Summer is the season of events – weddings, picnics, rooftop dining, the races, graduations, and everything in between. And, dressing for summer occasions can be a balancing act between style and heat-friendly practicality. The key is making thoughtful choices that reflect the moment while keeping you cool, confident, and stylish. Below, we’ve been inspired by classic timeless looks, and up-to-the-moment trends like summer suits, beautiful dresses and sheer detailing to create all the summer events outfits you need.
The power of the summer suit
Tailoring isn’t just for the office. A well-cut summer suit in linen or lightweight cotton can be a chic choice for weddings, al fresco dinners, and gallery openings. Look for soft neutrals like oat, sage, and sky blue, and pair with a camisole or tank top. For a modern twist and to stay cooler, you can always swap your blazer with a waistcoat, or mix and match your suit separates with timeless basics.
We love M.M. LaFleur for its suits, as you’ll find that they offer a complete matching set of pieces, including a jacket, pants, waistcoat, dress, and skirt, all of which match perfectly. This allows you to switch up the look of your outfits by wearing them in different ways with your favorite separates.
Sylvia @sylviacolella above looks stunning in her pinstripe suit. You can mix and match your top, shoes, and accessories to create different looks for various occasions.
Get her look with this similar shirt, blazer, trousers, pumps, handbag and necklace.
Don’t be afraid to go sheer
We noticed lots of sheer outfits on the catwalks for summer. And, while we won’t be opting for a full sheer dress, the sheer trend is surprisingly wearable. Plus, you can use translucent sections to cover up parts of your body you aren’t so keen about – for example, sheer sleeves to provide some coverage to your upper arms.
The sheer trend is everywhere this season, and it’s surprisingly wearable. A sheer blouse layered over a tonal tank or a slip dress with translucent panels adds texture without revealing too much. For daytime, sheer maxi skirts with structured bodysuits strike the perfect note of playful elegance. For evening, sheer sleeves or overlays provide drama with breathability.
Take a look at the outfit ideas below, which include some of our favorite sheer and crochet clothes we’ve spotted in stores.
Dresses that work for everything
And, of course, we couldn’t leave dresses out of an event capsule. Summer events call for dresses that strike a balance between effortless elegance and flair. Think lightweight fabrics—linen blends, airy cottons, or breezy chiffon—in floaty silhouettes that skim the body without clinging. A midi wrap dress in a vibrant floral or soft pastel lets you move freely from a garden party to an evening cocktail, while a structured shirt dress in crisp white or muted earth tones feels polished yet cool. For more formal occasions, consider luxe silk-blends or a subtle metallic weave, paired with strappy sandals and a statement clutch.
Elizabeth @whatlizzyloves above opts for a romantic blue dress and teams it with white accessories.
Steal her look with this similar dress (another option here), sandals, clutch, bracelet and headband.
Where to buy suits and matching sets
If you love the look of a suit or co-ordinates, these are some of the best places to look.
SOFT SUITING
Let’s start with suiting options that would work wonderfully for the event season. Look out for cooling fabrics like linen blents, or softer colors so you look event-ready rather than work-ready.
M.M.LaFleur
We’ve already spotted so many stripes on the catwalks for Fall 2025, so you can get ahead of the curve. But the soft color makes this perfect for warmer seasons. Additionally, we appreciate that these tailored clothes deviate from the typical blazer and trouser shape.
M.M.LaFleur The Nicky Jacket – M.M.LaFleur The Kasa Double-Breasted Vest – M.M.LaFleur The Tinsley Wide-Leg Trouser – M.M.LaFleur The Olia Breeze Skirt
Mix different textures in your outfit as shown with the suit and crochet out below.
M.M.LaFleur The Nicky Jacket – MANGO Floral Crochet Top – M.M.LaFleur The Olia Breeze Skirt – MICHAEL Michael Kors Alessia Kitten Sandals – JNB Faux Patent Leather Glossy Envelope Clutch – Kurt Geiger London Eagle Crystal Drop Earrings
Earthy colors, such as olive, can work for any season. The olive coordinates below are also from M.M. LaFleur. You can find more inspiration in our recent article on how to wear earthy colors.
M.M.LaFleur The Ayla Travel Jacket – M.M.LaFleur The Rina Sculptural Pant – M.M.LaFleur The Gwynne Dress – M.M.LaFleur The Artemis Travel Dress
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor is another great place to look for summer suits, and this shade of pale blue happens to be very on-trend right now. Plus, you can easily wear the suit as separates after your event. The pull-on pants would look good on vacation with a simple tank top and sandals, while you could wear the blazer with your jeans or shorts.
Ann Taylor The Relaxed Linen Blend Double Breasted Blazer – Ann Taylor The Pull-On Wide-Leg Pant
You can achieve an extra smart look by layering your tailoring, such as wearing a waistcoat under a blazer, as shown below.
Ann Taylor The Relaxed Linen Blend Double Breasted Blazer – Ann Taylor The Halter Linen Blend Vest – Ann Taylor The Pull-On Wide-Leg Pant – Naturalizer Vera Ankle Strap Sandals – MODA LUXE Serena Crossbody Bag – Alexis Bittar Crumpled Drop Earrings
See below for another option from Ann Taylor featuring white. We’d avoid this shade for weddings – unless you happen to be the bride, of course. But white works wonderfully for other summer events.
