read is Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. Private members can join the discussion in our chatroom.
