Royal Ascot season is officially upon us, which means we have a lot of hats to judge. The British Horse Racing Festival is a royal tradition that has existed since 1711. This year, the festivities started on June 16 and ran until June 20. Royal Ascot has long been recognized as a celebration of fabulous, luxurious fashion, complete with headwear. The who’s who of England and elsewhere gather in the town of Ascot to watch and bet on the biggest British horse racing event of the year.
As with most deeply rooted traditions, there are plenty of rules to follow, especially when it comes to fashion. Royal Ascot divides its contestants into four separate “pens”, each with a different dress code. The royal enclosure is, of course, dedicated to the royals and their guests, and hats are a requirement. It differs greatly from the Windsor cabinet, which does not have an enforced dress code. However, the general rule is to look your absolute best. That said, some participants may have missed the mark.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh looks sultry in an all black look
A big, floppy bow hits Rosie Turner’s dress again
TV presenter Rosie Turner is hard to miss in her pink dress. Look a little closer and you’ll see a familiar big floppy bow on her Suzannah London dress.
Turner’s look resembles Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s ensemble, right down to the floral asymmetric hat. It seems the only difference is the color scheme. The hot pink look definitely matches summer vibes more, but the color is so light that it’s almost hard to look at for too long.
Princess Anne took sherbet colors and somehow made them dull and beige
Princess Anne tackled her royal duties on day one of the event with a mildly unique ensemble. The princess chose to wear a multicolored button-up dress with tones of purple, orange, blue and green. The dress unfortunately looked more like a coat than a summer dress, with long, thick sleeves and a popped collar.
Along with it she donned a sage green hat and the much-loved horse brooch which she has worn to several racing events. Despite the mix of colors, the dress is quite dull and desaturated (the opposite of Rosie Turner’s bright pink wonder), making her blend into the crowd rather than shine.
Georgia Toffolo’s vintage chain mail dress looks dull and heavy
British TV personality Georgia Toffolo also took an out-of-the-box approach to the summer event. On day one, she wore a vintage dress from Rockstar Boudoir that looked totally appropriate for another gathering. The dress appears to be draped in chain mail and beading at the bottom with a dusty blue dress underneath.
At first glance, the chain mail and pearls look random. The jagged beading at the bottom of the dress doesn’t help this problem, and the chainmail sleeves appear to have been cut without precision. Overall, the dress is fascinating to look at, but perhaps not for the best reasons.
