There’s a certain anxiety that comes with dressing for a big event. Black tie, cocktail, ambiguous wedding themes … picking an outfit that fits within the confines of the dress code while also being, you know, stylish, can become a laborious and stress-inducing enterprise. But even the most seasoned dresser, one who pulls out a perfectly on-point ensemble for any given occasion with apparent ease, would be overcome with panic ahead of Royal Ascot.
A tradition dating back to the 1700s, the five-day racing affair is the crème de la crème of British social events, attracting the entire royal family, as well as a heavy dose of celebrities and top models. The dress code is among the most rigorous of any event globally, with the style guide clocking in at a cool 36 pages. A taster of the kind of rules to be adhered to in the Royal Enclosure: hats must have a base of 10 centimetres; no fascinators or headbands allowed; and dress straps must be wider than an inch.
All this may sound a little intimidating, but once you get past the whole 36 pages thing, the dress stipulations are actually pretty … logical. No spaghetti straps, no short skirts, no midriff-baring. Within those guidelines — the same you’d likely follow at any raceday — there are actually ample opportunities for interesting outfits. Plus I found, unexpectedly, that navigating the dress code actually adds to the old-world glamour aspect of the thing. Much like Australian racing season, which still draws a crowd of about 700,000 each year, Ascot’s appeal lies partly in its apparent exclusivity.
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Harper's Bazaar Australia.
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This story is from the October 2019 edition of Harper's Bazaar Australia.
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