TAILS, TIES AND MATCHING MASKS ARE ALL THE RAGE AT THE RACES
As Ascot updates its dress code, can the real thoroughbreds rise to the occasion? By Stephen Doig
Wipe the dust off the hat boxes and shine the Oxfords; Ascot looks set to happen in June. And with it, the annual update of dress codes to fit the zeitgeist.
This year, it has been decreed that playful patterns on men’s ties and pocket squares will be allowed, alongside navy morning suits – these were actually green-lit last year, but the event was obviously cancelled. One curious point is that waistcoats and ties of a “patriotic nature” – in other words, flags – are allowed.
It has also been stressed that while blue surgical masks are perfectly fine, face masks of a more sartorial nature, designed to match your accessories, are encouraged.
Cecil Beaton, the famous aesthete who designed the Ascot scene in the film My Fair Lady, might have a thing to say about a couple of those points. While it’s heartening to see certain institutions moving with the times – don’t get me started on the time I wore the “wrong kind” of blazer to a private members’ club – I suspect that a few of the old guard might take a dim view of certain shifts in sartorial mores.
First up, face masks: Prince Charles has spoken of the importance of matching his mask to his pocket square and tie, and an event like Ascot calls for a similar degree of care. The issue is that silk masks that perfectly align with your other silk accessories are difficult to breathe through, so opt for a smart, breathable cotton variation that’s in the same colour as your tie and pocket square. One dashing gentleman I know uses his mask as a pocket square, which is a very 2021 kind of raffishness. Hong Kong brand Kaze is also one of the most comprehensive in terms of a vast array of colours to help match your mask to your tie.
The introduction of navy as an acceptable colour for morning suits last year was an acknowledgement of a more corporate form of suiting, in line with the way men dress now. True poshos stick to black and grey, however. Prince Charles has worn the same black morning suit with grey pinstripe trousers for decades – it’s somehow more ceremonial and stately. And don’t be too pernickety about matching trousers to coat – grey trousers with a black coat (but never the other way around) are acceptable.
The “playful” elements are where some might trip up. One man’s “jolly” is another man’s garish, novelty dickie bow. If in doubt, stick to patterns such as dots, stripes, paisley swirls and – at a push – prints that nod to equestrianism, and steer clear of any overt images. The dog pattern pyjamas might be cosy, but avoid quirky prints in a social setting. Likewise glarish clashes of colour.
Which brings us to how best to pin your patriotic flag to the mast, if you’re that way inclined. I’d venture that Union Jack waistcoats are a no-no; if you must, stick to a discreet pair of cufflinks. The very best of British style doesn’t need to shout about it.