High street occasionwear has never been better – here’s our pick of the best to buy now

Occasionwear

Credit: Occasionwear

Fashion


High street occasionwear has never been better – here’s our pick of the best to buy now

By Kitty McGee

10 months ago

4 min read

The British high street is going big on occasionwear this season with styles to rival the runways, including block colour, bias-cut dresses; embellished eveningwear at Mango; 3D floral dresses at John Lewis and contemporary maxi dresses at Reiss.


The word occasionwear brings to mind the days of dated, fitted dresses and dusty bridesmaid-esque eveningwear, but ever since British contemporary label Rixo turbocharged our love for special dresses that were no longer reserved just for occasions (the vintage-inspired silhouettes! The hand-painted details!), there has been a plethora of excellent options on the British high street and beyond. This season, our favourite high street brands are taking things up a notch with a special focus on cool, contemporary and exciting occasionwear. Whether it’s a two-piece, full-sequin maxi dresses, pastel tailoring or metallic accessories, there’s something for everyone.

At Marks & Spencer, occasionwear takes centre stage this season with a plethora of styles designed for a fun-filled calendar of socialising, including new fabrics and silhouettes, modern tailoring reinterpreted in new and interesting ways, summer sequins in baby pink and on-trend primary colours.

Marks and Spencer M&S spring summer '24

Credit: M&S spring summer '24

Reiss’s occasionwear edit is also excellent this season. The brand has leaned into the demand for linen (sales of which are up 80%) with two- and three-piece linen suits in off-white, lemon, pink and mid-blue. There are lots of elegant yet effortless dresses, including roomy one-shoulder linen styles, a monochrome polka dot maxi dress and a lightweight mustard yellow strapless dress – all of which would be perfect for wedding season, summer holidays or a garden party.

F&F’s summer occasionwear collection is a triumph, with highlights including sequins, slip dresses and lightweight neutral tailoring from blazer dresses to various iterations of three-piece suits. The collection is easy on prints with a focus on elevated fabrics, and it includes some great options for smart summer dressing.

Mango Capsule 2024

Credit: Mango Capsule 2024

Mango’s minimal tailoring and event dressing options are always a highlight of the high street, and this season’s capsule collection lives up to the hype. Elegant and sophisticated dresses and tailoring come in elevated fabrics with a focus on pastel shades, in particular pale pink but also pretty off-white, peppermint and pastel blue tones. There are floor-grazing sequin dresses, feather trimmed options, strapless styles and minimal options with asymmetric details as well as great sandals and mini bags.

John Lewis - New Boutique Brand launches Florere

Credit: John Lewis

John Lewis, another must-visit for event dressing this season, has just extended its premium womenswear offering for spring, following on from the successful launch of its boutique brands last autumn. The department store has added Elliatt, Florere, Hayley Menzies, Queens of Archive, Summery Copenhagen and Kemi Telford to its premium brand roster, a line-up that already included Olivia Rubin, Sister Jane and Batsheva x Laura Ashley. The occasionwear offering is strong across many of these brands, with statement 3D floral dresses from Elliatt, block colour silk dresses from Florere and jacquard mini-dresses from Sister Jane. 

Whistles’s latest occasionwear blends refined elegance with confident modernity, featuring pared-back silhouettes and effortless designs with delicate details, including cowl necks, open backs, delicate ruffles and elevated Bardot necklines.

Whistles-Spring-2024-Editorial-Photographer-Georgia-Devey-Smith-Art-Director-Daniel-William-Hynd-4

Credit: Whistles

The best occasionwear to buy now

Reiss polka dot dress

Reiss linen polka dot maxi dress

This Reiss dress ticks so many boxes: it’s the perfect length, the perfect fabric, it’s printed but the print is timeless, it’s contemporary but not trend-led, it is minimal but also special. It would look great with flats or heels. It’s just a big yes.

Shop Reiss maxi dress, £268 

BUY NOW

Aligne jumpsuit

Aligne Nell wide-leg jumpsuit

This super-chic, minimal jumpsuit is the perfect option if you’re looking for something effortless but also elegant. 

Shop Aligne Nell jumpsuit, £149

BUY NOW

Sister Jane Thimble Floral Tiered Mini Dress, Light Green £105(1)

Sister Jane floral tiered mini dress

This green floral jacquard mini dress is a stand-out choice for a wedding or summer garden party. 

Shop Sister Jane Floral Mini Dress at John Lewis, £105

BUY NOW

Whistles red eveningwear dress

Whistles Nellie midi dress

This frill-detail midi dress is not only the colour of the season but it’s also the perfect ankle-grazing length. Wear it with flat sandals for an easy daytime event or with kitten heels or wedges for evening. 

Shop Whistles midi dress, £189

BUY NOW

Mango Capsule blue satin backless dress

Mango Capsule Satin Backless Dress

There was a major trend for pastel tones and romantic dresses on the spring/summer catwalks, and this long, elegant satin style is the perfect way to channel the trend.

Shop Mango Satin dress with open back, £250

BUY NOW

H&M Rokh black dress

H&M Rokh black dress

This strapless dress from H&M’s collaboration with Korean designer Rokh will make a serious statement and is perfect for a dinner party or evening event.

Shop H&M x Rokh black strapless dress, £189

BUY NOW

M&S Collection

M&S Collection

Summer sequins are the unexpected trend of the season and look as good with an oversized blazer and mesh ballet bumps. Go for pastel shades and minimal accessories. 

Shop M&S Collection Dress, £49.50, earrings £14, bag £55  and shoes £45, from May


Phase Eight maxi dress

Phase Eight Nelly wrap dress

This super lightweight, floor skimming dress would work well for garden party in the height of summer. Wear it with flat sandals and a squishy leather clutch to nod to this season’s major accessories trends.

Shop Phase Eight Nelly wrap dress, £139

BUY NOW

Images: M&S, John Lewis, Reiss, Whistles, Mango; courtesy of brands

Sign up for the latest news and must-read features from Stylist, so you don’t miss out on the conversation.

By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy

Thank you!

You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.