The Dress I Wore to Three Summer Events and Got Complimented at Every One

I photograph events for a living. Weddings, garden parties, corporate summer events, birthday celebrations — I spend most of the summer season at occasions where the dress code is smart-casual to formal and where I am simultaneously working and, at evening events, sometimes attending as a guest. I need dresses that work in both contexts: professional enough to be taken seriously while working, beautiful enough to feel appropriate as a guest, and comfortable enough to wear for eight or ten hours without becoming a distraction.

The Yumi Ivory Poppy Print Midi Mesh Dress is the dress I wore to three summer events in a row. I received a compliment at every one of them. I have not found a summer occasion dress that has performed as consistently since.

What I Was Looking For

My requirements for a summer occasion dress are specific. A print rather than a solid colour — prints photograph better in the kind of candid, natural light photography I do, and they are more forgiving of the minor creasing that happens when you are moving around all day. A midi length, because it is the length that works across the widest range of occasions without being too formal or too casual. Cap sleeves, because I find sleeveless dresses uncomfortable for long days and full sleeves too warm for summer. And a silhouette that is relaxed enough to move in but structured enough to look intentional.

Why the Yumi Ivory Poppy Print

The Yumi Ivory Poppy Print Midi Mesh Dress met every requirement. The poppy print is bold without being overwhelming — large, confident flowers on an ivory background that reads as elegant rather than busy. In photographs, the print creates visual interest and depth that a solid colour dress does not, which matters both for how I look in photographs at events and for how I photograph other people wearing similar dresses. I understand what makes a print work in natural light, and this one works.

The soft drapey midi silhouette is the design decision that makes it genuinely comfortable for a long day. The fabric — 94% polyester, 6% elastane shell with a 100% polyester lining — moves with the body rather than holding a fixed shape, which means it looks the same at the end of a ten-hour event as it did at the beginning. The cap sleeves provide coverage without warmth, which is exactly right for summer outdoor events.

I found it through ALTOE's Dresses collection, which is the obvious starting point for anyone comparing summer occasion options. It also sits within the Clothing and Apparel & Accessories collections if you want to browse the wider range.

Three Events, Three Compliments

I wore the dress for the first time to a garden wedding in July — afternoon ceremony, evening reception, eight hours in total. The ivory and poppy print worked beautifully against the garden backdrop. I received two compliments from guests I had not met before, which is unusual for a working photographer who is generally invisible at events. The dress was comfortable for the full eight hours. It did not crease significantly despite the movement involved in photography work.

The second event was a corporate summer party — a rooftop venue, smart-casual dress code, evening. The dress read as appropriately dressed without being overdressed. One compliment from a client I had worked with before, who had not seen me in anything other than working clothes.

The third event was a birthday garden party — afternoon, relaxed, friends and family. The dress worked in that context too, which is the test of a genuinely versatile occasion dress: it should be able to dress up or down depending on the event without looking wrong in either direction.

The Rest of the Summer

The Yumi Ivory Poppy Print Midi Mesh Dress was in my regular rotation for the rest of the summer. It washes easily — machine wash, which is essential for a dress that gets worn to outdoor events in warm weather — and has retained its print quality and fabric drape across multiple washes. The 127cm length has remained consistent. The cap sleeves have not stretched or lost their shape.

It is the dress I reach for when I have an occasion and I am not sure what to wear. That is the highest possible endorsement of a summer occasion dress: it is the default choice rather than the considered one.

If you have a summer occasion coming up and you want a dress that works across multiple contexts, photographs beautifully, and is comfortable for a full day, the Yumi Ivory Poppy Print Midi Mesh Dress is the one I would choose. Browse the Dresses collection at ALTOE. The poppy print is bolder in person than in photographs, which is the right direction for a print to go.

Harriet Bloom is a freelance events and wedding photographer based in Bath. She writes about the clothing that has worked for her dual role as working photographer and occasional guest, the prints that photograph well, and the summer dresses that have earned a permanent place in her wardrobe.