Has anyone been to a Royal Garden Party? Advice needed please.

[Timeandtune]

My son (mid 20s )has agreed to accompany me.

Problem is he doesn’t have a suit and has not worn a tie since high school .

I would gladly buy him a suit but he will get zero wear out of it - he is full time WFH .

If anyone has been recently can you advise if the dress code is more relaxed nowadays?

TIA

Having been recently I would say that the dress code has absolutely not been relaxed. If you don’t conform, you could feel that you’re standing out, and not in a good way. You could hire a suit? Or wear something cool, long and ‘ethnic’?

Thanks . Suit hire might be an option or he could try and borrow from one of his pals.

Hire one

we went in 2024 and most men had suits. I think with your invitation there is a dress code, so check that first as it may be non-negotiable. If not, what about beige chinos and a navy blazer- he may wear again for other smart occasions?

Hire one or buy one for a tenner on vinted. Yes it was very formal when I went and my 18 year had a suit waistcoat and tie (duke of Edinburgh awards)

I think he would feel more comfortable when he was there and dressed in a suit, borrow or hire an option? Could defo get away with navy blazer, chinos and tie as PP mentioned.

have fun! X

He could definitely manage chinos ….. thanks all

My friend went to one a couple of weeks ago. She sent me pictures and nearly all the men wore suits. Chinos, blazers, shirt and tie should be fine if it matches nicely and the shoes are smart.

Dress code is part way down the page here
https://www.royal.uk/garden-parties

"...gentlemen wear morning dress or lounge suits, while women wear day dress, usually with hats or fascinators. National dress and uniform are also often worn."

We looked around with DH and suit hire was more expensive than buying one from ASOS or even Next.

I would suggest buying him a suit and then selling on Vinted / marketplace.

Thanks- buy then sell sounds like a good option.

Buy one on Vinted and then resell on Vinted

My son went to one this month. He’s a student so has little need for a suit. I gave him money to buy one now he has options. It’s a huge honour and suits can be picked up cheap enough. I think he wjll be out of place in chinos.

I think a suit is essential. I think everyone had one.

Suit hire is expensive. You can get a cheap suit on Vinted or from Primark.

I know 3 groupings of people who have been recently. Couple in their 60s - smart wear with him in suit and her in wedding guest equiv inc hat; sisters a bit younger, they wore dresses, pashmina scarves and low wedge sandals; mother and daughter for Duke of Edinburgh, they wore dresses and trainers. I have to say the mother and daughter nailed it with the dresses but the oldish trainers looked really scruffy.

I would advise that suit isn't necessary but avoid actual scruffiness

He definitely needs a suit.

When we went, some people were in morning dress.
A suit is the least formal you can wear.
Some are in uniform. A couple were in full National Dress. Quite a few were in morning coats. The rest were in suits.

If he is mid 20s, then he is surely approaching a time when he will start getting invited to weddings of his peers. If he is mid 20s then he has presumably stopped growing, so a suit is something to have in the wardrobe for weddings, and (hopefully not, but) funerals.

As others have said, he can probably get one off vinted.

Haven't the Garden Parties finished now ?

Anyway, Congratulations on being selected, and I hope you have lovely (but not too hot!) weather. It is SUCH a lovely occasion.

Thanks everyone. The RGP is at Holyrood end of June. We are off to the big M&S tomorrow to see what we can find.
Really appreciate everyone’s advice . It helps to have the perspective of “lived experience “.

Doesn't the Palace send you a dress code along with the invitation?

Glad you’ve got a plan, it was very dressed up.

Ill be honest, we had a fantastic outcome buying a suit for my son from a charity shop in a prosperous town.

Agree also that details like polished shoes and a shirt that fits well and is well ironed make a difference.

Have a wonderful time! It’s a pleasure looking at everyone looking so lovely.

We went 3 years ago now in London and none of the men were wearing anything as casual as chinos and a blazer. He would definitely stand out if he wore that. As others have said it was predominantly suits with a few military uniforms and even fewer in national dress.

Enjoy the day. It is quite an experience!

Having been recently I would say many, many people exceed the official dress code and really dress up. I presume that’s because they enjoy it but frankly, it’s a garden party. There were a few people dressed more eccentrically or just more casually and that was fine too. The guests are just ordinary people and I doubt many would be overly fussed by a more casually dressed young man as long as he’s clean and smart.

It is very formal attire - lots of women in hats, men in morning suits. he definitely has to wear some form of suit

We did get a dress code along with the invitation but I was wondering if in real life it might be a bit more relaxed.

I was invited to an event at Edinburgh Castle a few years ago and the dress code said something like “no short skirts “.

I am only 5ft 2ins and do not possess any longer length skirts. On the day I wore my longest ( knee length ) skirt and most of the other guests had ignored the dress code entirely,

Think about it, while you're swimming and discussing the Royal Garden, I'm worried about war starting again here in Iran.