Going for High Tea at the Drake with my mother this summer.
What should/can I wear? Is an off the shoulder sundress appropriate?
What should/can I wear? Is an off the shoulder sundress appropriate?
High Tea attire?
- Thread starter giantswing
- Start date
I think that sounds fine. It varies location to location, but here in the UK afternoon tea is obviously very popular and the dress you described would be ok over here. Any dress/jumpsuit that is pretty and not too revealing will be fine, the longer the better. Avoid wearing casual shoes like sneakers or flip flops and also avoid wearing casual jackets like zipped hoodies or rain jackets. 
You want to look and feel dressed up as it is a fun and special occasion!
You want to look and feel dressed up as it is a fun and special occasion!
Yes, but IMO wear it long (tea length)
People will be business casual, so a dress will be nice. Although I have no idea why they call it “High” Tea since it is not served in the early evening and doesn’t include more substantial meat dishes (which is what “high” means). Drake must think it sounds fancier if they call it High Tea rather than what it is, which is Tea. Just normal afternoon tea from 2-5 with tea sandwiches and pastries.
I appreciate this post very much. I love afternoon tea and high tea and do find it annoying when they get mixed up.
As to the outfit, a longer than knee length dress will look lovely.
I feel like I'm an l' school ma'am from a finishing school, but in my school we had to learn these things in case we suddenly time-traveled to 1912 and wouldn't know what to do in polite society.
There are 3 kinds of 'tea' in the UK and are served between 3.30pm-6pm i.e. tea time. All are drunk with tea but are very different.
'Tea' (as in "what're you having for your tea?") is often a main meal at the end of the day for working class people. It is basically dinner seven at teatime when they would come home from factory/rural work after being up and about since very early in the morning and usually only had a packed lunch to eat in the day. It would be served with tea and usually had 2 courses, a hot savoury and a 'sweet'. In many places in the UK 'tea' and dinner are interchangeable.
Afternoon tea is more middle and upper-class, either for visitors and served in the 'front room' or parlour. It includes a range of very delicate bite-size sandwiches and tiny cakes. Sometimes mini scones are also included. Basically it's sociable, often 'feminine' and to show off one's best day clothes (hence tea dress) china/porcelain and prettiest room in the house. It was taken up by the new department stores and grand hotels during the 19C, the first where women would go unchaperoned to shop and socialise, the second, accompanied. How you looked, drank and ate was scrutinised, hence the fashion for the raised 'little finger' debacle. The meal was to bridge luncheon (usually informal) and dinner (formal). The tradition of afternoon tea is kept up in many stores and hotels and each hotel will have its own take and dress code.
High-tea, is like afternoon tea (above) but includes a warm savoury dish like Welsh rarebit or coddled eggs etc and is very popular in Scotland. It was also popular if going on to the theatre, balls or soirées etc. Occasionally supper would be served much later, so filled the gap between lunch and supper. The same establishments often serve afternoon tea and high-tea, it's a question of paying a supplement for high tea. It can be later, but it doesn't have to be.
Both afternoon tea and high-tea have similar dress codes to occasion-wear minus hats. For women, that means usually a midi dress, nice shoes and a small day bag. In the Summer a cardi shrugged over the shoulders and in the colder months a jacket. A bag should be able to fit on a lap without being noticed at the table, shoes formal, but not evening shoes.
Of course, it would be very hard to be inappropriate these days unless you turn-up in a bikini, but even that would have social media currency so the most important thing is to be happy in what you wear and enjoy the meal and company.
Oh, and lift your saucer along with your teacup when drinking, hold the handle of the cup between thumb and two middle fingers, but don't cock your little finger.
If you pay per person rather than items consumed, you can ask for a takeout basket/box to carry your leftovers home.
The staff usually appreciate your obvious enjoyment of their menu. We have had other items tucked into our takeout box.
This has happed in various countries so it must be fairly common.
So envious you had eat out in public again!
The staff usually appreciate your obvious enjoyment of their menu. We have had other items tucked into our takeout box.
This has happed in various countries so it must be fairly common.
So envious you had eat out in public again!
I feel like I'm an l' school ma'am from a finishing school, but in my school we had to learn these things in case we suddenly time-traveled to 1912 and wouldn't know what to do in polite society.
