This weekend marked the 300th year of a major sporting event in England – Royal Ascot. Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, Royal Ascot is the most popular flat horse racing event in England. As you may know, I’ve written about my fascination with Britain’s Royal Ascot in previous posts – the glamour, the fancy dress, and, oh yes, the horses! Although I think the horses are beautiful, the real reason for my interest lies with the attendees and what they are wearing, particularly on their heads.
Although I’m not actually able to attend Royal Ascot each year, I still manage to celebrate this key British event in my own way. I simply create my own Royal Ascot by attending my local racetrack. The racetrack and concourse are lovely and the attendees, although not Royals, are certainly quite interesting in their own right.
When I attend the races, I peruse the crowd for creative dresses and hats. The trend this year seemed to follow one of three patterns 1) big brimmed, 2) black and white, and/or 3) bold colors. There was also a trend for the hat wearers to showoff bare shoulders and long straight hair under their hats. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing this trend in large-brimmed hats and long straight hair is somehow related to the recent excitement surrounding William and Kate.
Didn’t get to Royal Ascot this year? You can still view the full fashion coverage from 2011 – as well as the fashions over the last 300 years.
