Sandhya Garg · The Weekend Edit
Brunch
Café · Patio · Birthday · Bottomless · 12 Pieces
Quick Answer
Smart casual is the default: a shirt dress, a wrap midi, or a jacket over good jeans. Keep it loose at the waist, because brunch runs long. Wear shoes you can walk in, because brunch usually turns into something else. For a birthday, hotel or Mother's Day brunch, step up to a printed midi or maxi.
Brunch is the most forgiving occasion on the calendar. There's no dress code, no ceremony and nobody checking. That freedom is exactly why it's easy to get wrong in both directions: too casual, or a cocktail dress at 11am.
This guide sorts brunch by kind, from the neighbourhood café to the hotel Mother's Day table, with twelve pieces that work in daylight.
What to Wear, by the Kind of Brunch
| Brunch | What to wear | From this edit |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood café | A shirt dress or a jacket over jeans. Sneakers or flats. | Versailles, Fleur |
| Patio or rooftop | A midi in a light fabric, flat sandals, sunglasses. | Louis, Queen |
| Birthday or bridal shower | A dressier midi or mini with detail, block heels. | Marie, Sophie |
| Hotel or Mother's Day | A maxi or polished midi. It's the dressiest brunch of the year. | Carolina, Antonia |
| Bottomless | Loose at the waist. Avoid anything tight. | Duchess, Queen |
Who What Wear puts the brunch mindset well: "you can never make too much of an effort." Its practical advice is to avoid tight clothes because brunches run long. I'd add one more thing. Brunch is daytime, so choose prints and colour over shine. For Mother's Day specifically, see Mother’s Day: What to Wear.
Brunch is the one meal you can dress up for in daylight. Choose print and colour over shine.
Three Brunch Rules
You'll be sitting
Loose at the Waist
A wrap, an A-line or a kaftan. Brunch runs longer than you think.
Plans change
Shoes You Can Walk In
Brunch turns into a market or a walk. Flats, block heels or clean sneakers.
Daytime rule
One Statement
One print or one piece of jewellery. Daytime looks overdone faster than evening.
For more ways to wear a shirt dress from morning to night, see 10 Ways to Style a Shirt Dress and The Modern Shirt Dress.
The Brunch Edit · Let Them Eat Cake Collection
Twelve Pieces for the Weekend Table
Daytime prints, easy waists and jackets for cool mornings.
The Easiest Brunch Dresses
Dressier Brunches: Birthdays, Hotels, Mother's Day
Jackets for Cool Mornings
Dresses run XS to 3XL and jackets XS to XL. Stock is limited, so check the size selector on each product page · Size chart · Made to measure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dress code for brunch?
Smart casual for most places: a dress, a skirt or nice trousers with a good top. A hotel or birthday brunch can go dressier, like a printed midi. Gym clothes and very short hems are the only real mistakes.
What shoes should I wear to brunch?
Flats, block heels or clean sneakers. Brunch often turns into a walk or shopping afterwards, so skip stilettos.
Can you wear a dress to brunch?
Yes. A printed shirt dress or a wrap midi is the easiest brunch outfit there is. Add a jacket in cooler months.
What do you wear to a bottomless brunch?
Something loose at the waist. Who What Wear also recommends avoiding tight clothes because brunches run long. A wrap, a kaftan or an A-line skirt is the comfortable choice.
Keep Reading
Shirt Dresses
The Modern Shirt Dress
Why it works for everything.
Mother's Day
What to Wear, and What to Buy Her
For the year's biggest brunch.
Showers
What to Wear to a Bridal Shower
Daytime and celebratory.
Capsule
The Summer Event Capsule
Ten pieces, one palette.
About the Writer
Sandhya Garg is a Project Runway Season 13 designer who won two challenges on the show and presented her collection at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. She studied womenswear at London College of Fashion and has worked at Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Liberty London and Alice Temperley. Her label has been featured in Marie Claire US, Elle, Cosmopolitan and Vogue online. Every print is drawn by Sandhya in Los Angeles and printed and made in India. Read her story.
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