These Summer Dinner Party Outfits Will Ensure You’re Hostess With the Mostess (2024)

This summer has been hailed as one of joy and reunion, a true return to friends, family, and celebrating, but summer dinner party outfits can take many forms depending on the scenario. So what’s the perfect look for every summertime dinner? A Lower East Side sidewalk celebration may call for a clingy Paco Rabanne knit maxi dress, while a Gramercy Park dinner party outfit would likely require a bit more flounce, like Markarian’s gingham taffeta.

Some summer outfits can do double duty: a high-waist Matteau skirt and cropped top is right for poolside co*cktails but could double for date night, while a seaside maxi dress or Attersee caftan with some gold jewelry would work just as well for a backyard Brooklyn BBQ.

I recently wore a bright block print flowy dress for a weekend dinner at home with friends and realized with delight that I owned almost matching napkins—naturally, I used them to set the table and was titillated with the mix and match effect. I don’t need to match my tabletop but it’s nice to have some coordination between the two. So hostess dressing can extend from frock to flatware!

So what to wear and how to host for every occasion? Here, a set of eight summer dinner party outfits and scenarios to help you dress your table and yourself to the greatest effect.

Wainscott Beach Clambake

Add a lobster roll to your crisp Attersee caftan and some gold jewelry and you are 100% that beach.

Lower East Side Sidewalk Celebration

Downtown dinner parties moved to the sidewalk during quarantine, and no one’s looking back. Celebrate a summer birthday with a Paco Rabanne knit, a smiling set of glassware, and Dada Daily’s all-in-one entertaining board.

Carroll Gardens Backyard BBQ

Fire up a chic, tiny grill, sip some refreshing citrus sparkles, and coordinate block-print brights from your table to your dress.

Upstate Picnic

Match your floral dress to your napkins and the wildflower field and you’re good to go; all you need is some elegant citronella spray.

Gramercy Park co*cktail Party

Just because it’s sweltering outside doesn’t mean your linens can’t stay crisp. Dress up your table and yourself with CeCe Barfield’s new tabletop collection and Markarian’s taffeta gingham. And it woudn’t be a co*cktail party without a co*cktail ring!

Long Island City Brunch

Feast on smoked salmon while channeling your inner ’50s housewife in this Evi Grintela frock and suite of rainbow tabletop.

Montauk Pool Party

Make a splash with Matteau’s pool-to-party shirred separates and up the aquatic ante with some sea-themed jewelry and a mermaid pool float.

Your Best Friend’s Bridal Shower

Your wife for life is getting married and you’re throwing her a special lunch to celebrate. Lean into the vibe with a chintz dress and marbleized crackers and cake and mark her special day with a roman numeral ring and J’engaged gift set.