It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the Royal Ascot outside of London. I remember back then receiving a letter months before the event with my ticket, badge and dress code for the Royal Enclosure. It outlined in detail what was permissible in the Royal Enclosure; the length for hemlines, no bare arms, no revealing clothes, etc. The Royal Enclosure is the area that the British royalty have their box and it has the strictest dress code. At the Royal Ascot there are different dress codes depending on the ticket type.
This year the Royal Ascot tightened up its dress code, and has produced a very tasteful video on what is appropriate attire. There has been a stir about fascinators and the new rule is that hats worn inside the Royal Enclosure must have a 4 inch base. Fascinators can be worn in the Grandstand area. This year the ascot will enforce the strict dress code with fashion police.
While the ascot is about horse racing, the outfits and hats frequently outshine the horses. Ascot’s Ladies Day is known for the most fabulous hats you’ll find on the face of the earth. While most are beautiful creations, there are always a few tacky novelty hats worn by attention seekers. This year was no exception with a postage stamp hat and an Olympic torch.