The unspoken rules of dressing for the Chelsea Flower Show

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is one of the pinnacles of the British event calendar, earmarked each year by everyone from the royal family (the Duchess of Cambridge, The Queen and the Prince of Wales have all attended in recent years), to keen gardeners, as well as those who just fancy celebrating the start of spring with a peruse of beautifully crafted green patches.

This year, the show, which is among the world's most prestigious, is taking place from Tuesday 22nd to Friday 26th May, and will feature plenty of intriguing new additions, including garden designs specifically tailored towards health and well-being, as well as 'space to grow' gardens, which will focus on making the most of smaller, urban spaces. 

Chelsea Flower Show doesn't have an official dress code but, like every prominent fixture in the British event calendar, does require a degree of sartorial consideration. The key is to aim for practicality and style in equal parts. You want to look polished, but also to maintain a certain effortlessness that's cohesive with a day whiled away in a garden. Here's how...

Comfortable shoes are key  

A day walking around and surveying gardens calls for comfortable footwear. Save your stilettos and backless mules for an occasion that won't see you covering so much ground. Closed toe shoes - think loafers or sleek trainers - are a chic and practical option. But given that the weather forecast is currently predicting sun and temperatures north of 20 degrees celsius, you might want to invest in a breezier alternative. Substantial leather sandals are your best bet. 

A cover-up is essential 

Despite the promise of sunshine and balmy temperatures, British weather is notoriously unreliable, meaning that even if it's T-shirt weather when you leave the house, you shouldn't forgo a cover-up altogether. Opt for a jacket or coat that's lightweight enough to sling over your arm or roll up and stuff into a backpack should you need to, but that will keep out the chill if the wind picks up (and that won't ruin at the first sign of rain). Denim jackets, duster coats and spring trenches are all good options. 

Diane von Furstenberg shirt dress, £405, Net-a-porter; Panama hat, £339, Jess Collett Milliner; mid-length car coat, £135, Arket; olive suede backpack, £155, Zwina Habibi; leather strap sandals, £79, Cos; stripe border umbrella, £100, Paul Smith 

Don't be afraid to try your hand at literal dressing 

 While the notion of literal dressing might seem alien to most us, given that we are not members of the royal family and therefore do not have diplomatic restraints on our wardrobe, Chelsea Flower Show offers one of those rare opportunities when the idea actually make sense. Florals for spring are far from groundbreaking, as we well know, and so donning them while exploring the most fabulous offerings from British horticulture feels appropriate, without being overkill. Follow the lead of the Duchess of Cambridge, Jerry Hall and HM The Queen, all of whom opted for florals at Chelsea Flower Show last year. 

The Duchess of Cambridge: her style in pictures

But do accessorize appropriately

Headgear is generally a tricky realm to navigate, but for Chelsea Flower Show it should be slightly more straightforward. You are neither required nor advised to wear a hat, but, particularly if it's sunny, you might want to. If this is the case, avoid wide-brimmed styles unless you want to be hugely unpopular with fellow guests, since in opting for a hat with a large circumference, you risk obscuring your neighbour's view.

Other accessories to consider are an umbrella (essential), sunglasses (also key) and either a cross-body bag or a backpack that will hold your essentials while allowing you to go hands-free. 

You can wear white

Shades of white - ecru, beige and oatmeal among them - will comprise a chic spring  look for Chelsea Flower Show. Not the most practical, we grant you, but given that you're not actually going to be doing the gardening, that shouldn't be an issue. Keep silhouettes loose and layers languid, and add woven accessories via a straw hat or bag to keep your look suitably relaxed. 

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