What should I wear to brunch?

Relaxed but considered. For women, a midi dress or skirt with sandals, or good jeans with a nice top and trainers. For men, chinos or dark jeans with a linen shirt or polo and clean sneakers or loafers. Brunch is daytime and easygoing. The look is 'effortlessly pulled-together,' not dressed-up.

Is brunch casual or smart casual?

It depends entirely on the venue. Garden or neighbourhood-café brunch is casual; a boozy bottomless brunch or a smart hotel restaurant nudges toward [dressy casual](/dress-codes/dressy-casual). Match the setting, and when in doubt, smart-casual-but-relaxed covers nearly every brunch.

What shoes are best for brunch?

Comfortable ones you can walk in, since brunch often comes with a stroll before or after. Clean white trainers, flat sandals, or loafers all work. Save the high heels. Brunch rarely calls for them, and they rarely survive the cobbles outside.

What to Wear to Brunch

Brunch is the most forgiving occasion on this list, which is exactly why it trips people up. With no real rules, it’s easy to either underdress into loungewear or overdress into something stiff. The target is relaxed but put-together: the kind of outfit that looks easy and considered at the same time.

Let the setting decide

Brunch ranges widely. A neighbourhood café or a garden table is firmly casual. A bottomless-mimosa spot or a smart hotel restaurant edges toward dressy casual. And brunch usually comes with a walk on either side, so comfort and weather matter as much as the look.

What to wear

Men

Casual brunch: chinos or dark jeans, a linen shirt or a clean polo, and white sneakers or loafers.
Smarter brunch: swap the polo for a crisp shirt and add a light overshirt or unstructured blazer.
Warm weather: linen and short sleeves earn their place; keep the colours light.

Women

Casual brunch: a midi skirt or dress with sandals, or good jeans with a nice top and trainers.
Smarter brunch: a flowing midi dress with a sandal or a low heel, plus simple jewellery.
Warm weather: breathable fabrics (linen, cotton, light prints) in easy, daytime cuts.

Getting it right

Effortless is the brief. Looking like you didn’t try hard (while clearly having tried a little) is the whole aesthetic.
Plan for the walk. Comfortable shoes and a layer for shifting weather.
One nice detail. A good bag, sunglasses, or a bit of jewellery lifts a simple outfit.

What to avoid

Actual loungewear: pyjama-adjacent pieces read as not having bothered.
Anything too formal: heels and cocktail dresses overshoot a daytime meal.
Impractical shoes for the cobbles, gravel, or stroll that usually bookend brunch.

Shoes and accessories

For men, clean sneakers or loafers, sunglasses, and a light watch. For women, flat sandals or trainers, a daytime bag, and minimal jewellery. Brunch is about ease. The best outfit is one you forget you’re wearing somewhere around the second coffee.