The long lunch is the most specific occasion on a holiday and the one people dress for least well. It starts at one in full sun and ends at five when the light has gone soft, it usually involves a terrace, and there is often a short walk on hot ground at either end. Anything that only works in one of those conditions fails for half the afternoon.

A midi dress is the answer because it covers the legs enough to sit comfortably on a hot chair and is short enough not to drag through a gravel courtyard.

The eight here run $395 to $545, which is the dressier end of this edit and appropriate for the occasion. Sea's pleated lace Hilda is $395 and Posse's Lindie cotton is $460. ALÉMAIS' printed hemp Mona at $490 is the most breathable. Fleur du Mal's Bebe slip at $498 and By Malene Birger's Camilla satin slip at $450 are the two that need a layer over them. ROTATE's jacquard strapless and St. Agni's cotton oxford are both $500, and Anemos' DK wrap is $545.

Lunch is where a flat shoe beats a sandal, which is the opposite of most holiday advice. A restaurant terrace means a chair, a tiled floor and possibly a cool interior, and a closed or half-closed shoe reads as more considered than a beach sandal without costing any comfort.

A ballet flat also packs flat, which no sandal with a rigid sole manages. In a small case that is a genuine argument rather than a marginal one.

The eight here run $260 to $610. Bembien's Faye woven leather mules at $260 and Black Suede Studio's Gabby suede loafers at $298 are the two that work in a town. Andrea Gomez's Amelia leather ballet flats are $375. Aeyde's Uma mesh mary jane at $380 is the coolest in heat because the mesh actually breathes rather than just looking open. STAUD's Faye leather mules and Odissi's Aicha lace ballerina are both $425. Balenciaga's satin ballet flat is $550, and toteme's slip ballerina at $610 is the plainest and the most expensive.

A small bag at lunch is a practical choice rather than a decorative one. A large tote takes up the floor beside a chair, gets kicked, and comes back covered in dust. A clutch or a small pouch sits on the table or the lap and holds what an afternoon actually requires.

The useful shape is a flat clutch rather than a boxy one, because it slides into a larger bag for the journey there and comes out clean for the meal. A boxed frame takes the same space whether it is full or empty.

The eight here run $300 to $495, which is a tight band. Lié Studio's Margot leather pouch at $300 is the plainest. STAUD's Muse leather clutch is $350 and Cult Gaia's Goodie wooden wristlet at $355 has a strap, which solves the problem of putting it down. Emm Kuo's Maiden Lane is $450. Pura Utz's lace beaded clutch at $470 is handmade beadwork. SIMKHAI's Splash metal clutch, Marlies Grace's Marlies clutch and Veronica Beard's Dash suede clutch all sit at $495.