Savoy afternoon tea

[Savoyafternoon]

I am spending the day in London in a couple of weeks. Travelling in on the train. Then afternoon tea at the Savoy.
I am usually in jeans and trainers. Age over 50.
Any suggestions for something that’s comfy but smart enough?

<Zips mouth>

How can you use 'London' to describe the vast difference in venues and occasions though? It's just a bit daft really. You dress so differently in say Oxford too depending on whether you were having tea at the Randolph or going punting 🤷. You wouldn't say the great thing about Oxford is that you can wear blah blah, it would be completely dependent on what you were up to, same with London.

Some good suggestions here OP (arguments aside!)

I agree with people who say that jeans will be fine at the Savoy- however if you want to dress up, then that's different. If I were you and didn't want to be too far out of my comfort zone, I would dress up jeans with some heeled ankle boots or loafers and a classic smart top- a cashmere jumper, or a silk shirt- and then put on some statement earrings and rings and a nice belt to elevate it.

It's all very well dressing smart but if it's not what you're used to it can sometimes go against you- if you feel uncomfortable you'll look uncomfortable, so even if the look is elevated on paper it won't seem so in reality.

Hope you have a wonderful hen do!

As long as you don’t look dirty, anything goes!

My friend goes there regularly, and she dresses like a teenage boy and is mostly in jeans - they are usually designer jeans though to be fair.

Make sure you spend time trying on lots of things to find the most comfortable one, a comfortable outfit will allow you to enjoy the day without the distraction of things pulling pinching or scratching.

Any new shoes should be road tested beforehand for comfort, as some shoes are uncomfortable until they soften after some wear.

You don’t need heels.

Scarves jazz up everything!

Try a hat!
Ladies are allowed to wear them indoors.

The best part of your outfit will be your smile, that will distinguish you nicely from most of the patrons.

@Savoyafternoon that sounds like the perfect hen do. (Definitely the only kind I would ever contemplate).

This is admittedly £35 over budget - but quietly beautiful and a lovely investment item for your ‘married’ wardrobe. Will last for aeons.

https://www.margarethowell.co.uk/womens/shop/new-arrivals/mhl-button-through-collarless-shirt-lightweight-cotton-linen-pale-blue

Hey, a dress of any vague shape is dressing up to me at the moment! It’s all relative. This was a wrap dress, nice jewellery, nice boots and make up. That’s dressing up to me, and probably quite a lot of people.

A posher dress and heels would also be dressing up, but I wouldn’t do that for the theatre. I might do it for a nice meal or afternoon tea, just for my own benefit. The dress I suggested was a silk Jigsaw one after all - I’d feel fabulous and really special in something like that.

Everyone will have their own level of comfort around what feels like dressing up to them, and if that’s just a dress rather than jeans, that’s fine, isn’t it?

Because the place OP is going to is London.

BlossomBlossomBlossom fails to take into account that that Margaret Howell shirt will look like a limp rag within an hour of putting it on. I love linen but not for 'smart'. The delightfully creased look is quite difficult to pull off. Not helped by the fact that if you're older the crumpled linen look can add to the general menopausal confusion vibe you really don't want. The older you get, the more structure you need in your clothing — unless Lagenlook is something you aspire to.

BlossomBlossomBlossom fails to take into account that that Margaret Howell shirt will look like a limp rag within an hour of putting it on.
I suspect she has taken that into account which is, I imagine, why she picked a shirt from MH rather than, let's say Zara or H&M or Seasalt.
I would be surprised and extremely disappointed if that happened with my Margaret Howell linen shirt - I once accidentally machine washed it at 95 degrees and it came out totally unscathed. I can wear her clothes all day and they'll look just as good by the end as they did when I first put them on. That's what you pay for.

Those blouses from Reay look plain and dull to me. The green dress early in the thread look way nicer imo.

I love linen but honestly, the linen shirts I get from India on my trips there for far less look just the same as Margaret Howell. ( ethically produced, I might add).

I’m going for a posh afternoon tea in a couple of weeks too OP (and I don’t care if dressing up isn’t the done thing in London - I like dressing up! Life’s too short not to and I’d always rather be overdressed than under).

I’ve decided to wear a purple/pink tea dress, cropped grey cashmere cardigan and then depending on weather either a faux fur coat with suede pink ankle boots or a full skirted wool coat with black boots. I’ve also got a flower clip for my hair and I’m going to wear my wedding pearls as they’ve not had an outing in a while. I’m going to get my haircut before we go and make sure my nails are freshly painted, do my makeup (I don’t normally bother day to day but it’s nice to make the effort).

Hope you have a lovely time - sounds like a perfect hen do.

