Royal Enclosure
With Royal Ascot fast approaching in June, we have invited style blogger and author Alicia Healey @theladysmaid to style her pick of Bombshell’s latest dresses for Royal Enclosure- worthy outfits, and offer her top tips on how to dress for the races.
The strictest dress code at Royal Ascot is within the Royal Enclosure. Dresses must be of modest length (knee length or longer), and straps must be at least one inch wide. All Bombshell dresses fit easily within these criteria, so your only problem will be deciding which colour to wear! Hats must be worn, and if opting for a headpiece they must have a minimum base of 10cm (fascinators are not permitted). The Bombshell Grace Gold Shirt dress and the Invitation Collar sarong dresses in block colours are great choices for the Royal Enclosure. I’ve styled them here with matching accessories for top-to-toe tonal elegance.
Bombshell Grace shirt dress in gold;
Hat: Nerida Fraiman; earrings: 14/Quatorze; clutch: Dune; shoes: Prada.
Bombshell Invitation Sarong in Cinder Rose
Left: Bombshell Invitation Collar Sarong dress; Hat: Philip Treacy; bag: Aspinal of London; earrings: Simone Rocha; shoes: Jimmy Choo.
Bombshell Invitation Sarong in Jade
Right: Bombshell Invitation Collar Sarong dress; hat: Juliette Botterill; earrings: Ippolita; clutch: Bottega Veneta; shoes: Gianvito Rossi.
The Queen Anne Enclosure
The Queen Anne Enclosure is slightly more relaxed than the Royal enclosure (fascinators are permitted), but racegoers tend to still embrace wearing a hat. I’ve picked out the bright pink and red polka dot confident dresses and matched them here with complementary headpieces for outfits that are formal and fun. If you’re wearing a block colour it’s a good idea to add a contrasting colour or some pattern or texture somewhere in the outfit for a less formal look. If you’re wearing a striking pattern, like this polka dot dress, keep the accessories simple block colours.
Bombshell Confident Dress in Bright Pink
Left: Bright Pink confident dress; hat: Jess Collett Milliner; earrings: Aurelie Bidermann; clutch: Carvela; shoes: Christian Louboutin.
Red Polkdot Bombshell Dress
Right: Red polka dot confident dress; hat: John Lewis; clutch: Kurt Geiger; earrings: accessorize; shoes: L.K. Bennett.
Village Enclosure
The village enclosure is less formal than the other two enclosures but racegoers are still encouraged to dress for the occasion and wear a hat or headpiece. Fascinators are permitted. The shorter cap-sleeved confident dress would be great for this enclosure.
Bombshell Cotswolds Roses Cap Sleeve Confident Dress
Left:Bombshell cap-sleeved confident dress; hat: Justine Bradley-Hill/Cotswold Hat Club; bag: Zara; earrings: Auren; shoes: Aquazurra.
Bombshell Toby Roses Cap Sleeve Confident Dress
Right:Bombshell cap-sleeved confident dress; hat: John Lewis; bag: Phase Eight; earrings: Astley Clarke; shoes: Ted baker.
Windsor Enclosure
The Windsor Enclosure is the most relaxed enclosure in terms of dress code and atmosphere. There is no official dress code to adhere to, but there isn’t much point in going to Royal Ascot if you’re not going to don a bonnet! Alternatively, you could wear a headband, which is currently the trendiest form of headwear and a great way of adding a finishing touch to your outfit if you don’t want the formality of a hat. Here, I have accessorised two of Bombshell’s Stretch Luxe dresses for summery, informal Ascot looks.
Bombshell Scoop Neck Stretch Luxe Dress in Blue Botanical Print
Right: Bombshell botanical print stretch luxe scoop neck jersey dress; headband: Anthropologie; clutch: Coast; earrings: Monica Vinader; shoes: L.K. Bennett.
Bombshell Scoop Neck Stretch Luxe Dress in Green Botanical Print
Left: Bombshell botanical print stretch luxe scoop neck jersey dress; fascinator: John Lewis; clutch: Caroline Gardner; earrings: John Lewis; shoes: Dune London.
Top Tips on dressing for the races
· Wear comfortable shoes! If there’s one sight that’s as common as Pimms at Wimbledon it’s a lady carrying her shoes at the end of a day at the races – not an elegant look. If you’re prone to a sinking stiletto go for block heels – they’ll be much more comfortable if you’re on your feet all day. Insoles will help cushion your feet too. Tights will always protect your feet from rubbing and forming blisters, so I would wear them even in summer. M&S has 5 denier cooling tights so you will barely feel them on but they do make a difference to the comfort of the shoe.
· Some ladies pick their hat first and then the dress; some vice versa. I personally think it’s easier to start with the dress and build the accessories around it.
. When choosing a hat, consider the style, colour, and pattern of your dress to find the most complementary hat pairing. If you want an elegant, classic look, then match the hat as close as possible to the dress colour. If you prefer a more contemporary look, go for contrasting colours. If the dress is patterned try and reflect this in your hat choice – for example, for a floral dress pick a hat with floral embellishments; if the dress has a geometric pattern (polka dots/stripes), pick a hat with clean lines and not too many fussy embellishments.
· If you’re dressing on a budget consider hat hire as an alternative to a cheap fascinato. It’s a great way of adding a premium touch to your outfit without having to spend a fortune on a hat you may only wear once.
0 comments