Victoria Starmer Wears Her Favourite Designer For The Labour Party Conference

As 'First Lady' at the Labour Party Conference, Lady Victoria Starmer's choice of outfit wasn't necessarily a surprise. Arriving with her husband, Sir Keir Starmer, she managed to strike the perfect balance between polished and relatable, wearing a strawberry red shirt dress and pointed white pumps both from Edeline Lee. The Echo dress, which is still available to buy in sizes from UK 4-18, has a slightly less relatable price tag of £1,105, higher than a lot of the clothes she's been wearing since taking up residence in 10 Downing Street. In a sign that she's aware of the current mood up and down the country, however, Starmer borrowed both items for the occasion.

This was to be expected, however, considering the ramping up of public appearances, not to mention her attendance at London Fashion Week, where she took a front row seat at Edeline Lee. The London-based brand - Lee herself is Canadian-British - hand makes its clothes in London's East End, and has proved to be a long-time favourite of Starmer. This more public show of allegiance is something won't have gone unnoticed by the fashion world at large during LFW, who will have been looking to gauge the government's interest in an industry that directly supported a £62 billion contribution to UK GDP, according to a report by UKFT, in 2023.

Starmer, who was photographed outside the venue with June Sarpong, wore a high-necked, polka-dotted blouse and matching wide-leg trousers with a collarless navy jacket (still available to shop in all sizes), a fashion-forward look for the woman whose signatures so far have been 'soft' power dresses and practical outerwear. And not forgetting the look's pièce de résistance? Giant sunglasses that she didn't remove on the front row, a notorious flex of fashion's most formidable editor, Anna Wintour.

She's also been acclimatising to a new world of sartorial diplomacy, where one's clothes reflect their surroundings in a way that semaphores both respect and sensitivity. As part of her visit earlier this week to Liverpool, Starmer wore a relaxed brown tee and stretch-waist trousers, not made by a designer label but a female-owned, slow-fashion brand from the city, By Elleven.

As the country's First Lady, Starmer's wardrobe has come under the style microscope so to speak. As the election results came in early on Friday 5 July, she wore a look that was typical of her taste to date: navy wide-leg trousers, white trainers and a cropped tweed jacket from the high street label ME+EM. This brand of chic with a contemporary twist – forget the floral dresses and beige court shoes we'd come to expect from the likes of Carrie Johnson – is reflective of the aspirational but approachable vibe which Labour, generally, seems to be cultivating. (ME+EM was her go-to label for the historical day: for the visit to Buckingham Palace, as well as the photo call outside No.10, Starmer stepped out dressed in a red contrast-stitch dress by the brand.)

Starmer's wardrobe should have no trouble adapting to the demands of such a role (speaking to Polly Dunbar, one local mum told Grazia: 'She’s sleek and polished, the one who makes us try to up our game’). From the smart-casual looks she's previously worn to cast her vote at the polling station to the white-tie gowns she's pulled out for State Banquets, Starmer has proved her style is as 'grounded' as her personality.

Despite the frow appearance, it's unlikely that her wardrobe will ever be 'the story' - see, Theresa May's leather trousers; Rishi Sunak's unfortunate dalliance with Sambas - and, frankly, is all the better for it, sticking, as she does, to hard-working pieces that will serve as a subtly stylish backbone to her public-facing persona. Of course, there's plenty of red - whether it's a primary shade like yesterday's of something more like burgundy - to easily semaphore her allegiance, but she doesn't over-egg it by dressing as top-to-toe like some other political figures.

If you want to copy her subtle yet stylish way of dressing, here's how to shop her outfits.

See and shop: Victoria Starmer's Outfits

For her first visit to Washington, DC, Starmer wore a simple white dress that, nevertheless, delivered subtle wow-factor from Needle & Thread.

Stepping out as 'First Lady', Starmer, once again, chose a dress from ME+EM. The contemporary brand is fast becoming a go-to for smart-casual pieces that put a twist on the rather tired 'power dress' trope - Angela Rayner is also member of its fan club - and this one is currently in the sale for £162.50.

Victory! To mark the occasion of her husband’s first audience with the King, Starmer opted for yet another look by ME+EM. After donning a cropped jacket by the label last night, she now presented herself in a short-sleeved dress in - drumroll - red. The look was complete with silver slingbacks from Russell & Bromley.

Starmer arrived bright and early to her and her husband's polling station wearing - surprise, surprise - a bright red shirt dress from Simkhai. The exact shade is no longer available to shop online but you can buy the deeper crimson for £445.

Joining her husband for a campaign event less than a week before today's General Election, Starmer opted for a softer approach to party colours than block red. Her short-sleeved and softly pleated floral dress is by The Kooples - and is now on sale for £255. Styled with a drop-pearl necklace that she's worn several times before, it was a stylish look without being showy.

A politician's wardrobe involves the occasional white-tie number for State Banquets, as does their plus one's. Perhaps Starmer took a style tip from the Princess of Wales. Why? Because on her most recent visit to Buckingham Palace, she chose to wear the contemporary occasionwear label Needle & Thread, a famous favourite of Kate Middleton's. The gown itself, an ankle-length frock with a cape that glides over the upper arms, is still available to buy.

Starmer obviously makes an annual appearance at the Labour Party Conference, naturally wearing a shade of red rose. This belted dress with fluted sleeves is by Edeline Lee.

For 2022's Labour Party Conference, Starmer stuck to her style guns, wearing a pleated burgundy shirt dress with simple black pumps. Karen Millen has a similar version, with a faux-leather pleated skirt and gold hardware at the waist, for £135.20 in the sale.

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).