That's more like it! Sounds gorgeous and just what I would love to see and admire!

Yes, the majority of Londoners don’t dress up, but the majority of Londoners don’t regularly go for afternoon tea! You’re going for afternoon tea at the Savoy which will be mostly tourists going for a special occasion so I think dressing up won’t look out of place at all and should probably be encouraged!

Of course, I thought that's what I posted 😊

OP unless you're thinking about branching out into wearing more dresses, I personally wouldn't buy one just for this single occasion. I know you said wide leg trousers remind you of work but, given how you're spending the rest of the day, I think if it was me, I'd look for some in an un-officey colour (cos I'm into colour at the moment) and I'd team with an equally colourful, non toning, possibly clashy top.

For example, there's quite a lot of bright green around at the moment so I might look for green trews - I've seen some in Oliver Bonas and I think the Uniqlo C collection has some coming out. And then maybe something like this Oliver Bonas top

Or, if you've already got a nice top, then I might go £7 over budget for these Me and Em red trousers The size 12 has gone but I think they're normally generously sized so sizing down might be fine. I know some people will say you're mostly sitting down so your top half matters more but I find there's often quite a bit of promenading going on at dos like this.

I've been in the Savoy once, in the afternoon, just for coffee and cake, admittedly a few years ago, and most people I saw were dressed up, although not to wedding level. The hotel interior was fabulous, as was the service. Have a lovely time.

I got refused entry at Savoy.

I was with 2 elderly ladies, 1 of which was in a wheelchair which I was pushing. Being tourists in London we had walked for miles and I was wearing comfy walking boots that were suitable for walking miles pushing a wheelchair.

Anyhow, doorman said I couldn’t enter unless I changed my shoes.

I gave the 2 ladies the option to have afternoon tea without me and I would go back and collect them. The lady in wheelchair was treating us to afternoon tea as a thank you, as she would never had seen the sights of London had we not taken her. However the doorman flatly refused me entry so lady in wheelchair told doorman exactly what he could do with his over priced sandwiches & scones and we went elsewhere .

moral of the story….don't wear walking boots!

The dress code is smart casual now. I think even jeans are acceptable. Some people will be dressed to the nines for a special occasion, some will be typical dressed down Londoners, so choose something you feel great wearing that you will wear again rather than worrying about fitting in.

Back in the 1980s, the maitre d’ used to give the best tables to ladies in hats 😂 Not that that is relevant at all! I expect he would be horrified at the idea of jeans 😂

How about this? Being velvet and a three piece might make it suitable for the occasion. And the price is shockingly good.

https://www.meandem.com/velvet-three-piece-slim-crop-trouser-suit

It is fascinating this Nobody Dresses Up In London thing. Maybe not overtly, but if anyone is wearing jeans and trainers to posh venues, they'll have made sure to get the brand, style, colour, fabric etc exactly right. Which usually equates to expensive.

I find dress-down anxiety way too much of headache, so it's a nice top and widelegs with smart trainers for me. Maybe with a Seasalt waterproof and krazy earrings to express my, erm, individuality - while still seeing me right on the tube, train and a long wet walk from the station. Lippy's the thing, and keep it coming!

Love that suit @JourneyHomee. It's very me. Maybe I should go to tea at the Savoy.

Congratulations @Savoyafternoon I hope you enjoy your outing and your wedding. Don't worry about the spats, seem to be a permanent feature of MN these days regardless of topic.

I haven't had afternoon tea, I've only ever been to The Savoy for lunch or a pre theatre supper. I've never bought anything new to go in and I'm not a very dressed up person. I have usually worn a very good coat or jacket, taken one of my best bags and paid attention to accessories. Comfortable elegance is spot on, I've not actually noticed other people's clothing apart from one man having lunch who did look scruffy in jeans and trainers (as opposed to stylish in jeans and trainers)

So I'd say get your footwear right so you won't be in pain when you arrive there. If you could carry a spare pair of shoes in your bag that might be a good idea, if not choose wisely. I find city pavements very hard on my feet these days. It's hard to make suggestions when you don't know people's usual style or where they tend to shop. I rarely make suggestions now in case of offence given by suggesting Next when they're more Net a Porter. Choose something that you'll get plenty of wear out of and that you just feel great in, something you look forward to pulling out of the wardrobe again and again.

The dress code isn't smart casual, it's elegant and comfortable <bangs head> There's a difference.

@OneFrenchEgg banging your head is just going to give you a sore head and be of no use to me. Please could you explain the difference to me. I don’t think I have ever been elegant in my whole life.

Where do you normally buy your suits? Would love to see more of your looks…