Going to the races? See the Top Dresses of 2010

A trip to the races is always great fun, but in order to really feel part of the occasion you need to feel like you fit in with the other racegoers – and that means wearing the right type of outfit.



Racing fashion is very different to most other types of fashion. Each racecourse has a slightly different dress code, and each fixture at that racecourse can have a slightly different style again, particularly if there is a themed raceday, such as a Ladies’ Day.



Aintree Fashion is not the same as Ascot Fashion, which is different again from Goodwood Fashion, and all three are slightly different from Sandown Fashion... In fact, each of the 60 racecourses in the UK has a slightly different personality and this is reflected in the way its average visitor dresses for the races. Then to compound matters, Flat racing fashion is quite distinct from Jump (National Hunt) racing fashion!



Broadly speaking Flat racing fashion can be placed into a few categories:



Royal Ascot Fashion – haute couture, amazing ‘Especially for the Races’ hats, accessories to the max... Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot can look like a designer fashion catalogue shoot; in contrast the other days of the Royal Ascot week-long festival are typically also high fashion, but can be high street fashion rather than purely designer.



For Gentlemen, think Top Hat and Tails. Royal Ascot is a great opportunity to ‘dare to wear’ outfits you might never get the chance to wear anywhere else – but take care to follow the special Royal Ascot Fashion Rules or you could come unstuck. Find out more here.



Glorious Goodwood Fashion - Think of a ‘Very English Summer Garden Party’ – almost like a fancy dress theme. While elegance and femininity are important (as with Royal Ascot Fashion), the dresses people choose for the races at Glorious Goodwood tend to be much more of the High Tea variety – pretty, soft and possibly slightly floaty. For the guys, it’s pale linen suits and Panama hats!



Ladies’ Days Fashion – most racecourses in the UK hold a Ladies’ Day and if you go to the races on these days, then the dresses are the feature and ‘dressing for the races’ is the whole point of going.

The rule for Ladies’ Days, first and foremost, is ‘dress to impress’. Normally, for summer Ladies Days the fashion is smart summer dresses, cocktail dresses or even the type of outfit you would wear to a wedding.



For winter (often Jump) racing Ladies’ Days, fashion is more practical, with beautiful tweed suits, fur-lined coats, stylish boots and elegant winter coats being the outfits of choice. However there is one famously notable exception: Aintree Ladies’ Day at the Grand National Festival is viewed by many lady racegoers and fashionistas as the first ‘summer’ outing of the year – despite being in April in often near-zero temperatures!



At the Aintree Grand National Ladies’ Day, you can dare to bare or follow the traditional winter/Jump fashion code – the choice is yours but either way we recommend some serious thermal undies! View our 2010 fashion photos now to get some ideas of what to wear.



General Racing Days and Family Days – you will still find people who ignore the racing and prefer to concentrate on the dresses, but generally speaking, it’s a much more casual affair and racewear will involve fewer dresses and far more casual outfits.



Something comfortable and practical (check the weather report!) is usually the best way forward. Smart jeans are often acceptable but check the racecourse’s rules – especially if you are planning to enjoy a meal in a restaurant at the course, where you might find jeans and trainers are not allowed and men might be required to wear a shirt and jacket or shirt and tie.



If you’d like to get an idea of the fashion people wear to the races, look at our fashion photos – we’ve got some great dresses from the 2010 season for you to look at.



If you’d like to read more about racing fashion, please read our specialist racing fashion section which contains regular on trend fashion articles written by professional stylists and personal shoppers, for both men and women.



If you’d like to hear about new fashion articles as we publish them, subscribe to our twitter feed or follow us on Facebook.



And if you’d like to get discounts from our fashion partners, then please sign up here for our ‘Offers Newsletter’.