BY ITV RACING STYLIST SARAH KATE BYRNE
It’s the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Year, so what better time to channel Regal vibes, dress like a royal and do justice to the history and prestige of the UK’s most famous race meets. Race meetings such as the Cazoo St. Leger Festival lend themselves perfectly to high fashion and the most elegant and formal of attire. The Queen herself owned a winner - Dunfermline with Willie Carson on board – who in 1977 won two of the five British Classic Races - Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes. Even more poignantly 1977 was the year of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.
The Royal family, particularly the female members, have been style icons and trendsetters for generations. What each of these glamourous women wore and wear still influences the fashion choices of Britain and is the perfect reference point from which to start putting together a winning contemporary look.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, (later the Queen Mother) visited Doncaster race course in 1948 with the Queen wearing an elegant veiled hat and he a bowler hat. These days the bowler hat has been replaced by panama hats and trilbys for the chaps while a modern version of the Queen Mothers side percher bonnet with delicate veiling would make for a very Royal appearance.
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So with a whole summer of excitement ahead and the inevitable build up as the Flat horseracing season unfolds, you have plenty of time to look to royal style at the races for inspiration ahead of this years meeting.
DOWNSIZE THE HAT
Her majesty’s choice of headwear is quite deliberate and there’s a lot to be said for adopting her stance. According to one of the Queen’s favourite milliners, Rachel Trevor-Morgan “The Queen doesn’t want to have hat brims that are too big as she’s got to get in and out of cars and she wants people to see her”. So whether you arrive to this years meeting by plane, train or automobile make sure your hat choice makes you stand out from the crowd to be seen by the all -important judges, but don’t go mad with flamboyant oversized designs!
TRY A HEADBAND
When Queen Elizabeth II attended Doncaster in 1955 she sported a very contemporary headband that would look as good today as it did then. Recently both the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Beatrice have both showcased an array of elegant headbands and headpieces that move away from traditional millinery. These pieces are young, fresh and modern and their styles makes them so versatile for re-wearing for weddings and other race-days so are a solid wardrobe investment.
HAVE A WET WEATHER BACK UP
Both The Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge clearly adhere to the same rule as I do when settling on their look for the day – check the weather! Looking through the archives both women have donned summery confections and floaty frocks as much as they have buttoned up in warmer wool weights and coats. Here the Queen can be seen dressed for chillier temperatures as she walks past crowds of spectators after visiting her horse 'High Velt' in the Parade Ring before the start of the St Leger Festival, September 13th 1956. The famous British weather can be hit or miss come September so do have a back-up colder weather option or elegant umbrella in reserve.
GO FOR A BOLD COLOUR
Another factor in the Queens choice of outfit is worth noting. As her milliner has said "The Queen does tend to like a lot of bright colours because she’s seen and she stands out.” For me a block colour in a wonderful, bright jewel or pastel tone is such a great starting point when planning an outfit. Royals often opt for blue! It makes choosing the perfect accessories easier as solid colours tend to be more versatile. Look no further than these ensembles worn by the Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge and Zara Tindall, perfect examples of accessories that compliment the main dress.
ADD A BROOCH
And finally, one of my favourite final flourishes (and one the Queen is known to often add to her outfits) is a thoughtful brooch. For us mere mortals, we might not have a diamond cluster to pin to our lapel but a stunning piece of vintage costume jewellery will add a little sparkle to your look not to mention upping your sustainable fashion credentials! You can even craft a special brooch yourself with many kits now available to buy online, ensuring you can create your own little bit of Royal flair.
Why not try cherry picking different style elements and dress the decades of The Queen’s reign? Vintage and borrowed clothing can be a wonderful way to achieve a fresh and modern look, if you pair them up to compliment each other!
So with a whole summer of excitement ahead and the inevitable build up as the Classics season unfolds, you have plenty of time to be inspired on how to ensure your day at Donny is glamour, fashion and fun filled. But above all else, the main aim is to enjoy your day at the races and win or lose, stay elegant and carry on smiling.
More information about Cazoo St Leger Festival
Doncaster Racecourse has differing dress codes depending on the enclosure, so do bear them in mind when choosing your ensemble. The Premier Enclosure and Mallard/Lincoln Restaurant asks men to wear a jacket and tie and smart attire for ladies while the County, Hospitality and Owners and Trainers asks for a collared shirt for gentlemen and smart attire for ladies. Of course for anyone making a bid to be crowned best dressed these codes are a must!
Once again racegoers, jockeys and the best of the turfs’ horses will descend on Town Moor for The Cazoo St. Leger Festival from 7th – 10th September. Doncaster, synonymous with horseracing has held race meetings since the 16th century and the prestigious Cazoo St. Leger Festival Stakes on the Saturday of the meeting is the jewel in its crown as the world's oldest classic horse race. As the final leg of the English Triple Crown, the Cazoo St. Leger Festival Stakes sees out the flat racing season trifecta of hallowed prizes that starts with the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, continues with the Derby at Epsom and reaches its peak on the undulating track on Town Moor.
