The summer is finally here, and in between all your sunny holidays, barbecues, weddings and garden parties, I hope you'll have at least one day free to spend the day at the races! The Grand National is over now, but don't worry, there are still plenty of excuses to don your biggest hat and buy a new outfit. Here is our round up of some of the biggest events of the racing season and our pick of our hats, so you can look effortlessly glam each time.
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2017 |
Epsom Derby |
Royal Ascot |
|
29th June - 2nd July |
Events running from 2nd June |
20th June - 24th June |
A day out to the races is a much loved British tradition, so smart classic attire is a must. Make sure you check the style guide of the particular race event you're attending to avoid any embarrassing moments - if you're off to Ascot, for example, if you're not going to wear a traditional hat, your headpiece must have a base of at least 10cm (four inches) - little fascinators are out!
In other style guide news, the jumpsuit has officially been added to the Royal Ascot style guide for the first time for 2017 (so long as it adheres to the rules applied to tops). Ascot is a sartorial event in its own right and a fashion forward approach is always encouraged.
Remember, dresses and skirts must be "of modest length," defined as just above the knee or longer while dresses and tops must have straps of at least one inch in thickness. This means that strapless, spaghetti and off-the-shoulder styles are not permitted - not even if you keep it covered with a jacket or a pashmina!
But of course, fashion-wise, the main attraction at any racing event is the millinery. We've got a wide selection of hats and headpieces perfect for Ascot, Goodwood et al in our Brighton hat shop as well as a vast selection of fascinators for events with more relaxed dress codes, and of course any weddings you're attending too!
Suitable hats and headpieces for Ascot
We are proud to stock a range of stunning British handmade hats and headpieces from multi-award-winning milliner Vivien Sheriff. Her new Vixen Millinery collection is an elegant, reasonably-priced selection of feminine hats and headpieces, perfect for summer events.
Large Taupe Rose Occasion Hat - perfect for Ascot and mother-of-the-bride
Black & Pink Striped Headpiece - great for the races and for wedding guests too
Large Navy Disc Hat - Great for Ascot, also stunning for mother-of-the-bride and groom
Electric Blue Disc Headpiece with Crystals
Shop all Vixen by Vivien Sheriff hats, fascinators and headpieces now
We've also got some restocks of our most popular pieces from last year! Peter Bettley is one of our most popular suppliers in our Brighton boutique - he's designed hats for the royals and his pieces always sell quickly! Snap one up now while you can!
Champagne Rose Pillbox Fascinator
Have a look at some of the shots from our fascinator shoot last year for some more styling inspiration, then shop all our hats, headpieces and fascinators here. You can also get in touch with us on live chat, over the phone - or of course in our Brighton shop - where we have many more stunning headpieces available and our experienced and friendly shop assistants can give you a personalised shopping experience to help you find the perfect hat for Ascot!
