BEST ON FIELD

Return dressing up to its rightful place this season by following our autumn racing guide to deciphering dress codes.

Return dressing up to its rightful place this season by following our autumn racing guide to deciphering dress codes.

LIVING IN AUSTRALIA affords us a relaxed lifestyle, so the rigours of racing dress codes can leave some at a loss. How to reconcile our climate (often dry, sometimes humid and in some places always unpredictable) with the requisites of being trackside? Which rules must be followed with zeal and which are loose suggestions? Vogue enlisted Hiromi Yu, CEO and managing director at Melbourne boutique Marais, who knows her felts from her sisals, for her guide to interpreting autumn racing dress codes.

HATS ON

Autumn racing has a slightly more traditional feel – put it down to the weather that feels closer to Ascot climes than our steamier months. Yu says seize the occasion to be dressier, millinery inclusive – think hats and oversized headbands that make a statement but still won’t drown the wearer’s own taste. “It is very important that we project our true style, and since autumn means darker hues, I would always try to add oomph,” says Yu. “It could be as simple as a bedazzled beret to extravagant autumn floral fascinators or hats.”

For a more concrete parameter, Yu likes to follow the Royals when it comes to hats, because “of how often they wear them”, she says. Keep in step by choosing toppers at least 10 centimetres in diameter for a traditional feel.

She also warns against complicating a beauty look. “Keep your hair simple, because autumn racing is all about your outfit and millinery,” she says. “I like a simple side-parted, loose, low chignon with soft curls as bangs cascading to frame the face – the mood for autumn racing should feel classic and alluring.”