On my first trip to Royal Ascot I turned what my mother would fondly refer to as “a proper hash of it”. I had been invited along by a client lucky enough to have secured tickets in one of the more exclusive enclosures. Mistaking my finest navy suit for formal attire (I was, admittedly, still in my early- twenties), I walked confidently up to the entrance only to find everyone around me dressed as if they were about to clip the630Oaks in Lady Crawley’s Drawing Room.
A sharp intake of breath from the steward staring pointedly at my chinos was enough to send me sprinting to the other side of the field where they “would find more relaxed dress codes for your…um… outfit sir.” The look he gave me whilst trailing off said little about my trousers and far more about my character. Image: Getty The following year I arrived supremely overdressed in a hired morning suit and shiny top hat looking, dare I say it, rather silly. If pictures don’t exist from that day I will upload some shortly; mascara runs included.
I spent the entire day second-guessing whether I had creased my trousers whilst marching from racecourse tent to racecourse tent like a Victorian undertaker who had somehow won the lottery. One extreme to the other.
At British race meetings you can autumn into one of two traps quite spectacularly.
Dress too casually and you will stand out like a bastard; overdress and you’ll look like someone has glued a period drama wig on your head. Somewhere between the two of these extremes lies race day style nirvana: dressing appropriately without fear of leaving Mary Berry looking like she shopped at Primark, feeling comfortable and actually enjoying yourself rather than worrying about how you look every five seconds. Relax.
It’s not as complicated as Royal Ascot makes it out to be. Image: Getty It helps to think of British race meetings as existing on a sliding scale. At the very top we have Royal Ascot and its Royal Enclosure, with their notoriously stringent dress codes (basically rent-a-suited-by-numbers affairs).
At the other end of the scale we have your regular racing meetings at your local or regional racecourse, where anything between chinos and fancy dress might be spotted. Between these bookends lies every other race meeting under the British sky with standards that might shift ever so slightly depending on which enclosure you’re viewing them from. Lets focus on these other race meetings for now – your Cheltenhams, your Aintrees (post-Grand National, obviously), Yorks and Goodwoods etc.
In these instances I believe a sharp lounge suit is still your best bet when it comes to weekend race attire. BUT – and here’s the rub – race day suits can and should be slightly less sedate than your usual work/business suits or even wedding suit. Think lighter colours and/or more interesting textiles.
Pastels and frescos are great for spring/summer meetings. Even mid-blue or lighter grey suits can work well, provided you pair them with something other than flat navy worsted. Textured fabrics such as fresco, hopsack or even a lightweight tweed in the spring work wonderfully for adding some interest.
Buy a suit in tobacco Irish linen like me and you’ll spend all day receiving compliments (#joy). Yes they crease. Of course they do.
They’re suits. But by race three everyone else will have stopped caring. Go darker and add a dash of texture for autumn/winter meetings.
Flannel suits are always appropriate but a cheque suit in dark grey or muted cheque can work equally as well. I have a staple Prince of Wales cheque suit that toes the line between ‘interesting’ and ‘trying too hard.’ It also earns me compliments, but more importantly, doesn’t shout “look at me!”. There lies the problem with most men’s race day shirts and ties.
Race courses are not the place for your near invisible “business stripes” or tone-on-tone worsted concoctions. With the exception of Royal Ascot (TOP HAT FTW), the racingcourse is one of the few occasions in British life where you can actually get away with – nay, should be encouraged to – wear something a little brighter. Not novelty print bright, we’re not swinging horses/racing hats around here – but maybe a richer colour or a subtle pattern on your tie.
Try sticking to a plain white shirt or pale blue shirt with something a little more adventurous on the neck. Patterned/blended shirts with crazy, wild-patterned ties is a sure-fire way to feel like you work at a car dealership. My safest race-day combination is a crisp white shirt with a tie featuring what I call “racing colours.” Think dark greens/blue/black and burgundy.
Rich colours with small, neat patterns. Try hunting out some vintage Hermès ties on eBay if you’re feeling particularly decadent. Speaking of shoes.
Footwear should be leather, not the scruffed-up office shoes you tramp about in during the week. Get yourself a nice shine on them too – nobody cares if you haven’t got trainers handy. That being said, make sure they’re comfortable enough to actually spend all day standing up in.
