Racegoers at Royal Ascot had the chance to channel their inner Audrey Hepburn as Ladies’ Day sashayed its way across the British racecourse, Thursday.
Styled for a scene set at Ascot in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady,” the star’s chic black and white dress — trimmed with bows and ribbon and set off by an enormous hat and lace parasol — became an instant design classic.
This year, florals, fluorescents and feathers pepped up the prestigious race meeting. Fashion tastes may have moved on but Royal Ascot’s demand for demure couture has stood the test of time.
“The Ascot dress code is definitely the strictest,” Oliver Brett, a racing journalist for UK broadcaster Channel 4, told CNN as he walked among the crowd on Ladies’ Day resplendent in top hat and tails.
“It’s the best clothes you can possibly buy. It’s that level of finery. The course looks like everyone has been invited to a wedding.
“Ladies’ Day is the signature day in the Ascot diary. If you are coming for all five days of the meeting then that’s the day you pick outfit No.1 for.”
The Ascot racecourse, 30 miles west of London, was established in 1711 by Queen Anne and sartorial elegance was part of its fabric right from the off.
Over time ladies were encouraged to save their best dresses for the Gold Cup, the prestigious endurance race run on the Thursday and won in 2015 by Trip to Paris.
“It is full on for Ladies’ Day,” milliner Ilda Di Vico told CNN from amid the clamor of the racecourse. “The crazy, wacky hats are out, no holds barred.”
The 2015 guidelines on dress code, detailed in full on the Royal Ascot website, are pretty prescriptive, especially for racegoers in the higher echelons of the Royal Enclosure.
Ladies are asked to wear formal day wear and are reminded strapless dresses, exposed midriffs and fascinators are not allowed. Gentlemen must don a top hat and tails.
Those in the Grandstand must also stick to formal wear and are reminded shorts are a no-no while there is no code in the Silver Ring — where the cheapest ticket costs $45 — but replica sports shirts and fancy-dress are banned.
“I’ve seen young men wearing tails and top hats in the Silver Ring and that’s quite unusual,” revealed Brett.
“They’ve definitely stepped it up this year. A lot of people don’t wear suits to work anymore but, if anything, Royal Ascot is turning the screw the other way.
“People make a real effort for days at the races, much more than they would for a Friday night out on the town.”
There is one fashion accessory that is as essential to Royal Ascot racegoers as a hot tip and some money for a flutter — a hat. Indeed headgear is a prerequisite for those with tickets for the Royal Enclosure and Grandstand.
Di Vico has the prestigious honor of being the closest milliner to Ascot, with her business based in the village of Sunningdale, just two miles from the course.
“This is my Christmas,” she enthuses. “I start appointments from February and now I see about 30 people a day. It’s manic for me. I put my head down and plough through.”
Each of Di Vico’s hats is a one-off design and when the last race has been run, she’s straight back to her workshop preparing the next day’s creations.
“The starting prices are $150 for off-the-shelf but if the client wants expensive feathers and flowers it pushes the value up,” she explains. “My hats can go up to $4800.
“The perfect Ascot hat has to be elegant with a touch of wow. There’s been an amazing turnout this year. We’ve spotted a lot of fluorescents, oranges, yellows and green. A lot of people are also wearing white.”
Fashion is so intrinsic to Royal Ascot that it just might just be the only meeting where punters can place a bet on the hat worn by a member of the monarchy.
“There are bookmakers on course who take bets on the color of the Queen’s hat,” says Brett.
For the record, the Queen probably foxed the punters — and pleased the bookmakers – by opting for a pale mint green on Ladies’ Day.