Dress code for afternoon tea at Harrods

Can't say for Harrods but we went for afternoon tea at Fortnum & Masons which would probably have the equivalent status if not more. We had been hoofing it round London all day and nobody batted an eyelid when we rolled up in jeans and battered walking shoes.

There is a "smart" dress code for the Georgian. Harrods can be strict about these kinds of things. They routinely refuse entry to the department store for anyone with torn jeans, skimpy attire, or t-shirts with obscenities.

Why don't you email them and ask.

So what's smart dress? I would love to email them but I couldn't find an email address....

Windy: Here's a discussion on the London Forum of tripadvisor.com, mostly by UK and Canadian residents, of what "smart dress code" means in Londonhttp://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k1908057-Smart_Dress_Code-London_England.htmlHere's one of the replies:"The big "no nos" for anywhere with a "smart" or "smart casual" dress code are T-shirts, jeans and trainers (sneakers). Other than that, you'll find most places fairly flexible for women. For men, "smart casual" means trousers (not jeans), proper shoes, and a shirt with a collar. "Smart" means jacket and probably a tie"

Black is always "smart". If you wear black pants, a black long sleeve T or turtle neck, a sweater and/or a nice scarf, you should be fine. Don't worry about shoes- again black walking shoes!

As mentioned above, The Georgian Restaurant has a Smart Dress code as does the entire store. Guards at the door will refuse entry to the store if they feel you don't meet the Smart Dress code. If you have a nice clean pair of jeans or slacks and a sweater on I'm sure that you will be permitted in. My husband wore jeans into Harrods and had no problems.

There is an even posher celebrity hotspot called The Ivy, on West street near the seven dials in Covent Garden. You might want to try for tea there as well, if you plan on dressing up anyhow... :)

Thanks to all that replied.... Looks like we're going to play it safe and go back to the hotel and change for afternoon tea and then we'll also be ready for the theatre.

Windy

I wore jeans, nike jogging shoes, and a Columbia sport shirt to tea at Harrods and also up the street at another tea. You just need to look neat. I have never been turned away at any place in Europe for dress. That is my typical attire. You would expect to get turned away if you went to a Michelin or other restaurant that required coat and tie (probably not many). Since those don't appeal to me, I don't worry about it.
THanks - Bill

Be aware that few people "dress" for the theatre in London. We did dress up a bit when we first started going (20 + years ago) and felt a bit over-dressed. Now I wear black slacks, a bright colored T or turtleneck shirt and a "big shirt" or light weight blazer. Sometimes I just add a scarf to the basic pants and shell/t-shirt. You will see everything from "dressy" dresses (few and far bewteen) to nice slacks and a sweater top to jeans and a t-shirt (in summer I have even see shorts- but they looked too casusal!).

Windy- Smart dressing is not what it used to be in London. We had breakfast at Fortnum and Mason and saw a great extremes in dressing. I noticed a great deal more people wearing white (but clean) trainers with jeans but most were Eastern Europeans.

We attended tea at Harrods with all of us in jeans and boots, no sneakers and as stated by another poster, black is always in and scarves are great accessories to dress up an outfit.

We found that people are not dressing for the theatre like they did even 10 years ago. Most people were in jeans but I think it may also depend on the show. I people dressed a little better to see "Twelvth Night" than I did "Billy Elliot" or "The Lion King."

The biggest change I saw at Harrods is they were telling people they must carry their backpacks in their hand on not on their backs but I did see a fair amount of "torn" jeans but that's the fashion for younger people right now.

Don't worry too much, be clean and neat and darker colors are better. Have a great trip!

Thanks to all who have replied..... Had a great time at Harrods Georgian Restaurant for afternoon tea. A great experience one of the highlights of our trip. We decided to play it safe and wore nice clothing but noticed a teenager in a sweatshirt jeans and sneakers. The doorman indeed asked us to hold our backpacks in our hands and not on our backs. Wished I had known this little bit of information. Not a real big deal but it was a drag to carry it around. Hope this information can help others who may stumble across this posting. Windy

I too am planning on attending high tea at Harrods on 25 August and am a little nervous about the "smart" dress code. I have MS and wear special shoe inserts inside of walking shoes. So does my boyfriend. I dont want to have to drag one more note around with me on this adventure because I have to keep up enough with other items related to my health, such as my pacemaker card. I am hoping this shouldnt be a problem for myself. I checked on our lunch cruise and they were fine wht "trainers" for since it is medically needed. I am glad to hear that we can wear jeans or khakis to the theater as well.
I hope your adventure went well.
Regards,
Rebecca