Ann Taylor The One-Button Linen Blend Blazer – Ann Taylor The Halter Linen Blend Vest – Ann Taylor The Wide-Leg Linen Blend Pant
Coordinates don’t have to be traditional suits
Co-ordinates don’t have to mean stiff, structured suits—in fact, the modern take on matching sets is all about ease, versatility, and personal style. From relaxed linen shirts with matching wide-leg trousers to soft knit tops paired with coordinating skirts, and pull-on pants with matching tops, co-ords now come in comfortable, wearable silhouettes that work just as well for a casual lunch as they do for a smart event. You can wear them together for instant polish, or mix and match the pieces with your existing wardrobe to get even more wear out of them. Effortless and elevated—no blazer required.
AllSaints Charli Relaxed Fit Embroidered Shirt – AllSaints Charli Embroidered Straight Fit Pants
Alison @wardrobe_oxygen above opts for matching print coordinates that would be ideal for vacations.
She is dressed in a matching top and pants set from Ann Taylor. Check out this similar bag, earrings and booties to complete the look.
Sheer and crochet
Okay, now that we’ve discussed suits and coordinates, let’s add some more trends to the mix. Wear a camisole under a sheer top, choose a dress with sheer sleeves to cover upper arms, or look out for sheer dresses with a built-in underlay. You can be a little more daring with the hem length of your underlay while still keeping the outer layer at the same length you usually wear.
AllSaints Thea Sparkle Top – Eileen Fisher Sheer Silk Georgette Wrap Jacket – J.Crew Collection Rosette-strap Chiffon Sheath Dress – J.Crew Cerise Dip-dyed Ramie Shirtdress
If you have a sleeveless dress and want a little extra coverage, pop a chiffon wrap or shirt on top. There’s more on that in our article about how to cover up a formal outfit.
Eileen Fisher Sheer Silk Georgette Wrap Jacket – J.Crew Collection Rosette-strap Chiffon Sheath Dress – Naturalizer Vera Ankle Strap Sandals – MODA LUXE Serena Crossbody Bag – Karine Sultan Elise Minimalist Cuff – Alexis Bittar Crumpled Drop Earrings
If you want to add a little see-through element to your outfit, you can also consider crochet and sheer fabrics. Crochet adds an unexpected touch to formal outfits, or you can wear casually with your jeans or shorts.
MANGO Floral Crochet Top – MANGO Scalloped Hem Crochet Cardigan – MANGO Crochet Long Skirt – MANGO Crochet Ballet Flats
Emms @beautifuleveryday_uk above wears a lovely linen suit for summer. Note she opts for a waistcoat rather than a blazer.
Recreate her outfit with this similar top, vest, pants, espadrilles, handbag and earrings.
Dresses that go with everything
And, finally, we want to add some dresses into the mix. Look out for stylish prints, asymmetric hemlines, and flattering draping.
AllSaints Rivi Draped Sleeveless Midi Dress – COS Sheer Floral Print Maxi Dress – AllSaints Lil Midi Dress – Desigual Print Long Sleeve Maxi Dress
Pop a blazer over your summer dress to add instant elegance.
Ann Taylor The One-Button Linen Blend Blazer – COS Sheer Floral Print Maxi Dress – MICHAEL Michael Kors Alessia Kitten Sandals – JNB Faux Patent Leather Glossy Envelope Clutch – Kurt Geiger London Eagle Crystal Drop Earrings
Shoes and Accessories to go with your summer events outfits
For summer events, metallics work beautifully, as do bright colors and pastels. These sandals will go with all your summer events outfits.
Naturalizer Vera Ankle Strap Sandals – MICHAEL Michael Kors Alessia Kitten Sandals – Aerosoles Camea Platform Sandals
MODA LUXE Serena Crossbody Bag – JNB Faux Patent Leather Glossy Envelope Clutch – Karine Sultan Elise Minimalist Cuff – Kurt Geiger London Eagle Crystal Drop Earrings – Alexis Bittar Crumpled Drop Earrings – Karine Sultan Plated Textured Square Necklace
Suzie @suzie.richetti above chooses linen co-ordinates and adds a pop of color with her handbag.
Get her look with this similar vest, skirt, sandals, bag, earrings and necklace.
An overview of summer events outfits you can choose
Below, you can see some of the summer events outfits we feature above. Feel free to mix and match the clothes and accessories to create a variety of looks. Plus, you can wear everything more casually by adding your existing t-shirts, tank tops, jeans, shorts, flat sandals and sneakers into the mix.
We’d love to hear about the summer events you’re attending this year, and what you’ll be wearing at them. Let us know in the comments below.
Continue reading:
- How to make your wardrobe basics shine
- Nature’s palette: how to wear earthy color
- Summer Suiting: taking your summer suits for women beyond workwear
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Feature image by Sylvia @sylviacolella
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I love all your ideas and advice! I also understand buying quality… But could you also search and use less expensive options, in addition to your more expensive ones? Every once in awhile a less expensive option comes up. But generally, as a person in the retired bracket, budgeting is needed, and at least for me, Nordstrom tends to be out of budget. Also I would love to see more pictures of normal sized women, not so tall and thin. Thanks so much. I love that someone realizes that people over 50 like to have some flair. I am 73 and have a boho style .
Hi laurie, I understand your concern. We try to feature all sorts of women and items with all sorts of price points. However when it comes to ‘models’ we are limited to the women that actively share their outfits and gave us permission to use our images. You can read more about this in this article https://40plusstyle.com/fabulous-40-plus-women/