There are 3 kinds of 'tea' in the UK and are served between 3.30pm-6pm i.e. tea time. All are drunk with tea but are very different.
'Tea' (as in "what're you having for your tea?") is often a main meal at the end of the day for working class people. It is basically dinner seven at teatime when they would come home from factory/rural work after being up and about since very early in the morning and usually only had a packed lunch to eat in the day. It would be served with tea and usually had 2 courses, a hot savoury and a 'sweet'. In many places in the UK 'tea' and dinner are interchangeable.
Afternoon tea is more middle and upper-class, either for visitors and served in the 'front room' or parlour. It includes a range of very delicate bite-size sandwiches and tiny cakes. Sometimes mini scones are also included. Basically it's sociable, often 'feminine' and to show off one's best day clothes (hence tea dress) china/porcelain and prettiest room in the house. It was taken up by the new department stores and grand hotels during the 19C, the first where women would go unchaperoned to shop and socialise, the second, accompanied. How you looked, drank and ate was scrutinised, hence the fashion for the raised 'little finger' debacle. The meal was to bridge luncheon (usually informal) and dinner (formal). The tradition of afternoon tea is kept up in many stores and hotels and each hotel will have its own take and dress code.
High-tea, is like afternoon tea (above) but includes a warm savoury dish like Welsh rarebit or coddled eggs etc and is very popular in Scotland. It was also popular if going on to the theatre, balls or soirées etc. Occasionally supper would be served much later, so filled the gap between lunch and supper. The same establishments often serve afternoon tea and high-tea, it's a question of paying a supplement for high tea. It can be later, but it doesn't have to be.
Both afternoon tea and high-tea have similar dress codes to occasion-wear minus hats. For women, that means usually a midi dress, nice shoes and a small day bag. In the Summer a cardi shrugged over the shoulders and in the colder months a jacket. A bag should be able to fit on a lap without being noticed at the table, shoes formal, but not evening shoes.
Of course, it would be very hard to be inappropriate these days unless you turn-up in a bikini, but even that would have social media currency so the most important thing is to be happy in what you wear and enjoy the meal and company.
Oh, and lift your saucer along with your teacup when drinking, hold the handle of the cup between thumb and two middle fingers, but don't cock your little finger.
Lol! I remember my mother saying that in the rank ordering of meals, afternoon tea was in some ways the most “luxurious” (hence the invention of tea gowns) because after walking, shopping or riding, you got to eat, drink and relax before changing for dinner. High tea, often being more substantial and (possibly) served a bit later usually meant you better enjoy it because that’s likely all you were getting for the evening.
Eh, wear a long skirt with an elastic waistband. Crumbs get everywhere so that may figure into wardrobe choice. I like the cream tea the best. DH and I used to stay in the Firmdale London chain of hotels where I was told that cream tea was just a tray of scones and clotted cream (No tea sandwiches or pastry) There was apparently an order: slather the cream on before the jam (devonshire, which mixes it slightly more) or vice versa jam then cream (Cornwall? which is more of a dollop of cream that doesn’t work as well if it’s clotted, IDK). But, of course it all tastes good. i only get a bit tetchy when I am asked how many scones we want. It depends on how large and how delicious they are. All I know is I want extra clotted cream.
ETA: it also occurred to me that in the summer in a hotel in the US, it can be freezing cold with air conditioning. So, if off the shoulder, bring a wrap Just in case you get chilly
Crumbs get everywhere so that may figure into wardrobe choice. I like the cream tea the best. DH and I used to stay in the Firmdale London chain of hotels where I was told that cream tea was just a tray of scones and clotted cream (No tea sandwiches or pastry) There was apparently an order: slather the cream on before the jam (devonshire, which mixes it slightly more) or vice versa jam then cream (Cornwall? which is more of a dollop of cream that doesn’t work as well if it’s clotted, IDK). But, of course it all tastes good. i only get a bit tetchy when I am asked how many scones we want. It depends on how large and how delicious they are. All I know is I want extra clotted cream.ETA: it also occurred to me that in the summer in a hotel in the US, it can be freezing cold with air conditioning. So, if off the shoulder, bring a wrap Just in case you get chilly
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