For three years I had no idea what to wear to brunch.

Wedding — I knew what to wear. Office — I knew what to wear. Errands — I knew what to wear. Brunch: I was stumped.

The reason was that brunch sits in a category I couldn’t name. It’s too dressed for sweatpants. Too casual for a dress. Too weekend-y for work clothes. Too public for pajamas.

This post is what I figured out. If you’ve had the same stumped feeling, here’s the formula.

The categories brunch is actually made of

Brunch, when I break it down, is three different events:

  • Casual brunch — coffee shop, two friends, two hours, Sunday paper
  • Polished brunch — trendy restaurant, four friends, ordering out loud
  • Special brunch — someone’s birthday, Mother’s Day, the kind with mimosas

Each calls for something slightly different. Here’s what I wear to each.

Casual brunch

The vibe is “hanging out.” You are not at a restaurant being seen. You are with one or two friends in a low-key place.

The formula: A great pair of jeans + a structured top + a sneaker or a loafer.

In real terms: my straight-leg jeans (Universal Standard Muse, black), the Everlane Heavyweight Tee in white, a chunky gold necklace, and white low-top sneakers or a leather loafer.

The reason this works: it’s intentional without trying. The t-shirt reads casual, the jeans signal “I’m not in pajamas,” the sneaker keeps the dress code intact.

Polished brunch

The vibe is “together, going out, see and be seen.” May be in a slightly fancier restaurant, more friends, possibly a reservation.

The formula: Trousers + a button-down + a statement earring + a sneaker or low heel.

In real terms: my walnut-brown Universal Standard trousers, a soft button-down in cream from Maeve, the chunky gold necklace, and block-heeled boots.

Why this works: the trousers ground the look, the button-down adds "considered," the boots give it a little lift. The earring pulls it together.

Special brunch

Mother’s Day, a 30th birthday, the brunch where you take everyone’s photo. Slightly elevated.

The formula: The wrap dress + sandals or block-heeled mules.

In real terms: the Eloquii wrap dress I’ve mentioned everywhere, in deep green, paired with cognac block-heeled sandals and a slightly more elaborate earring situation.

The wrap dress is the right answer for every occasion that’s not the office or the gym. It just is.

The mistake I was making for three years

The mistake was treating brunch as a category and trying to find a brunch outfit. Brunch is a time of day during which I have three different moods. Each mood has a formula.

Once I figured this out, my closet got simpler. I have a “casual brunch” formula that is identical to my Saturday coffee-shop outfit. I have a “polished brunch” formula that is identical to my workwear formula but with a sneaker swap. I have a “special brunch” outfit that is the wrap dress, every time.

The decision I’m not making anymore: what to wear to brunch. The decision I am making: what kind of brunch is this?

Where this framework goes wrong

One place: when the brunch is outdoors and the weather is unpredictable. Then the formula is “whichever version has the most layers I can take on and off.” A linen blazer over either formula. A trench. A denim jacket.

The second place: when the brunch is somewhere I’ve never been and I don’t know the dress code. Then the formula is the highest version of myself, which for me is the wrap dress.

What this is part of

This post is part of a series I’m doing on outfit formulas for specific moments. Future posts in the series:

  • What I wear to weddings (already published)
  • What I wear to job interviews
  • What I wear to dinner with my in-laws
  • What I wear to dinner with my own family
  • What I wear to a first date
  • What I wear to a funeral

If you want one of these in priority, send me a message. Reader priority moves my writing queue.

What’s the most-stumped-on moment for you? The one where you’ve stood in front of your closet and given up. I want to write it. Tell me.