Archive June 29, 2025

With our top selection of occasionwear dresses and two pieces from Phase Eight, Karen Millen, Coast, and more, you can be the best-dressed guest at any formal event this summer.

It can be difficult to decide what to wear as the summer eventwear season is already upon us. Race days, weddings, and garden parties are just a few examples of this.

That’s why our fashion team is here to help you out with some inspiration. From Newmarket-ready florals to designer-looking pleats and chic matching sets, we’ve found the very best occasionwear style pieces from the likes of Karen Millen, Coast and Phase Eight.Not to mention the finishing touches, from fascinators to clutch bags and heels, here’s everything you need to get through the season, without spending a fortune!

READ MORE: In the summer sale, Boden’s “smart-looking” linen pants that “fit perfectly” are reduced by £40.

Helen Flanagan sparkles at a concert wearing a Karen Millen midi dress for a £50 saving.

FLORAL FANCY

Going a set over a dress is a great way to get the most value for your money when dressing for occasions. In this way, you can combine the two items in your wardrobe to give them even more unique looks. If you want that little bit of drama, make sure to finish your looks with a statement fascinator.

SHOP THE LOOK: Garden Floral Twill Bow Detail Top, £85 here and Garden Floral Twill Bow Woven Prom Skirt, £129 here, both Karen Millen, and Red Flower Pillbox, Phase Eight, £49 here.

LAVENDAR HAZE

Classic dainty florals are always fashionable, especially for formal wear. However, choose 3D appliques in place of florals if you want to update them for 2025. They give any outfit a fashionable twist and are fun, dramatic, and plaful.

Corsage Trim Layered Halter Neck Mini Dress, Coast, £110 here SHOP THE LOOK

PLEATS, IMMERTIEL

Always opt for pleats if you want to appear expensive. They reportedly give off an Issey Miyake vibe and are the best way to tone up your appearance. Although this year’s trend has been butter yellow, this stunning maxi from Phase Eight has a deeper, golden hue.

SHOP THE LOOK: Dionne Pleated Dress, Phase Eight, £189 here and Etsy Champagne Crystals & Mesh Beaded Bag, L.K.Bennett, £129 here

FRINGE RESULTS

Why not try some fringing if you want to give your occasionwear a little extra zhuzh? Due to its intriguing fringe detail and stunning sorbet shade, we adore this Coast halter neck dress in mint green. A contrasting color fascinator and a jewel-style bag complete the look.

SHOP THE LOOK: Muse Fringe Halter Neck Tie Back Midi Dress, Coast, £139 here and Crystal Clear Crystal Frame Clutch Bag, L.K.Bennett, £159 here

MAXI-MUM STYLE

As we already mentioned, florals are a foolproof choice that always looks classy and chic. If you’re looking for a little more modesty or want to shield your arms and legs from the summer sun, this ASOS long sleeve maxi is the ideal choice.

Lucy Bronze, a football player from England, talks about having children with her boyfriend and how her superpower is neurodiversity and hopes for the Euro 2025 competition.

Lioness legend Lucy Bronze’s England team are entering Women’s Euro 2025 as the defending champions – so the stakes are high. But in a wide-ranging chat with Women’s Health UK, Lucy, 33, says she fancies her team’s chances at lifting the cup once again. Recognised as one of the best female football players in the world, Lucy is going to this month’s Euros, her seventh major tournament, with her eyes firmly on the prize.

The Chelsea right-back claims she chose the sport because it “was the only way she could connect with people” in her interview and also discusses having autism and ADHD. One of England’s most admired female players claims that she and her teammates have discussed their past successes, but they are now “new England” and are more than ready to make their “own history” as they approach Euro 2025.

READ MORE: Danielle Armstrong shares her stunning holiday co-ord that you can shop for under £50

Lucy, the team’s self-declared “bossy mum,” hopes that the new England approach will ease the burden on the new Lioness cubs.

“People will be competing in the Euros, which will be their first ever tournament in an England shirt,” they said. You want them to have fun with that. And I believe removing that pressure makes a great move for them.

Although she acknowledges that the world still wants her to fit a certain mold, the sporting star also addresses what she calls her “superpower,” autism.

Lucy was tested for autism and ADHD four years ago, and she was given the recommendation of an England team psychologist. She courageously revealed her diagnosis last year, and she lauds her neurodiversity for enabling her to reach humbling sporting heights to this day.

“It’s made me successful because it makes me think ten steps ahead of things, and it makes me think twice,” said the player. “I wish it didn’t take being a successful football player for me to be free to be who I am.

