To truly understand race wear looks, it is important to look at the history of
women’s fashion at the races and to look at the traditions that have stayed in
these looks over the years. One clearly evident tradition is a woman has always
worn a hat to the races. In recent times this has extended to fascinators and
headwear but in my design I wanted to go back to the early tradition of a hat.
Other traditions for dressing for an Autumn/ winter carnival have been women
have always covered their shoulders by either wearing a dress with a sleeve or a
jacket over the top of their dress or skirt and top. Women have always worn
gloves and stockings with closed toed shoes too.
To create a perfect race wear look I must also look at what’s appropriate and
what’s not and after reviewing the fashions on the field criteria, looking at the AJC
dress regulations, looking at past winners of fashions on the field, looking at racing
style icons, and using my own tuition, I have created my own list of do’s and
don’ts for designing a race wear look.
Race Wear Fashion do’s for designing…. And don’ts….
Design a dress or a skirt and top (covered shoulders for Autumn/ winter). Pants, shorts or jeans are definite NO.
Design an outfit that will be flattering on a woman’s body but still sophisticated. Opt for a knee-length style, or an empire-line. You can get away with a shorter dress if you’re covered up top i.e. showing your boobs and legs is too much!
A Hat is a must. Wool or felt is a must for autumn/ winter, not straw.
Gloves are a must.
Stockings and closed toes shoes are best for autumn/ winter looks at the races.
No lycra or sequins!! (The Australian
Wool Awards have set the criteria to make the garment at least 60% wool so this helps with
deciding on
materials)
No micro-minis.
Don’t use your
everyday bag or any big handbags- opt for a stylish clutch or 7 a little purse.