Bond Street is renowned for fine dining and high fashion and, luckily, the two go hand in hand. Eating out can be one of life’s greatest pleasures and the occasion is often the perfect excuse to flaunt your most recent guilty fashion purchase (or three). Perhaps it’s a tailored two-piece suit for a dazzling set dinner menu or maybe it’s a pair of statement flared jeans for an eye-catching brunch moment. A chic outfit makes for an even tastier meal.
Brunch-time denim
Hunting down the perfect pair of jeans is excruciatingly difficult, but once you’ve found them, you’re set for life. The beauty of denim is that it goes with practically any item in your wardrobe and there’s no better moment to debut your latest pair of jeans than at that most fashionable time of day – brunch. So, spice up your brunch outfit with some statement denim. This season, it’s all about flares, and there are none more elegantly detailed and sculpted to perfection than Etro’s flared jeans, a five-pocket model made from used-effect, stretch-cotton denim with pressed creases enhanced by metal buttons. Not sure where to debut your new jeans? When on Bond Street, head to Cecconi’s for an elevated Italian twist to brunch, or make an event out of it and book the Claridge’s breakfast for fluffy eggs and a glass of champagne.
Flared jeans with Pegaso buttons, £738; Etro, 43 Old Bond Street, W1S 4QT
“Spice up your brunch outfit with some statement denim”
Ladies who lunch
In a quandary about what to wear for a weekday business lunch or a Sunday meal surrounded by family or friends? With lunchtime hotspots such as Café Biltmore and Lucky Cat boasting chic interiors and a delicious menu, nailing your outfit comes down to a balancing act between choosing something relaxed yet formal. A matching knitted co-ord set may be your saviour when it comes to sprinkling some fashionable flavour into your midday meal. New in with its autumn/winter collection, Chloé’s scallop top and fitted scallop skirt in viscose-blend knit is a low-effort, high-class two-piece that makes transitional dressing between seasons that bit easier.
Cropped scallop top in viscose-blend knit, £885, and fitted scallop skirt in viscose-blend knit, £920; Chloé, 143 New Bond Street, W1S 2RQ
“A matching knitted co-ord set may be your saviour when it comes to sprinkling some fashionable flavour into your midday meal”
The (afternoon) tea dress
Rumour has it that the tea dress is back in vogue. By definition, the style denotes a dress that falls either slightly above or below the knee and is traditionally worn for formal daytime events. Afternoon tea at quirky Michelin-starred sketch couldn’t be a more fitting occasion for a tea dress. This floral chiffon dress by Ralph Lauren is fitted with a panelled, corseted bodice and flowy skirt in a dark winter floral print. It’s a versatile piece that could be dressed up with a leather jacket and heels or paired with trainers and a denim jacket for a more casual event.
Floral corset chiffon maxidress, £399; Ralph Lauren, 1 New Bond Street, W1S 1RN
Suited set-dinner menu
There is no better excuse for dressing up to the nines in a fabulous outfit than a deluxe evening meal. If you’re indulging in a four-, five- or even six-course menu at the likes of Hakkasan, Akira Back or Amazonico, then you’re going to want to look the part. If ever there was a fashion equivalent of a Michelin star, a fabulous tailored suit may just be it. Epitomising style and sophistication, this sculpted blazer-and-trouser set in liquid twill jersey by Galvan London is a riff on masculine tailoring while playing to the feminine form – in equal parts sexy and suave. In a deep jewel-toned indigo blue, this dazzling evening attire is suitable for dinner, drinks and wherever else the night may take you.
Sculpted blazer, £1,295, and sculpted trouser, £695; Galvan London, 99 New Bond Street, W1S 1SW
“This dazzling evening attire is suitable for dinner, drinks and wherever else the night may take you”
Cocktail haute couture
At Bond Street’s most lavish cocktail events you’ll find handmade hors d'oeuvres, intricate canapés, bubbling libations and the crème de la crème of haute couture. Be it black tie, white tie or business formal, the fail-safe way to ace any dress code at a cocktail dinner is to slip into a pair of heeled pumps. As you browse the extensive cocktail list at the opulent ABar Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental, a pair of leather slingback stilettos in a sumptuous night-time “Notte” dark blue from Giorgio Armani will elevate any outfit to a whole new level of chic. Pair with an elegant slip dress, a simple oversized blazer and let the shoes do the talking – complemented by a cocktail in hand, of course.
Leather slingbacks, £870; Emporio Armani, 51-52 New Bond Street, W1S 1DQ