Heading to Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace? From the right suit and summer dress to hats, shoes and accessories, here’s how to get the event’s formal garden party dress code right.

Salon Privé is one of those occasions where what you wear matters. Set against the lawns of Blenheim Palace, with a concours of rare cars, luxury brands and fine dining, it calls for something more considered than everyday summer dressing.

The official dress code is Formal Garden Party Attire for the Concours and Ladies’ Day, with Garden Party Attire for the weekend. Salon Privé suggests taking your cue from Royal Ascot, Henley Regatta and a Buckingham Palace garden party.

That gives you plenty of room to interpret the dress code. A summer suit, elegant dress, tailored trousers or a good hat can all work. What matters is getting the balance between polished and practical.

What should men wear to Salon Privé?

For men, a well-cut suit or blazer is the safest starting point. Salon Privé suggests a comfortable suit or a blazer with chinos, while linen and lighter-coloured suits are particularly suited to the season. Shirts and ties are expected in hospitality areas, and ties, cravats and bow ties are encouraged more generally.

This is an occasion for proper tailoring rather than office suiting. A lightweight wool, linen or linen-blend suit in cream, stone, pale blue, navy or a subtle check can look right without feeling overly formal.

For traditional British tailoring, Anderson & Sheppard, Huntsman and Edward Sexton are worth knowing. Clements & Church and Hackett offer a more accessible take on the same idea, while Brunello Cucinelli and Ralph Lauren Purple Label are good references for a softer, more relaxed interpretation.

A pocket square, good watch or interesting tie is enough to give a familiar suit some personality. You don’t need all three.

For tailoring: Anderson & Sheppard, Huntsman, Edward Sexton
For a more relaxed look: Hackett, Clements & Church, Brunello Cucinelli
For ties and pocket squares: Drake’s, Turnbull & Asser

What should women wear to Salon Privé?

The easiest way to interpret the women’s dress code is to think elegant daywear rather than eveningwear.

A summer dress, tailored trousers, jumpsuit or skirt can all work. Midi dresses are particularly easy for the setting, while a sharply cut jumpsuit offers a more contemporary alternative.

There is no need to default to navy or black. Colour, prints and lighter fabrics make sense for a September garden-party setting, particularly when balanced with simpler accessories.

Emilia Wickstead is a natural reference for polished occasion dressing, while Erdem brings pattern and romanticism to the garden-party look. For something cleaner and more understated, look at Victoria Beckham, Joseph or Max Mara. Beulah London is another name worth browsing for occasion dresses.

For dresses: Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, Beulah London, Victoria Beckham
For tailoring and separates: Joseph, Max Mara, Victoria Beckham

Ladies’ Day is the time to wear the hat

If there is one day at Salon Privé when you can make more of your outfit, it is Ladies’ Day.

The Friday event has a Formal Garden Party Attire dress code, with hats or fascinators preferred. There is also a Boodles Best Hat competition, so this is the day to embrace millinery rather than treating it as an afterthought.

A hat doesn’t have to be enormous to make an impact. A sculptural shape, elegant straw or beautifully proportioned headpiece can be enough. If your dress is already making a statement, keep the hat relatively simple.

For traditional British millinery, look at Philip Treacy, Stephen Jones and Jane Taylor London. Lock & Co. Hatters is another established name, particularly for men’s and women’s hats with a more classic feel.

For millinery: Philip Treacy, Stephen Jones, Jane Taylor London, Lock & Co. Hatters

Choose shoes for Blenheim Palace, not just the outfit

There is one practical detail worth taking seriously: the ground beneath your feet.

Salon Privé takes place across the lawns and grounds of Blenheim Palace, with gravel and grass underfoot. The event specifically warns that the surfaces are not ideal for stiletto heels and recommends strappy sandals, wedges or block heels.

A block heel or elegant flat will be considerably easier to walk in and won’t look out of place. For men, loafers and brogues are obvious choices.

For classic men’s footwear, John Lobb, Edward Green and Crockett & Jones are the British names to know. For women, Manolo Blahnik, Roger Vivier and Gianvito Rossi offer more formal options, while a refined flat or low heel may prove the more sensible choice for a day spent outdoors.

For men’s shoes: John Lobb, Edward Green, Crockett & Jones
For women’s occasion shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Roger Vivier, Gianvito Rossi

Accessories should finish the outfit, not overwhelm it

The best accessories for a garden-party event are usually the ones that look as though they belong with the outfit rather than having been added to make it more expensive.

For men, a patterned tie, pocket square, watch or pair of distinctive cufflinks can be enough. Drake’s is particularly good for ties and pocket squares, while Turnbull & Asser covers the traditional shirt-and-accessories territory.

For women, jewellery, a structured bag or silk scarf can provide the finishing detail. Boodles is especially relevant for Salon Privé given its involvement with Ladies’ Day, while Asprey, Annoushka and Monica Vinader offer very different approaches to jewellery.

If the hat is the statement piece, there is no need for statement jewellery as well.

For men’s accessories: Drake’s, Turnbull & Asser, Smythson
For jewellery: Boodles, Asprey, Annoushka, Monica Vinader

How to wear colour without looking overdressed

A formal garden party doesn’t mean everything has to be beige, navy or cream.

Colour works particularly well at Salon Privé, whether that’s a bright dress, a patterned shirt or simply a strong tie against a neutral suit. The easiest way to keep it sophisticated is to let one element lead.

A coral or green dress can be paired with neutral shoes. A pale blue suit can take a stronger tie. A colourful hat can work with a relatively restrained dress.

For colour and pattern, Emilia Wickstead, Roksanda and Erdem are good places to look. For men, Ralph Lauren and Brunello Cucinelli offer plenty of colour without losing the tailored feel.

For colour and prints: Emilia Wickstead, Roksanda, Erdem
For colourful tailoring: Ralph Lauren, Brunello Cucinelli

What to wear on each day of Salon Privé

The dress code changes slightly over the five days, so your outfit can change with it.

Wednesday and Thursday: The Concours
These are the most formal days, with the dress code listed as Formal Garden Party Attire. This is the time for your best tailoring, an elegant dress and polished accessories.

Friday: Ladies’ Day
Again, the dress code is Formal Garden Party Attire, with hats or fascinators preferred. If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to wear the more elaborate hat, this is it.

Saturday and Sunday: The Weekend
The dress code relaxes to Garden Party Attire for Supercar Saturday and Supercar Sunday. You can be less formal, but Salon Privé still expects guests to dress up. Shorts and T-shirts are not permitted on any day.

The simplest way to get the Salon Privé look right

You don’t need a wardrobe full of designer clothes to dress appropriately for Salon Privé.

For men, start with a good blazer or lightweight suit, a proper shirt, polished shoes and one or two well-chosen accessories. For women, a well-cut dress, jumpsuit or tailored separates will do the job. Add a hat if you’re attending Ladies’ Day, and choose shoes with the lawns in mind.

The setting does some of the work for you. Your job is simply to arrive looking as though you knew where you were going.

Salon Privé 2026

2–6 September 2026
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1UL

Dress code: Formal Garden Party Attire for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; Garden Party Attire for Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets: From £60.

Salon Privé official website