Royal Ascot and Kentucky Derby: In Defense of the Dress Code

The Royal Ascot is taking place this week and boy is it glamorous. The fashion is stunning and the hats are expensive, which is not surprising because the UK’s most important Thoroughbred event has a strict dress code in its premium areas.  Women are required to wear hats and in the most premium area the hats must have a base of at least 4 inches!  I think everyone will agree that there’s no need to impose size requirement on women’s Derby hats!  At the Derby, women go big or go home. The men are required to wear suits or even top hats and waistcoats, which we kind of think of as the British version of our seersucker and bow ties.

In some premium areas, the Derby and the Royal Ascot’s dress codes are similar – no shorts, bare midriffs or t-shirts.  As Americans, we also specify no jeans, tennis shoes or frayed clothing, but we’re not sure the Brits need to do that.

People are sometimes surprised to learn there’s a dress code for the premium seating areas at the Kentucky Derby.  It’s rarely a problem because our guests dress to the hilt anyway and the dress code is hardly restrictive – see above.  And those without reserved seats are free to express themselves however they like and most like to dress up.

Our guests love the dress code and put a lot of thought and energy into their Derby outfits and head wear. The fashion and glamour are part of the tradition that makes the Derby special – not to mention a colorful spectacle.

Like our guests, we love that there are still events where people dress to the nines to celebrate and we’re glad that the Royal Ascot and the Kentucky Derby are keeping that tradition alive.

Enjoy the Telegraph’s photos from Ladies Day at Royal Ascot and some photos of the Best Dressed from Get Reading.