And just like that, the August bank holiday is upon us. It seems like only yesterday that we were giddily welcoming May’s long weekends, and with them the arrival of summer. And, well, what a summer it has been. Here in the office, feelings about this long weekend are mixed – while some are approaching it with a tinge of melancholy at its signal of the season’s end, others (me) are welcoming it as a sign of being one step closer to being able to pull from their more robust autumnal wardrobes.

Whatever your feelings, this weekend has always been one of the year’s more festive – a reason to commemorate and celebrate the glory of the summer that was; not to mention a last hurrah before the long slog till Christmas. Whether you’re planning to spend yours at a day festival in a dustbowl park, or making the annual pilgrimage to W11 to step to some soca, or just spending it getting sozzled in your favourite pub garden, there’s no excuse not to do it in style. Just as the Americans don’t wear white after Labor Day, this is basically your summer wardrobe’s one last whirl, so make the most of the occasion, no matter your plans. Without further ado, here’s how to dress for…

While London’s parks are busy throughout the summer, its closing weekend draws swarms of revellers for a bumper crop of day festivals – and this year is no exception. Between the second weekend of All Points East in Victoria Park to Rally and Body Movements in Southwark Park, there’s no shortage of options. What is exceptional about this year’s billing, though, is that the parks in which they’re being held don’t really look like parks anymore. After a season of actual drought, they are basically all dustbowls – and, as seen on numerous Instagram stories streamed live from Maiden Voyage in Burgess Park a couple of weekends ago, thousands of ravers jumping around desertscapes leads to scenes that look more than cute bank-holibob Monday with the girlies.

All this is to say that this probably isn’t the year to wear anything too precious – leave the cream-coloured Tom Ford-era Gucci halterneck at home, and take cues from the attendees of last week’s edition of All Points East, where guests leaned into refreshingly unpretentious, down-to-get-dirty vibes, with an abundance of eye-catching prints, hardy plaids and grungy shredded jersey pieces. Other essentials? If you’re wondering whether you’re hemline’s too short, it isn’t short enough. And maybe fashion yourself some sort of bandana face covering if you want to be spared from coughing up mud for the next week. Have fun!

x Eckhaus Latta semi-sheer crop top

Notting Hill Carnival is London’s defining August bank holiday activity, drawing crowds in their millions to celebrate Britain’s Caribbean community and its essential contributions to our national patchwork. Now, there is nothing less chic than turning up to the streets of W11 without even a fleeting understanding of what carnival is all about and how it came to be – which my colleague Riann Phillip, something of a veteran, helpfully outlines here. To reiterate one of its main points, though, “be respectful of the culture, stick with your friends, enjoy the atmosphere, and dress for the occasion.” What does dressing for the occasion look like? Well, it’s a carnival for starters – this is the place to be skimping on colour or texture; to be holding back on sparkle, sequin or shimmer. Take this as the opportunity to let your personality shine louder than the soundsystems – though don’t let sartorial daring outweigh practicality. Unless you’re planning on running a marathon, this’ll be one of the highest step counts you’ll rack up all year; a sturdy, practical shoe and streamlined bag that’ll fit your essentials – ideally one that doesn’t get in the way of a wine – are non-negotiable.

Is there anything more British than seeing out the summer by frittering away the last of your holiday budget in your local’s garden? Hell no there ain’t! Of course, “what to wear to a pub garden” is as open-ended a brief as you could muster, and depends on a number of factors – there’s the weather; the company you’re in (are you hanging with your pals? Catching up with your parents? On an awkward Hinge date?)… I would even argue that your planned order plays a key role. If you’re on the pints, for example, then a form-fitting slip dress or anything that doesn’t have a bit of give probably isn’t the shrewdest move. I’ve included it here, however, to publicly issue a plea to make a just a little more effort! Yes, pubs are casual and cosy by nature, but there is such a thing as casual – it may be your local, but it isn’t your living room, even if the amount you spend there each month tallies close to your rent. Basically, if it’s a piece you wouldn’t think twice about bedrotting in, leave it out of your bank holiday rotation. Still, comfort is of the essence here – as is a warm layer for when your daytime garden sesh inevitably tips over into the night.

To many, there’s no more London a way to do the late August bank holiday than by getting the hell out of town. That’s especially noticeable in the ritzier parts of town – Notting Hill, for example, where the residents who aren’t hosting parties on the their townhouse terraces take Carnival’s arrival as an excuse to hotfoot it to their Cotswolds piles. That, granted, isn’t a possibility within reach for most of us, but a day-trip escape certainly is. While the leafy countryside around London makes for a gorgeous autumnal trip, the same can’t quite be said for the coastal towns with easy reach of the capital. I’m sorry – and I say this as someone with extensive first hand experience – but Margate just isn’t quite as charming as it’s sold to be in a gale kicking up sand into your chips. Of course, even if the weather may have been more Barcelona than Brighton this summer, the standard advice for British seaside dressing applies: there’s layers to it. Literally. Even if bikini weather may be on the cards, more the fool you if you’re the one caught in a sudden shower without a cozy layer and a weatherproof windbreaker. Spring/summer 2026, in fact, offered a bounty of the latter. While there may not have been many chances to break them out of the wardrobe quite yet, this might just be your chance.