Suited, not booted: Ascot tailors to the ladies
Royal meeting encourages racegoers to be sustainable and unconventional in their choice of outfits
‘Suiting for women will continue to be a key look within occasionwear and we wanted to celebrate that this year’
‘We look to inspire people through six new fashion edits that draw from current styling trends’
ROYAL ASCOT is encouraging female racegoers to wear suits this year in a drive for less “conventional” outfits.
For the first time in over a decade, the racecourse has rebranded its annual Style Guide to feature six fashion edits, including “Tailoring”, which depicts women wearing trouser suits.
The aim of the guide is to move away from “enclosure rules” dictating who can wear what in different parts of the course. Renamed as the Royal Ascot Lookbook, co-director and stylist Luke Jefferson Day said he aimed to “encourage unexpected freedom” with the change and “inspire racegoers to be a little more unconventional and inventive” with their outfits.
In a nod to sustainable fashion, the other five edits in the editorial are Preloved and Rental, Vintage, High Street, Emerging Fashion Designer and Luxe.
As one of the most highly anticipated society occasions of the year, Ascot has long been heralded as an opportunity to showcase new fashion trends. Its formal dress code automatically conjures the image of the traditional ensemble of a dress, heels and a hat.
In the Royal Enclosure, ladies are expected to wear dresses and skirts of “modest length” with hats or headpieces, but trouser suits are “welcome” as long as they are of full-length and of “matching material and colour”. Male attendees are usually required to wear morning suits with top hats, waistcoats and ties. While the formal dress code remains unchanged for the event this year, the aim of the Lookbook is to “move away” from dictating what everyone wears in favour of individual style.
Felicity Barnard, commercial director of Ascot Racecourse, told The Daily Telegraph: “Trouser suits became a style staple for women following their introduction to the Royal Enclosure dress code in 1971 and remain a popular choice at Royal Ascot to this day.
“Suiting for women will continue to be a key look within occasionwear and we wanted to celebrate that within this year’s Royal Ascot Lookbook as a continuing style theme for 2023.”
This year’s event, running from June 20 to 24, allows racegoers to “think outside of the box” with their outfit choice, Mr Day, who styled and co-directed the project, said.
He added: “This season I wanted to encourage unexpected freedom under the guidance of the enclosure dress codes and inspire racegoers to be a little more unconventional and inventive in the way they dress up, and how they source their looks.”
Damian Foxe, photographer and also co-director of the project, said: “This reflects the evolution of style at Royal Ascot and the myriad looks on show from its racegoers”.
Ms Barnard added: “There are very few events that allow people to embrace dressing for a special occasion on such a global scale and each year Royal Ascot becomes the most followed display of sartorial elegance and individual flair – a true celebration of style that is woven into the very fabric of Ascot’s DNA. This year sees an exciting evolution for what has been known as the Royal Ascot Style Guide for more than a decade.
“For 2023 Ascot is proud to unveil the Royal Ascot Lookbook where, for the first time, we look to inspire people through six new fashion edits that draw from current styling trends.”
She said that “responsible style” remains a key part of the races as organisers continue to encourage attendees to “rent occasionwear or invest in forever pieces”.
The focus on sustainability was also part of Royal Ascot in 2021, when racegoers were asked to consider wearing items already in their wardrobes or sourcing outfits from charity shops, nearly new boutiques, vintage emporiums and resale websites.