The dress code at Royal Ascot dates back to the 19th Century. It was first introduced as the fashion – inspired by Beau Brummell, a close friend of the Prince Regent – began to turn from ornate, decorative garments to sleeker, simpler and more tailored garments.
What is the Dress Code at Royal Ascot?
The dress code depends on the enclosure that you are in. See Richard George’s Definitive Guide to Dressing for Royal Ascot.
What is Ladies Day?
As early as 1823 there began to be a day of the races known as Ladies Day and typically Ladies will dress in their finest dresses or trouser suits with a hat. This year, Richard George wanted to imbue the tradition of the men’s dress code and empower women to adopt traditional morning dress.
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The Suit
Friend of Richard George, Fiona Andrew, attended Ladies Day at Ascot in a morning suit and top hat. While the morning suit has long been a requirement of the royal enclosure at Ascot, it is rare to see women’s tailoring at Ascot, let alone in this traditional attire. This suit was carefully crafted with modern fabrics to ensure contemporary design. Italian fabrics have been used, rather than British, as they lend themselves to comfort and fluidity.
The morning coat has been created in a midnight navy, high twist wool from Italian mill, Angelico. Lightweight, durable, and breathable which enables wear even in the soaring temperatures oft seen during Ascot week.
The waistcoat, an ice blue wool, silk and linen blend from EThomas – a family-run mill founded by Ernesto Thomas in 1922, bringing prestige and opportunity to the region of Lake Lugano in Italy, following the First World War.
Embellished with costume-jewellery-inspired buttons in gold and pearl for a touch of interest.
The trousers are a wide striped virgin wool from Drago, a twist on the traditional morning stripe. The ensemble is finished with a Richard George silk tie.
This is modern women’s tailoring for a classically British event, infused with British and Italian history in every thread of the fabric.
The creation created quite a storm, with features on the best dressed list in the Daily Mail.
Harper’s Bazaar also featured Fiona in her morning suit on their Ladies Day best dressed list.
To learn more about tailoring for women, or how we can help you plan for Royal Ascot get in contact here.
Or contact our showroom directly +44 1926 695206
