by Those lucky enough to be invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party are advised to avoid high heels – mainly because they will have to walk a long distance to the venue, but also because standing on damp grass to ruin a pair of stilettos.
Not that anyone heeds that advice. At a rain garden party on Tuesday, hosted by Prince William, three of his cousins in attendance – Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – wore their highest heels, seemingly unfazed by the plus and sodden lawn on which they stood and mingled with guests. .
How did they manage it? At least for Zara, it was with the help of a pair of plastic heel caps, which can be slipped over a stiletto to give it a wider surface area, making them less likely to sink into soft ground. While it wouldn’t have kept the rest of her £495 Emmy London pink suede shoes from getting a little muddy, it would certainly have made them easier to walk in. It’s a great trick for anyone to borrow this summer, whether you’re going to a garden party, a wedding, Royal Ascot, the polo, or any other event where one needs to dress formally but lawn-appropriately. .
And there are many more where it came from. Here are 15 top event dressing hacks to try…
Cap heels
Zara heel protectors are widely available, come in a range of sizes and are not cheap. As for cleaning the rest of his shoe, gentle scrubbing with stale bread seems to be a great way to remove stains from suede.
Stiletto heel protectors, £7.99 for six pairs, Amazon
Protect blazers with underarm sweat pads
Blazers are essential formal clothing, but uncomfortable and sweaty in the heat – and dry cleaning is expensive and bad for the environment. Reduce the need to wipe your head by using underarm sweat pads, which absorb perspiration.
Underarm sweat pads, £5.09 for 10, Sweat guard
Waterproof canvas shoes with beeswax
Here’s another tip for the damp grass – as we can expect a lot of it in the British summer. Canvas shoes may be the perfect Riviera-chic pair with your linen outfit, but they absorb water easily. Make canvas waterproof by rubbing it with beeswax.
Greenland wax, £9, Fjallraven
Hem trousers with tape
Do you have the perfect pair of trousers but don’t have time to take them off? Hemming tape is your friend: just pin your trousers to the required length, with the excess fabric on the inside, place the tape between the two layers of fabric, and iron to make it stick. It’s not perfect, but it will see you through at least one event.
Wundaweb easy hemming tape, £6.50, John Lewis
Bathroom-steam your clothes
If you have a wrinkled shirt or suit but don’t have access to an iron, hang the garment in the bathroom while you shower. The steam will release most of the vibrations.
Buy an evening scarf
The TelegraphMen’s style editor Stephen Doig recommends keeping an evening scarf handy, as you can throw it over a pleated shirt or T-shirt. And a blazer too, the other parties will be none the wiser.
Spotted silk scarf, £215, Turnbull & Asser
Prevent sick tires
Sore soles are inevitable if you stand or walk in high heels for a period of time. There are a few ways to mitigate that though. Gel insoles offer a bit of cushioning under the ball of the foot, as actress Sharon Stone once said The Telegraph that she uses a topical numbing spray on the soles of her feet while attending red carpet events.
Party Foot Ball of Foot Cushions, £5.99, school
Try grippy tights
If you prefer to wear nude tights for summer events, take a leaf out of the Princess of Wales’ book and buy a pair with grippy soles, to prevent your stocking feet from slipping out of your shoes. Try this non-slip pair from John Lewis (£15 for a pack of two).
Good luck
Clutch bags are the most elegant choice for formal occasions, but make sure yours has a concealed strap so you don’t have to close it when you’re offered champagne and canapés.
Loeffler Randall Rayne bow-embellished plissé-lamé suit, £210, Net-a-Porter
Use nail polish to stop the ladder
Another tights strike: a dab of clear nail polish will stop a ladder in its tracks.
Keep a perfume sample in your clutch
Ask for a few samples the next time you buy your favorite perfume. The mini bottles are perfect for stuffing a clutch bag, eliminating the need to carry a full size bottle. Alternatively, try a mini “discovery set” from Le Labo or Victoria Beckham, and Jo Loves has a handbag-friendly Perfume Paint Brush.
Perfume Paint Brush, £40, Jo loves
Wear a stick bra
Have you ever wondered how celebrities have so much support in strappy backless dresses? Well, it could be surgically enhanced, but it could also be a stick-on bra. They come in many shapes and sizes, to suit all types of necklines. Although some claim to support E and F cups, they are most effective for those under LL.
Fashion Forms U-plunge jumper bra, £37, Self numbers
Prevent thigh rub
Thigh chafing may sound like a somewhat unsavory topic, but those who know it will agree that it’s an unpleasant nuisance, and that it’s more common in the summer. Fortunately there are products to help, including topical tops, and thin cycling shorts that look like shapewear.
Megababe Home Rescue Friction Stick, £12, Boots
Tighten loose straps
Leather can stretch and loosen over time, which can be a problem when your favorite strappy shoes become too loose to wear. A leather hole punch will quickly solve the problem. They are also great for belts that are too big or don’t have enough holes. If you find that the end of the belt is too long for the loop, use hair elastics to keep it flat and in place.
Draper Expert Revolving Punch Plier, £15.99, Amazon
Soothe your eyes the morning after
If you suspect you may have a sore eye after a big event, plan ahead to stash a few teaspoons in the freezer. The next morning, place them over your closed eyes for a few minutes to reduce inflammation.
Additional reporting by Violette Dorff
