Our fashion expert reveals the secrets royals use to stay stylish at summer parties. TIP: Never wear Spanx and learn how to avoid sinking into the grass in heels.

Until recently, the fashion world was ruled by a myth: that style and comfort are sworn enemies, an incongruity that only characters such as Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty could understand.

But this summer’s social season has seen a decided shift among the A-list: practicality is the order of the day, without compromising on style at all, of course.

And thank goodness, it turns out that style and practicality can co-exist after all. It all started when Zara Tindall wore plastic toppers over her designer heels at a Buckingham Palace garden party in May to stop them sinking into the grass – a seemingly obvious, but very clever move.

Here we reveal the best summer style tricks that experts recommend and that will have you looking perfect from an 11am wedding ceremony to a midnight carriage ride.

Avoid that sinking feeling

Whoever said that practicality and fashion weren’t friends clearly never met Zara Tindall.

The royal was photographed at a Buckingham Palace garden party in May wearing £495 Emmy London heels, complete with dirt-cheap heel caps.

These clever inventions (available for just a few pounds on Amazon) attach to the bottom of stiletto heels to prevent your shoes from getting ruined and the embarrassment of sinking into the grass. Such style and substance!

An alternative is offered by Zara’s cousin Princess Beatrice. Last month at Ascot, she opted to ditch the stilettos in favour of Chanel’s iconic block-heeled pumps, and offset the French fashion house’s £910 price tag with a £23 bag with acrylic handles (bye-bye clutch!) from Urban Outfitters.

The key to making block heels chic is to avoid heavy wedge styles, particularly espadrilles, which often ruin an otherwise dressy outfit at weddings and similar events because they’re too casual. Save them for barbecues.

Look for block heel styles that are rooted in vintage sensibilities. Slingbacks lend a 1950s-style elegance, even better if they come with a Chanel-style contrasting toe cap. Check out Camilla Elphick (camillaelphick.com) or Colibri (colibri.boutique) for statement block heels you won’t see on anyone else.

The emergency cover-up

No, this isn’t the dreaded pashmina from the 2000s that has risen from the ashes. Instead, a silk scarf (not a knitted one, but silk, which is Mrs. Doubtfire territory) is useful for a myriad of reasons in 2024.

Have you spilled red wine on your forehead? Put on the silk scarf. Has your dress become irreversibly wrinkled? Put on the scarf. And with the right pattern, a silk scarf draped over your shoulders to keep you warm at night won’t look old-fashioned.

Plus, it’s super handy because it folds up really small, so it’s easy to slip into your handbag at events and won’t take up any luggage space on overnight trips. Bella Singleton’s eye-catching scarves are works of art in silk (bella singleton.com).

Essentials for your handbag

As a stylist, I’m always popular with portable bathrooms at weddings because the mini styling kit I carry in my bag has saved many a guest from facing a sartorial emergency.

A drop of clear nail polish stops stairs on tights, hairspray applied to the bottom of a dress stops static electricity, a cut-out pad stuck to the inside of a heel (yes, really) stops blisters. Tying bra straps in the back with a hair tie turns a regular bra into a racerback.

Clip-on earrings are comfortable all day long and don’t put pressure on your lobes: Pinar Ozevlat (pinar ozevlat.com), Patricia Cobiella (patspats.org) and Laurence Coste (laurence-coste.com) are the best.

Self-adhesive sweat pads (as cheap as £5.99 for 30 on Amazon) are completely unnoticeable and prevent sweat stains from appearing on light or silky fabrics, as well as preventing yellowing of a beloved garment.

What’s underneath is just as important

Gone are the days when “proper underwear” (yawn!) meant forcing yourself into a pair of suffocating “magic” pants that were more corsetry torture than magic.

This year’s underwear solutions are clever, not cruel. Next sells anti-chafing cycling shorts that prevent dreaded thigh chafing (£22 for two, next.co.uk). They’re also a great solution for knickers, as their seamless shape means no knicker line is visible. A nude knee-length slip (it looks granny-like, the result is anything but) stops the static cling that makes fabrics stick to your legs and is an anti-glare prevention method under white (£16 for two, marksandspencer.com).

Look in the mirror: even the most expensive white dresses are often completely see-through under some lights. The innovation award goes to John Lewis. When Carole Middleton momentarily lost her shoe at Ascot last month, she no doubt wished for a pair of its non-slip tights (£15 for two, johnlewis.com). The grippy sole stops feet slipping out of heels.

Don’t rain on this (fashion) show

Last week at Wimbledon, I reluctantly took refuge under my sister’s visual affront: an umbrella (a bright green with realistic cats all over it).

The key to facing the rain in style is not to look surprised, something that is always achieved by pulling a £5 Union Jack monstrosity from a tourist stall out of your handbag.

The king prefers an umbrella from Mario Talarico, a fifth-generation umbrella maker from Naples. With his designs selling for thousands of dollars, Pickett London is his second-best choice for similar bamboo handles – £95 (pickett.co.uk), but it will last a lifetime.

And don’t forget the Army’s mantra for bringing some military rigor to your event preparation: “Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance.”

Crep Protect spray (£12, amazon.co.uk) is the best around for waterproofing suede shoes, while adhesive soles (a few pounds on Amazon) prevent falls on slippery surfaces in smooth-soled heels.

Goodbye, the clutch

A clutch bag allows you to do exactly that: hold a purse, a drink, a hors d’oeuvres and your service order at the same time while trying to shake someone’s hand.

The solution? A vintage-inspired mini bag with a sleek top handle that sits in the crook of your arm.

Gucci’s ‘1947’ bag (named after the year it was created) with a bamboo handle is a celebrity favourite, but even the smallest version costs more than £1,000. Wolf (wolf1834.com) has similar bags for under £200 with retro prints.

Maison M (maisonmlondon.com) and World Secrets (world secrets.co.uk) make satchel bags with bracelet handles, made of gathered silk and velvet, that can be worn on the arm without sinking.