Whether you are off to a Race Day or even a Melbourne Cup Luncheon, your outfit requires strategic planning! You want to strive for a fun, bright and sexy outfit and as well as providing yourself with a bit of comfort.
Luckily there are a few trends at the moment that allow you to do just that, pastel, neon and floral prints help you put the spring in spring carnival, and wedges will become your new best friend. They look great, are comfortable and you won’t be heels deep in the grass all day. Peplum tops and dress’s automatically dress you up, and the cut is super flattering, even after an afternoon on the champers!
If you’re a serial race goer you might not want to buy a new dress for every outing…that’s were jewellery comes in! As long as your dress is relatively plain you can up-cycle the outfit with statement pieces and avoid outfit repeating.
WHAT TO WEAR TO THE RACES
When going to the races, make sure you plan ahead and be equipped for a full day of fun and festivities. Without a doubt there’ll be plenty of cheering, a few too many glasses of bubbly and it will most likely lend itself to a big night on the town.
Be prepared – bring a spare pair of flats with you that you can put on when your feet are all ‘heeled’ out. The worst thing to see on race day is glamorous women wobbling around with dirty, bare feet! Soooo not chic! Do not go bare feet ladies! A pair of glittery or sequined fold up ballet flats are great and will keep in theme with your races frock. If you don’t have any dressy flats, opt for a nude or black pair.
The Dress – unlike a wedding or formal event, a race day is definitely the place to go bold and bright when it comes to outfit planning, so embrace the Spring / Summer trends and add pops of orange, purple, bright pinks and even a touch of neon if you dare. As far as length, a nice knee length or just above the knee dress is fine, or a maxi if you prefer.
The Shoes – again, a race day allows you to be bolder with your footwear choices and wedges are definitely a good choice. They are more comfortable than a high heel and mean you are not constantly sinking into the grass all day. There are so many stunning wedges on the market in all shapes and colours so there is plenty to choose from.
The Bag – a clutch or small shoulder bag is the bag of choice for the races. You don’t want to look like you’ve dragged your work bag out with you but you also need a bit of space for your fold up ballet flats and form guide.
The Fascinator – most girls love to dress up, and adding a fascinator to finish off your Race Day outfit shows you love a good race day. A fascinator doesn’t have to cost the earth and we found some affordable options at Birdsnest, Fashion Diva, Frock You which you can find via our Style Directory.
The Ballet Flats – it has been said before that we’re not fans of seeing ladies in bare feet at the end of a race day or event, end of story. If you think you might struggle in your heels and cannot bare the pain for a second longer, plan ahead and have some ballet flat backup. There are lots of cute fold up ballet flats on the market these days so there are no excuses ladies!
Shown in the above image, Dress from Gosh Celebrity Fashion, Fascinator from Birdsnest, Wedges, Clutch Bag and Fold up ballet flats from Betts.
Creative by Katelyn Hague, style advice with the help of Rebecca Lau and Sally Dunn.