I learned this lesson wearing smart-new-brogues-are-great-on-paper-but-screw-you-to-my-feet in at Cheltenham one year. Three races in and I was watching the Gold Cup from behind a bin wearing just my socks. Ask my missus.
Stick to brown suede brogues or oxfords with lighter coloured suits for spring/summer races. Black/brown leather shoes for winter. And speaking of winter boots.
Light tan/chukka boots can actually work wonderfully for winter races. Look smart enough with a suit but infinitely more practical should you have to navigate your way through a carpark that’s been turned into a mudbath by post-workout Rosie Pearson. Ah yes, the age-old waistcoat debate.
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Do you wear one? My opinion is that you definitely should at a race meeting. Fewer places in modern Britain let you wear a waistcoat without instantly styling you as either a craft beer aficionado on a date with Reg Yates or a mildly dusty magician.
Pairing your suit with a matching waistcoat instantly ups the formality without having to don a full-blown morning suit. Or, if your suit’s a bit naff, go contrasting with your waistcoat to add some interest. Please just steer clear of anything that even looks vaguely fun or jazzy.
No horse motifs. No watches on chains. No bright pink satin-backed nightmares.
Different material from your suit is fine. Subtle different pattern is fine. As long as your mum would be proud to see you wearing it you’re good.
Cut a jacket-long coat that complements your suit. Anything shorter and you risk people thinking your jacket is peeking out from underneath. I tend to go for macs or trench coats for spring/summer races and something a little heavier for winter.
Oh and invest in a good umbrella if rain is on the forecast. God knows we all need one of those. Nothing disposable.
A proper umbrella. The kind with a wooden handle that doubles up nicely as a cane should you feel slapdash walking around Tesco’s. Lastly a pocket square.
Not miles crumpled about from your pocket like you moonlight as Craig Kelly’s agent – a simple white linen square with a TV fold does wonders. OPTIONAL: Scarf, if it’s cold. Leather gloves.
Buy some leather gloves. Right, now for the BIGGEST controversARY of them all… hats. Guys and hats at the races.
It’s a veritable minefield. Top hat? Only at Royal Ascot’s Royal Enclosure.
Otherwise it’s YOUR prerogative whether you wear one or not – and one that should probably be exercised with caution. Classic flat caps work well with chunkier wool/corded suits in the winter but Panamas in the summer are one step away from wearing a dodor at a festival. Again, unless you wear hats as part of your day-to-day, racing might not be the best place to unleash your Panama shortcomings.
The races are littered with great and awful sartorial choices. I’ve watched friends rock up to Ascot in sharpest of suits that don’t look like they’ve been kicked around in the back of an MOT garage – slim-cut, light coloured suits that actually fit – and had their outfits dragged through mud by the lads turning up in inflatable sausage hats and umbrella cocktails wearing nothing more formal than a pair of faded chinos. Guys who wear tailored suits every week to the office could learn a lot from the sharp-ass finance bro I know who doubles up as a part-time racing tipster.
His race-day looks are *chef’s kiss*: tailored suits in interesting fabrics that aren’t trying too hard (no mad grays or garish pastels), teamed with thinly striped shirts and solid knitted ties. Polished without looking like he’s taken part in a pageant. Dressy without looking like he should be serving you drinks at the starter’s podium.
Worst. outfits. ever. Bucket-cap paired with a “tweed” suit that was basically delivered off the rack five minutes before he arrived. And a horse print waistcoat.
Don’t even get me started on the waistcoat. Summer races are awash with wannabe Love Island extras who’ve pulled on suits two sizes too small and parted with far too much money at John Lewis on said suits Brown brogues that have been polished until you can see yourself in them. And no socks.
NEVER WEAR RACEDAY SOCKS WITH A SUIT, GUYS.
So there you have it. My thoughts on how to avoid both of these traps and strike the all-important balance on race day.
A quick checklist for those still reading: Image: Getty Sharp suit with a bit of character but not TOO much. Plain (white/blue) shirt. Nice tie with some colour/pattern.
Good quality leather shoes you won’t mind standing in all day. Pocket square. Not a puff of silk erupting out your jacket like a cheapskate Italian pizzeria owner.
Umbrella. Accept no imitations. May your colours be royal and may you never lose your betting slip.
