Ascot, the biggest shop window of the hat shop
It is held in one of the oldest racetracks in the United Kingdom, located in the small town of Ascot. It is owned by the royal family and is located only 6 miles from Windsor Castle, so we could say that Queen Elizabeth II is the hostess of this important event, which brings together not only British high society, but also sheiks and aristocrats from all over Europe.
As every year the Royal Meeting is held during the month of June and this 2017 will take place from Tuesday 20 June until Saturday 24.
We could think that the most relevant part of this event are the thoroughbred horse races, but the truth is that fashion and more specifically the headgear, has achieved more and more prominence, making the horses are the excuse to wear the most sophisticated and sometimes extravagant look.
DRESS CODE EN ASCOT
There are some rules, a protocol to dress appropriately during the event, do you want to know?
The first thing we need to know is that the venue is divided into several zones, these are the three main ones:
THE REAL ENCLOSURE
It's where Queen Elizabeth is staying, so the dress code here is much stricter.
For some years now they are even more restrictive with the length of skirts and dresses that now must be by the knee or below it and with the width of the necklines, which began to be a problem.
As for the clothing to wear on the head, are prohibited headdresses in favor of hats with a minimum base of 10cm.
Gentlemen must go to the Royal Enclosure with a black or grey chaque, a vest, tie, black shoe and a sober top hat in perfect combination with the rest of the attire, which can only be removed in private boxes and terraces and inside restaurants.
QUEEN ANNE ENCLOSURE AND VILLAGE ENCLOSURE
It is the first public enclosure, with excellent facilities from where you can see the procession of arrival of Her Majesty The Queen.
In this area ladies are allowed to wear headdresses and gentlemen are not required to wear jackets, they can attend with a suit of jacket, shirt and tie.
WINDSOR ENCLOSURE
This is the old Silver Ring, where you can see the arrival of the horses towards the final straight, where the crowd vibrates and creates an unforgettable atmosphere, being able to enliven the day with a picnic.
This is the creative zone, here almost everything is allowed and despite recommending elegant clothing to the attendees, you can see the most eccentric models.
ASCOT DRESS CODE: https://www.ascot.co.uk/royal-ascot/style-guide
THE REAL CATWALK
But if there is one day that is full of flashes and that gathers the glances of half the world, that is undoubtedly The Ladies Day, which is usually held on Thursday and this year will take place on June 22.
The dress protocol is stricter for this day, does not allow ladies to carry their shoulders out in the open and requires a tie for gentlemen attending the grandstand.
During this day is held the most important race, the Golden Cup and is one of the most important events for British high society.
The ladies have the opportunity to wear sophisticated and luxurious designs from the most prestigious designers and hatters, who are aware of this great opportunity that Ascot offers them, show their most spectacular and striking creations, this day becoming a great catwalk of British fashion.
We can see hat creations such as veteran Dilon Wallwork, the famous Ian Bennett (MYER Award 2016), or the authentic Bridget Bayley designer for brands such as Mulberry or Fifth Avenue, are chosen by British ladies to wear their headdresses and pamelas.
However, the mandatory presence in Ascot that never fails is that of the favourite designer of the Duchess of Cambridge, Jane Taylor, who made the headdress worn by the princess at her sister Pippa's wedding and who always surprises with her flattering and elegant designs.
I say goodbye with a recommendation to succeed in Ascot.
- Follow the Dress Code and enjoy! And if you decide to go, tell us your experience!
See you at Ascot!
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator