Those lucky enough to be invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party are advised to avoid high heels – largely because they will have to walk quite a distance to the venue, but also because standing on damp grass is a surefire way to get a break a pair of stilettos.
Not that anyone actually pays attention to that advice. At Tuesday’s rainy garden party hosted by Prince William, three of his attending cousins – Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – wore their highest heels, seemingly undisturbed by the soft and sodden lawn on which they stood and mingled with guests.
How did they do it? For Zara, at least, this was with the help of a pair of plastic heel counters, which can be slipped over a stiletto to give it a wider surface area, making it less likely to sink into soft ground. While it wouldn’t have protected the rest of her £495 pink suede Emmy London shoes from getting muddy, it certainly would 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 yet appropriately.
And there’s a lot more where that came from. Here are 15 best occasion wear hacks to try…
Hood heels
Zara’s heel protectors are widely available, available in different sizes and inexpensive. As for cleaning the rest of her shoe, apparently gentle scrubbing with stale bread is a good way to remove stains from suede.
Stiletto Heel Protectors, £7.99 for six pairs, Amazon
Protect blazers with sweat pads under the armpits
Blazers are essential for formal wear, but are uncomfortable and sweaty in the heat – and dry cleaning is both expensive and bad for the environment. Reduce the need to clean yours by using underarm sweat pads, which absorb perspiration.
Underarm sweat pads, £5.09 for 10, Sweat protector
Waterproof canvas shoes with beeswax
Another tip for damp grass, because we can expect an awful lot of it in a British summer. Canvas shoes may be the perfect Riviera-chic pairing with your linen suit, but they easily absorb water. Make canvas waterproof by rubbing it with beeswax.
Greenland wax, £9, Fjallraven
Trousers with hem and tape
Do you have the perfect pair of pants, but don’t have time to pick them up? Hem tape is your friend: simply pin your pants to the desired length, with the excess fabric on the inside, place the tape between the two layers of fabric and iron it so it sticks. It’s not perfect, but at least it will get you through one event.
Wundaweb Simple Hem Tape, £6.50, John Lewis
Bathroom-steam your clothes
If you have a wrinkled shirt or dress but don’t have access to an iron, hang the garment in the bathroom while you shower. The steam will remove most wrinkles.
Buy an evening scarf
The TelegraphMen’s style editor Stephen Doig recommends keeping an evening scarf on hand because you can drape it over a wrinkled shirt or T-shirt. With a blazer over it, fellow partygoers will be none the wiser.
Silk polka dot scarf, £215, Turnbull & Asser
Prevent sore soles
Sore soles are inevitable when you stand or walk in high heels for a while. However, there are some ways to alleviate that. Gel insoles provide some cushioning under the ball of the foot, actress Sharon Stone once said The Telegraph that she uses a topical anesthetic spray on the soles of her feet when she attends red carpet events.
Party Feet Ball of Foot Pads, £5.99, Scholl
Try tights with grip
If you prefer nude tights to summer events, take a look through the Princess of Wales’s book and buy a pair with grippy soles to keep your stockinged feet from slipping out of your shoes. Try this non-slip pair from John Lewis (£15 for a pack of two).
Release your clutch
Clutch bags are the most elegant option for formal occasions, but make sure yours has a hidden strap so you don’t have to juggle when you’re presented with champagne and canapes.
Loeffler Randall Rayne bow-embellished pleated lamé clutch, £210, Net-a-Porter
Use nail polish to stop laddering
Another panty hack: A little clear nail polish will stop a ladder.
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 storing in a handbag, eliminating the need to carry a full size bottle with you. Alternatively, try a ‘discovery set’ of minis from Le Labo or Victoria Beckham, while Jo Loves has a handbag-friendly Fragrance Paintbrush.
Fragrance paint brush, £40, Jo loves
Wear an adhesive bra
Have you ever wondered how celebrities look so supported in strappy backless dresses? It could be a surgical improvement, but it could also be an adhesive bra. They come in many shapes and sizes, so they are suitable for all kinds of necklines. Although some claim they support E and F cups, they are most effective for those under a DD.
Fashion Forms jersey bra with U-plunge, £37, Selfridges
Avoid thigh friction
Chafing of the thighs may be a somewhat inelegant subject, but those familiar with it will agree that it is an unpleasant condition that is more common in the summer. Fortunately, there are products that can help, including topical creams and thin cycling shorts that resemble shapewear.
Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Friction Stick, £12, Boots
Tighten loose straps
Leather can stretch and loosen over time, which can be a problem if your favorite strappy shoes suddenly become too loose to wear. A leather hole punch will quickly solve the problem. They are also ideal for belts that are too large or do not have enough holes. If you then find that the end of the strap is too long for the loop, use a hair elastic to keep it flat and in place.
Draper Expert rotating punch pliers, £15.99, Amazon
De-fluff your eyes the next morning
If you suspect you have some puffy eyes after a big event, plan to put a few teaspoons in the freezer ahead of time. Place them on your closed eyes for a few minutes the next morning to reduce inflammation.
Additional reporting by Violette Dorff