In 2014, Electric City Life wrote a post examining the 6 reasons why The Steeplechase isn’t just about horses. In honor of the inaugural Pegasus World Cup, held this past January in Indiana, we thought we would look at the side of racing considered by some to be as important as the horses: the race day fashion.
These tips will be useful if you are planning to visit a race in the upcoming months, or in preparation for the 2017 Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens this November.
Chose the Right Dress Length
Race events can have strict dress codes concerning the length of a dress, and anything too short could be turned away or criticized for not being elegant enough for the races. If it’s too long, and the weather turns bad your gorgeous white dress might end up having a brown border at the bottom. A mid-length hemline is perfect for being glamorous, tasteful, and practical.
The Right Hat
There are not many opportunities in life to wear a beautiful hat, but a day at the races is certainty one of them, and at many places it is expected. Bri Mott, writing for her website Fashion for the Races, knows the importance of getting the balance between hat and dress right. In the three years she has attended the Kentucky Derby, she has ensured that her hats fit the outfit and the occasion.
Don’t Forget the Accessories
A great outfit needs to be complemented with the perfect accessories and they are an impeccable way to showoff your personality. The accessories shouldn’t overpower the outfit and often less is more. A tasteful clutch bag is a great way to hold all the essentials including those winning racing stubs.
Shoes that Fit the Event as Well as the Dress
Courier Journal states that one of the biggest fashion faux pas is wearing clothes that limit your activities. If you are going to wear high heels be aware that you will need heels that are thick otherwise you are going to find some areas hard to walk across such as cobbles and wet grass. A racing day involves a lot of standing around so don’t wear brand new shoes that haven’t been broken in. The most sensible option is to bring a spare pair of shoes, which means you can adapt to any situation and still enjoy the day.
Colors
Black and white, no matter what the event, will always be fashionable and look elegant. Big bold colors are also in fashion at the moment as well as floral prints. The important thing to remember is to be yourself and don’t wear colors or patterns that are not you because you feel pressured to do so. It is easy to see the women who wore what they wanted to wear to the races and the women who wore what they thought they should wear.
Men
Guys have to dress up too and many races require a suit jacket as the minimum. Fashion at the races is always noticed with papers like the Sun Sentinel who picked up the fashion choices of the racing punters at this year’s Pegasus World Cup. The Pegasus World Cup is the richest race in horse racing and was won by Arrogate. Betfair, who cover the biggest horse races in the world including the Grand National stated that Arrogate was the highest-rated horse in the world in their Pegasus World Cup runner-by-runner guide. If you are going to attend the richest race in the world then the men better suit up and not let the ladies down in the fashion stakes.
