{"id":2313,"date":"2025-06-16T16:15:47","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T23:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=2313"},"modified":"2025-06-16T16:15:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T23:15:47","slug":"royal-ascot-merges-fashion-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=2313","title":{"rendered":"Royal Ascot Merges Fashion & History"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tThe summer social season in London peaks with the Royal Ascot, the premier horse racing event, spanning one week in June. The event brings together royals, friends and admirers to not only bet on horses but for a celebration of British sartorial splendor under a strict dress code. The Ascot, established in 1711 by Queen Anne, an avid horse racing fan, introduced its first strict dress code in the early 19th century. Today, it remains a tribute to regal elegance and fanciful whimsy.<\/p>\n

\n\tFashion has always been central to the Royal Ascot. As Women\u2019s Wear Daily called it, it is \u201cthe most important event of the London season from a fashion point of view.\u201d Guests attend the Ascot in four designated enclosures: The Royal, The Queen Anne, Village, and Windsor, each with its own specific dress code, ranging from refined to casual. The Royal Enclosure, exclusive to royals and their invited guests, is the pinnacle of the week\u2019s style, particularly on \u201cLadies Day or \u201cGold Cup Day\u201d when the fashion extravaganza is on full display.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\"WWD<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>

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\t\t\t\t\t \u201cThey Are Wearing\u201d Characteristic Styles at the Royal Ascot, 1921, WWD Illustration<\/sup> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tWWD has covered the Ascot since the early 1900s, chronicling the highs and sartorial missteps over the decades. From color schemes \u2014 particularly the preferences of Queens Anne, Mary and Elizabeth for shades of blue, gray and yellow \u2014 to dress and skirt lengths, and all the whimsical hats created with self-inspired artistic flair, fashion at Ascot has long been a spectacle. Yet not all guests adhered to the dress code, and certain trends failed to meet its standard.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn 1911, French designer Paul Poiret\u2019s popular hobble skirts and body-shaping styles of the era were prohibited for an audience with the queen. While many adhered to the code, others, including Spain\u2019s Marchioness de Villa Urrutia of Spain, ignored them and famously struggled to curtesy properly in front of the queen, WWD wrote.<\/p>\n

\n\tBy the 1920s, as fashion evolved, Ascot attendees embraced the freer trends of the era. Diaphanous silhouettes in black crepe or satin, paired with lace fringe wraps and accessorized with parasols and picturesque garden hats, became the norm.<\/p>\n

\n\tWorld War I and World War II shuttered the Ascot, but as elegance returned to fashion, WWD highlighted the emergence of post-couture fashions at the event in its \u201cThey Are Wearing\u201d section. Dior\u2019s now-iconic \u201cNew Look,\u201d accessorized with matching hats and gloves, dominated women\u2019s attire in the enclosures, while men\u2019s bespoke morning suits and top hats remained the standard.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Fashion<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>

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\t\t\t\t\tFashion models attend the Royal Ascot, July 1955. Getty Images<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tDuring the 1970s, the Ascot temporarily embraced Youthquake trends. Fringe and pantsuits were permitted, provided they were paired with hats. HotPants, however, were strictly barred \u2014 though WWD reported in 1971 that one guest managed to sneak them under her skirt. By the 1980s, Princess Diana\u2019s love for fashion brought new attention to the event. While she adhered to the dress codes, she also modernized them with above-the-knee tailored skirt suits and plunging necklines.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\"15th<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>

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\t\t\t\t\tThree young ladies at Royal Ascot races, wearing their own designs, June 1971. Getty Images <\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThe blend of tradition and modernity persists today. In 2012, the Ascot introduced its first official style guide to help racegoers navigate the dress code. Following Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s passing in 2024, English designer Daniel Fletcher was appointed the Ascot\u2019s first creative director. His contemporary approach seen on the official Ascot website pays homage to the Ascot\u2019s fashion traditions while ensuring its relevance for future generations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The summer social season in London peaks with the Royal Ascot, the premier horse racing event, spanning one week in June. The event brings together royals, friends and admirers to not only bet on horses but for a celebration of British sartorial splendor under a strict dress code. The Ascot, established in 1711 by Queen Anne, an avid horse racing fan, introduced its first strict dress code in the early 19th century. Today, it remains a tribute to regal elegance and fanciful whimsy. Fashion has always been central to the Royal Ascot. As Women\u2019s Wear Daily called it, it is \u201cthe most important event of the London season from a fashion point of view.\u201d Guests attend the Ascot in four designated enclosures: The Royal, The Queen Anne, Village, and Windsor, each with its own specific dress code, ranging from refined to casual. The Royal Enclosure, exclusive to royals and their invited guests, is the pinnacle of the week\u2019s style, particularly on \u201cLadies Day or \u201cGold Cup Day\u201d when the fashion extravaganza is on full display. \u201cThey Are Wearing\u201d Characteristic Styles at the Royal Ascot, 1921, WWD Illustration WWD has covered the Ascot since the early 1900s, chronicling the highs and sartorial missteps over the decades. From color schemes \u2014 particularly the preferences of Queens Anne, Mary and Elizabeth for shades of blue, gray and yellow \u2014 to dress and skirt lengths, and all the whimsical hats created with self-inspired artistic flair, fashion at Ascot has long been a spectacle. Yet not all guests adhered to the dress code, and certain trends failed to meet its standard. In 1911, French designer Paul Poiret\u2019s popular hobble skirts and body-shaping styles of the era were prohibited for an audience with the queen. While many adhered to the code, others, including Spain\u2019s Marchioness de Villa Urrutia of Spain, ignored them and famously struggled to curtesy properly in front of the queen, WWD wrote. By the 1920s, as fashion evolved, Ascot attendees embraced the freer trends of the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2313"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}