Dress Code
Royal Ascot is one of the events of the year both from a sporting and social perspective and although in years gone by the Ascot authorities had the unenviable reputation for not allowing just about anybody to enter the racecourse because of dress code and standards, this thankfully has changed quite dramatically over the last 10 years.
The Ascot “STUFFINESS” and “OLD SCHOOL TIE” attitude has now been replaced with a more liberal outlook.
Saying that……Royal Ascot is an event and one where most people want to look good, so just so you are clear and are wearing the most suitable clothing for your trip to Royal Ascot, here are the official guidelines directly from Royal Ascot Racecourse.
Royal Enclosure
Dress Code:
Ladies
Only formal day dress with hat or substantial fascinator will be acceptable for ladies. Off the
shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and / or
miniskirts are considered unsuitable. Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full
length and of matching material and colour.
Gentlemen
Gentlemen are required to wear either black or grey morning dress, including waistcoat,
with top hat. A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, a private box, a
private club or that facility’s terrace, balcony or garden. Hats may also be removed within
any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden.
Overseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal national dress of their country or Service
Dress.
Public Enclosures – Grandstand
Dress Code:
Ladies
Ladies are required to dress in a manner appropriate to a smart occasion. Many wear hats although this is not compulsory.
Gentlemen
In the Grandstand Admission area gentlemen must wear a shirt and tie, preferably with a suit or jacket.
Sports attire, jeans and shorts are strictly forbidden.
Silver Ring
Whilst it is encouraged to wear smart clothing in the Silver Ring, no formal dress code
applies.
Tips on what to wear
For Gentlemen the traditional morning suit with shirt and tie and Top hat go to making Royal Ascot what it is and come the third day of the meeting “Ladies Day’ will see the girls out in force with dresses and hats in abundance.
When i write this Ascot is only a month away and if you are going then it’s time to get your outfit planned and prepared and we have outlined a few suppliers who will be doing there best to make YOU look your best.
Of course Ladies first……..
Now i know you ladies love to look at the more main stream designer labels but one we have checked out here on the Royal Ascot Blog is the Italian design house Artigiano who have some beautiful garments and dresses which will make any women look absolutely stunning. They also have a fantastic brand called Spirito which caters for our lady race fans who are looking for elegant clothing in sizes 14 – 28.
Their stunning new collection is really a mix of modern fresh designs with an influence from the latest catwalk trends with fgorgeous transitional knitwear, dramatic stunning prints, fashionable shift dresses and glamorous occasionwear for events such as Royal Ascot. They use incredibly high quality fabrics, and like many from top Italian mills, are sumptuous and luxurious; finishes and detailing are exquisite and prices, thanks to internet etailing makes them remarkably affordable. This combination means Artigiano represents exceptional value for money.
Another fantastic etailer with real street cred is the trendy Yook and now that you have your Dress sorted out you are going to need a fabulous pair of shoes to go with it. Now I am a guy and probably only have about four pairs of shoes that i really use (typical) but click on the image below and it will take you to a fantastic page of some of the most stunning shoes i have seen. The selection here is pretty amazing.
And now for the Gentlemen……..
Guys…if you are going to Royal Ascot then morning suit is definately de rigour, but i must say i prefer a nice cleanly cut two piece with a nice matching shirt and tie combination.
June is normally quite warm so choose your clothing with that in mind and go for slightly lighter cloths in the shirt department and with slightly looser cut with your chosen jacket.
As I have done for the girls, I have been trying to find one of the more up and coming clothing etailers for the guys to choose from and i think i have found one.
I wanted to make sure that you could get that classic look without looking too staid and monochrome so here we go.
The company Charles Tyrwhitt has a fantastic range of menswear and apart from that special shirt offer above can provide a whole host of other clothing essentials.
The thing i love about this site is not just that they sell high quality garments but they have a fantastic help section including tutorials on how to iron a shirt, how to tie a half windsor knot, what you should know about white shirts…….it’s all in a section called “Hints for the Modern Gentleman”
So there is just a little help and have a wonderful day and i hope you win lots of money on the horses as well.
My passion is horse racing more than fashion so make sure to come back before the racing starts to see my video tips for the week.
All the Best
Richard
a.k.a The Longshot King
