What am I looking for in a summer party dress this year?

What am I looking for in a summer party dress this year?

Look to the sun when trying to pick a dress for the imminent party season. Daytime weddings, long lunches and twilight cocktails call for a distinct daytime approach that spins on its heels at the sight of slinky, too-sexy evening attire. You’re going for festive rather than frisky, so stick to classics offering a seasonal twist.

Thanks to the ease and joy she brings to dressing, former US first lady Michelle Obama still leads the political pack in the style stakes – and knows the drill. At a recent event at Martha’s Vineyard, she wore a sleeveless red tweed dress (pictured above) from Australian label Camilla and Marc that gave Coco Chanel’s favourite fabric a seasonal lift. The colour brought warmth to the festivities and the traditional neckline signalled an awareness of the codes of elegance, while the back-baring scoop attracted exactly the right kind of attention.

Classic options extend beyond tweeds, with designers such as Rebecca Vallance, Aje and Maje breaking out in polka-dots, contrasting details adding buoyancy and light. Rebecca Vallance has added black bows to ’50s-silhouette dresses, Aje supplies trailing ties for do-it-yourself bows, while Maje offers a red-and-white alternative to conventional black and white.