Judges will look for colour and style

FORGET everything you thought you knew about spring racewear.

This year’s Cairns Central Fashions on the Field judges are keeping an eye out for new world elegance.

Stylist Pip Miller said it was time to throw away dated hemlines and heavy hats and turn to bold colours and tailored outfits to impress on the catwalk.

“It is much more structured these days, the colours and the fabrics, the detailing. It’s so much more exciting and sculptured in terms of the overall look,” she said.

“There are no more long and daggy hemlines with big, heavy hats – which looked elegant at the time but are now very heavy when you consider the headwear trend that’s very much about the bejewelled, sculptural crown or very sweet fascinator.”

She said that didn’t mean people couldn’t wear a big hat or a long hemline, but just had to use a modern approach when they styled their outfits.

“The large hat is still on trend but more structured – think Amal Cooney. Also, the boater is big.

“Really there are no more gloves, but people will still opt for that tradition.

“People who have confidence to break from convention of racing fashion are the ones that elicit surprise and impress judges on the day.”

Judges for this year’s Fashion on the Field categories include carnival ambassador Angela Menz, couture milliner Carole Maher and publisher Cathryn Meredith.

Ms Menz told the Cairns Post her favourite part about being carnival ambassador was enjoying the bright, unusual spring colours women and men in Cairns wore to the region’s premier races.