New Royal Ascot fashion code for Royal Enclosure encourages more reserved dress code

Published on 19/06/2012 19:11

FOR those lucky enough to gain access to the Royal Enclosure of this prestigious event, the tendency in the past many race-goers has been to strike out with a boisterous choice of attire.

Not at this year’s event at which the Queen annually attends. As the reserved pictures from this year’s event show, the decision by organisers to ban certain a host of attire seems to have been widely adhered to.

The new dress code, mailed to attendees before today’s event, banned the following:

• Strapless, off-the-shoulder, halter-neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than 1 inch (2.5cm)

• Dresses of “modest length” only, modest being defined as falling just above the knee or lower

• Fascinators hats are also banned

• Gentelmen should wear grey or black morning dress, which must include a top hat, waistcoat and tie - but no cravat

Fashion has always been a feature of Royal Ascot and spotting the most daring outfits is as much of an attraction as watching the races. But the new dress code suggests organisers felt some race-goers were becoming rather too risque.

They have trained a team of “dress code assistants” who will stop transgressors from entering the enclosure and supply them with emergency items to bring their outfits into line - waistcoats, ties, pashmina shawls and the like.

The Queen - whose choice of hat colour is always the subject of frenzied bets - wore a dress and coat in pale blue by Stewart Parvin with a matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan.

The Duchess of Cornwall, following in the second carriage with the Prince of Wales, wore a stone-coloured dress and coat by Anna Valentine, a Philip Treacy hat and gold Jimmy Choo shoes.

Many racegoers chose to wear red, white and blue in celebration of the Jubilee year, others wearing Union Jack hats.

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