Ascot created a bit of a stir at the start of the year when the infamously tagged racegoers attending the first National Hunt meeting under their new dresscode with orange stickers ! In general dress standards at their flagship Royal meeting would be expected to be a notch or two that for a January jumps one. If you havent already got one and are heading that way in June it might be an idea to have look at their “style guide” for both main enclosure:
Royal Enclosure: http://www.ascot.co.uk/go/rencstyle
Grandstand Admission: http://www.ascot.co.uk/go/gastyle
Ascot PR states:
Royal Ascot is a unique, stand alone event in the sporting and social calendar and dressing accordingly is part of the experience. Whilst the spirit of the dress code has always reflected this, the letter of it has arguably lacked clarity, leading in some cases to misunderstanding of what constitutes appropriate attire for this formal occasion. It is hoped that visitors to the Royal Enclosure and Grandstand will find the new wording of assistance when selecting their outfits for Royal Ascot.
They have selected these as their headline points:
Royal Enclosure – Ladies:
“Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer.”
This replaces the less clear instruction that miniskirts are considered unsuitable.
“Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat.”
This clarifies that fascinators are no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure.
Royal Enclosure – Gentlemen:
“Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear either black or grey morning dress which must include a waistcoat and tie (no cravats), a black or grey top hat and black shoes.”
This clarifies that cravats are not acceptable andthat black shoes should be worn with morning dress.
Grandstand Enclosure – Ladies:
“A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times.”
This replaces advicethat many ladies wear hats but this is not compulsory.
“Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted.”
This, and severalother points, illustrate better what is meant by the previous guidance that ladies are required to dress in a manner appropriate to a smart occasion.
Grandstand Enclosure – Gentlemen:
“Gentlemen are required to wear a suit and tie.”
This replaces the instruction thatgentlemen must wear a shirt and tie, preferably with a suit or jacket.
Charles Barnett, Chief Executive at Ascot, said:
“We have worked extensively with experts in the world of fashion to define better what formal dress means, with the overarching intention of being as helpful as possible to our visitors and assisting everyone in understanding what is expected and, we believe, cherished about the dress code at Royal Ascot. “It isn’t a question of elitism and not being modern in a world where there is less and less requirement to dress smartly – far from it. We want to see modern and stylish dress at Royal Ascot, just within the parameters of formal wear, and the feedback we have received from our customers overwhelmingly supports that.”
