Ascot’s race to embrace vintage

IT’S the ultimate day at the races where wealthy punters traditionally turn up in new designer dresses worth a fortune.

Now Royal Ascot is racing to embrace recycled fashion. The latest style guide for the Berkshire horseracing showpiece even encourages fans to ‘raid grandma’s hat box and scour charity shops’.

The guide has sections featuring ‘preloved’, vintage and rental outfits to ‘suit every budget’. The guide – different from the official dress code – has been renamed The Royal Ascot Lookbook. The racing festival – loved by the Royal Family – is expected to see up to 60,000 fans attend each day from June 20 to 24.