Everything in the world is designed in a certain general way, according to the saying. Where do you fit in if you don’t fall under that category?

Lucy may have won British women’s football, but her size makes her a very, very small fish, which is fascinating. Although Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is frequently referred to as her birthplace, is where Lucy was actually born: Lindisfarne, which is located about 60 miles north of Newcastle.

Around 160 people live there, and Lucy, along with the English folk-rock group Lindisfarne, is unquestionably its most well-known export.

Lucy has considered retiring from her 33 years as the oldest Lioness. When she eventually leaves professional sports, she acknowledges that she is “not as good” as she was six years ago, but she is learning from her incredible accomplishments.

And she’s got some potential future ideas. I might work for a company. I might try to join Fifa or the Federation.

There is only one thing Lucy, who is in a relationship with Spanish footballer Ona Batlle, that she is “desperate” to do, and that is start a family.

I’m most envious of my brother having two kids, seeing my niece and nephew. But that is still a long time away.

The full interview can be found online now for purchase in the Women’s Health UK issue due out in July/August.

Nothing compares, according to an award-winning songwriter who has collaborated with the likes of Gary Barlow, Boyzone, Celine Dion, and Aretha Franklin, to the Spice Girls.

Spice Girls fever was at its peak in the nineties, and there was one person right in the middle of it all. Step forward songwriter Elliot Kennedy.

The writer who is best pals with Gary Barlow and has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Celine Dion, was on hand when the iconic girl group took the world by storm. The co-writer of their hit tune Say You’ll Be There from their debut album, Spice, has admitted there was one thing he sometimes struggled with with the group – containing them.

However, he admitted this wasn’t a bad thing and simply showed the true personality of a band destined for success. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Elliot said “nothing compares” to the Spice Girls, made up of Melanie B, Victoria Beckham, Melanie C, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell.

Elliot remarked, “They literally crashed at my house.” Before they had a manager, the pair were transitioning from the man who had the group together, who was obviously a visionary in his own right, and we assisted in his transition to Simon Fuller.

But they were fantastic and amazing girls. Because they were moving a million miles per hour, keeping the energy within the scale was the most challenging task.

They had so many ideas, which was fantastic for a songwriter. Working with them has left me with nothing but wonderful memories. They crashed at my house, as I’ve already mentioned, and we just became like family. It’s wonderful that they left and made a world change. Being a part of that wave was remarkable, profoundly impactful, and life-affirming in all ways.

I have a lot of respect for all of them because they were and continue to be fantastic people. They put in incredibly long hours and deserved everything. It was wonderful to be a part of, and it was charming, funny, and crazy.

Elliot also revealed how close he and Gary Barlow are, and how they are currently producing theatrical productions. We communicate regularly and collaborate constantly, he said. He is one of my closest friends and collaborators, and we continue to work together, I suppose. We’re still laughing and laughing, and we’re in the best of friends in the first place.

Elliot acknowledged that the two people’s thinking is very similar. He added that Gary is “just a big, regular guy” and that there is more to him than meets the eye. He is a strong husband and a great father. And he boasted that he is a truly excellent friend beyond music.

Elliot also revealed that Gary was supposed to sing the Relight My Fire vocals, but that he was denied that the producer had the wrong key because of it. And he claims that this inspired him to co-write Everything Changes for the boys, which Robbie sang and which reached number one on the writer’s 25th birthday, living up to his own dream.

After reminiscing, Elliot also praised exciting rising band Apollo Junction after they approached him for their latest tune titled Entangled. The Yorkshire-based band who have also had a hit with Beautiful South singer Briana Corrigan wrote the song with the award-winning hitmaker and Elliot praised them for what he called was a “clever move”.

He acknowledged that Apollo Junction is an excellent illustration of how arbitrary my life is. I’m writing musicals while recording with The Overtones, Alfie Boe, or whatever, and then completely out of the blue when Jamie from the band contacts me.

Although they are only from down the road, I rarely do this. But I figured I should try this for whatever reason.

He explained the instantaneous connection he made after meeting them and said, “It was really clever when they told me that they had realized they needed their songs to be better when they had last performed on the Isle of Wight stage.” They remarked, “We need a signature.”

And I just said, “You know what, many bands don’t work that out,” I guess. He explained his diverse roster of stars that he has collaborated with, including Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, and Boyzone, and how proud he is of helping others get that distinctive sound.

It was a really clever move, a really adept move, for a band who write their own material and suddenly realize they need someone to do this for a living.

Elliot will also release a number of other exciting tunes as well as his stage play, as well as his most recent album, Apollo Junction, on August 22.