What To Wear To A Garden Party

How To Look Pretty At A Summer Garden Party

The summer is in full swing right now and it’s absolutely boiling, but with that comes an influx in outdoor activities and one of my favourites is the summer garden party! There’s many different types of garden parties that you can attend and some of those include water, while others are more of a classy, sophisticated experience such as a BBQ with iced teas. Any of them are bound to be blast, but when it comes to choosing the perfect outfit for your chosen event, what do you even wear? It can be tough to narrow your ideas down and choose a dress that’s perfect, but I think I have done just that with my wonderful collaboration with House of Fraser – one of my favourite department stores.

As I wanted to style a look centered around an evening garden party, I chose this absolutely stunning embroidered midi dress from Chi Chi London and I think it couldn’t be more perfect if it tried. I’m thinking party cakes, sweet teas, elegant BBQ food and gentle jazz music while everyone enjoys themselves of an evening, what could be better than this dress? It’s feminine, classy, girly, cute, all while being intricately detailed and flattering to the figure. The pastel, blush pink shade is a hue that I always gravitate towards now as it’s incredibly complementary to my skin tone, and the little embroidered flowers in pastel green and pink just make it divine. I couldn’t stop staring at the dress as soon as I received it, especially as the back of it has a beautiful button up fastening that hugs the contours of your back nicely (a feature you know I like from my chosen wedding dress).

To maintain the simplicity of this garden party ensemble, I only went for minimal accessories. I chose the Infinity & Co. Sophia Cuff in Silver which looks sparkly and dainty, perfect to adorn the wrist in an elegant way, and then opted for my Lulu Guinness Lips Clutch as I thought it would add a touch of colour, youth and flirtatiousness to the overall ensemble. I finished it off with a pair of nude suede high heels as I thought they lengthened my legs and gave a great shape all round.

There were many House of Fraser dresses that I could have chosen from, and narrowing the selection down was quite tough actually as there were lots that I loved. I was thinking of going down the wrap dresses route as I often find them incredibly flattering to an hourglass figure, but as soon as I spotted this one by Chi Chi London, I was sold! The 3/4 length net sleeves that are connected to the sweetheart mesh neckline are so dainty, but they help to conceal any problem areas if you’re worried about your upper arms. The bodice itself hugs and contours your waist due to the buttons at the back, then it fans out into a gorgeous tulle skirt with lots of netting and under slip to keep it modest and floaty. It definitely creates a beautiful silhouette and that’s just what you want during the evening sunlight as the golden hour is going to be incredibly flattering on you.

I personally styled my hair in soft curls as I thought it would be ideal with this Chi Chi London embroidered midi dress and would be the right balance for a garden party. I recently had it done with a natural blonde balayage and it couldn’t have come at a better time! I think keeping your make-up simple is key too, so I went with a soft brown eyeshadow which I smudged, and a pale coral pink lip gloss, to complement the blush tones of the dress.

Now my tips for those of you wondering what to wear to a summer garden party, if you don’t want an embroidered midi dress like this, you could always choose a maxi dress as it gives a lot more coverage, plus you can get some stunning designs that would make you the focal point of the evening, in fact, they even do a very similar dress in a full length version which could be a great option if you love the style and look. Always opt for a dress that flatters your figure though and isn’t too overwhelming with print or colour. The best advice for a garden party is to keep it within the floral theme, embroidered, blush tones, simple and feminine. Dresses that flatter your waist are ideal as an hourglass look is often sought after, but the biggest tip for anyone is that you have to feel beautiful in it. You need to feel confident and be comfortable as this shows through in your expressions all night. If you’re feeling insecure or not confident in the chosen dress, don’t wear it. Always choose one that you feel like you look a million dollars in – you will feel great all night!

So, this is my garden party dress outfit in collaboration with House of Fraser and I absolutely love how it turned out! I think the location is ideal too as the sunlight and farm house really highlight areas, all while giving the photos more of a vintage vibe. Please do let me know what you think of this outfit and I would love to know what type of dresses you wear to garden parties! Lorna xx.

– I am excited to share this carefully selected collaboration with House of Fraser with you.

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54 Comments

  1. Amie
    July 5, 2018 / 11:56 am

    That dress is gorgeous! Love how you’ve styled it with the accessories and shoes – I wouldn’t have had a clue what to pair it with but now I’ve got some ideas if I ever want to wear a similar look. Thanks for sharing this 🙂

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 12:04 pm

      Thank you so much, Amie 🙂 So pleased you love it and liked the styling!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 12:40 pm

      Thank you so much, Kathrine!

  2. July 5, 2018 / 12:38 pm

    Wow! Looking like bridal in that frock and lips shape pouch is so beautiful.

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 12:40 pm

      Thank you so much!

  3. July 5, 2018 / 12:58 pm

    That is such a beautiful dress! I love the embroidery and it’s so perfect for a summer garden party! 🙂

    Hope that you’re having a great week so far! 🙂

    Away From The Blue Blog

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 2:30 pm

      Thank you so much, Mica!

