“ The diehard country set tend to dress up for social and sporting events more than weekenders from the city”
FASHION SPECIAL
For some the party begins with the Grand National at Aintree( on April 8), or the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race( on the April 2), even before Easter with the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival( opening on March 14), Glyndebourne( opening on May 20). For the traditionalists it ' s the Chelsea Flower Show( opening on May 23) – which, along with Royal Ascot( opening on June 20), is an annual favourite of The Queen or even the FA Cup Final at Wembley( on May 27) that really feels like the start of the English summer season.
“ The diehard country set tend to dress up for social and sporting events more than weekenders from the city”
Sadly dress codes have relaxed over time and tickets are easier to get or certainly snapped up by the corporate world for entertaining – unless you ' re aiming for the members’ enclosures where the hats are still out in force as“ ladies day” becomes as much of the fixture as the racing. For the not-sosartorial, the unhampered morning coats or what the Derby dress code refers to coyly as " substantial fascinators "( an Alice band with feathers), it ' s a mustattend spectacle of the summer season: as Edward VII said it’ s the greatest garden party with a race, regatta, chukka or opera tacked on, not to mention the best people-watching and celeb-spotting you can get.
If you have hosted guests at any of the summer social season events you will have heard the dreaded question of“ What’ s the dress code?” or done your best to be as informative as possible to ensure your guests can decide what to wear without worrying they’ ll get turned away at the members’ enclosure, never to live it down.
First and foremost dress codes in the country may be more traditional
Eight and great: just the look for the Boat Race, or( below) Glyndebourne
78 SAVILE ROW STYLE MAGAZINE