  4. July 5, 2018 / 2:17 pm

    I love the dress and shoes, looks beautiful on you Lorna! ❤️

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 2:30 pm

      Thank you, John!

  5. July 5, 2018 / 3:02 pm

    What a pretty dress! So elegant! You styled it perfectly!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 4:55 pm

      Thank you so much!

  6. July 5, 2018 / 3:11 pm

    You look like a Princess in the outfit and the lips pochette is so cute!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 4:55 pm

      Thank you!

  7. July 5, 2018 / 4:34 pm

    Stunning dress! The embroidery is so feminine, goes perfect with the tulle.

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 4:56 pm

      Thank you!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 5:16 pm

      Glad you like it!

  8. Ali
    July 5, 2018 / 5:31 pm

    You look stunning Lorna. You have styled this dress perfectly. This dress I will have to invest in, it’s so flattering.

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 5:55 pm

      Thank you so much, Ali!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 8:03 pm

      Thank you!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 8:04 pm

      So pleased you like it 🙂

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 5, 2018 / 8:05 pm

      Thank you so much!

  9. July 6, 2018 / 6:25 am

    Definitely the perfect dress for such occasion. I would choose a similar one because I think midi flared dresses are such an elegant touch. Not to mention, I think they are flattering on all body types! Your dress is gorgeous, love all the pretty embroidery. It would be love at first sight!

    xx,
    Tania
    https://inspiremyfancy.com/

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 6, 2018 / 11:47 am

      Thank you so much! I agree, they are extremely flattering on pretty much everyone!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 7, 2018 / 12:14 am

      Glad you like it!

  10. July 7, 2018 / 1:23 am

    What a beautiful and delicate dress that is. I love the embroidery detail and find the color very soothing and fresh on you. I am also glad to read that it comes in a full length version. I can see that being worn to a wedding. Thank you so much for sharing!
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 7, 2018 / 1:49 pm

      Oh yeah, I could see it as a wedding dress too!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 7, 2018 / 3:52 pm

      So glad you like it!

  11. Gabrielle
    July 9, 2018 / 11:24 am

    Oh my gosh, this dress is absolutely stunning on you – what a beautiful design! This is completely fitting for a garden party and I adore the shoot location Lorna 🙂

    aglassofice.com x

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 9, 2018 / 11:36 am

      Thank you so much, Gabrielle 🙂

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 9, 2018 / 12:13 pm

      Thank you so much!

  12. July 9, 2018 / 5:47 pm

    What a pretty dress, I really like the detail on it!
    Have a lovely day 🙂
    Rosanna x

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 9, 2018 / 5:59 pm

      Thank you 🙂

  13. Jessica
    July 10, 2018 / 8:42 am

    You look such a darling here dear! Loving the dress on you, so feminine, delicate, with beautiful details. Sweet color too, so perfect for you.

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 10, 2018 / 1:13 pm

      Thank you so much!

  14. July 10, 2018 / 2:40 pm

    This dress reminds me a lot the new Gal Meets Glam collection, it’s really beautiful! Amazing pictures! ❤

    By the way, my brand new post is up on the blog, I would appreciate you visit! 🙂

    xoxo,
    Jessica

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 10, 2018 / 2:49 pm

      Thank you so much 🙂

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 10, 2018 / 10:35 pm

      Thanks! Glad you like it!

  15. jane
    July 11, 2018 / 7:37 am

    Sounds a gorgeous dress babe
    I love the nude and sheer effect of this

    Much Love,
    Jane | The Bandwagon Chic

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 11, 2018 / 11:12 am

      Glad you like it!

  16. July 11, 2018 / 4:39 pm

    It’s a lovely gentle and subtle pink which I think looks really delicate and pretty. The particular shades of green in the embroidery work very well with your eyes, by the way. 🙂

    There’s certainly a timeless quality to this look and to these photos and you look ready to face everything from cucumber sandwiches to scones. 🙂 I would bet that these shots would also look terrific in b&w or sepia. 🙂

    I’ve only been to one garden party this summer which was a double birthday celebration for one of my friends and her partner… quite informal so I didn’t get very dressed up. Just as well as I found myself, with 2 other guests, helping to construct the freshly purchased BBQ. 😀 LOL

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 11, 2018 / 10:20 pm

      Ha ha, you could have been covered in coal! Good job you kept it casual.

      I think the edits I have put on the photos are fairly similar to Sepia as they have some sepia tone in, but I think they wouldn’t look out of place in black and white or full sepia either, they would fit right in given the vibe. Really glad you like it!

  17. loswabs
    July 16, 2018 / 12:58 am

    Absolutely gorgeous!!!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 16, 2018 / 1:36 am

      Thank you!

  18. July 26, 2018 / 10:16 am

    Amazing. You are so attractive and luxurious in this dress. I love you!

    • Lorna
      Author
      July 26, 2018 / 11:30 am

      Thank you!

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