Race day is a real chance to dress to impress. It is actually considered a big part of the experience. Men are encouraged to wear suits whilst women are usually found in glamorous dresses. Plus of course those dramatic overly embellished hats they seem to favour.

Below I will discuss how the guys should dress for race day. Just remember that certain events, enclosures and hospitability areas have their own rules. The Royal Ascot and The Cheltenham Festival have set dress codes.

Pick Up A Suit

First step you will want to buy a suit for race day if you don’t have one already. Tweed is a popular choice for race goers as it is both classic and traditional. Tweed is also a very warm fabric with its thick wool fibres, and race day can get quite cold so keeping cosy is essential. In warmer weather you will want your suit to be more lightweight, so choose accordingly depending on when the race day is taking place. If its very cold you will also need a winter coat.

Also bear in mind that that a tuxedo is considered too formal, so avoid wearing one of those to the races.

Choosing A Colour

When it comes to race day often you find it the bolder the better for suit colour choices. It’s great that you have more freedom when it comes to the suit you want to wear. You really with see some VERY creative outfits on the day. But there will be many in neutral colours too, black, navy and grey.

However, if you want to use the suit you buy for more formal occasions afterwards, you could instead inject colour and personality through your choice of tie. That will give you more flexibility in the long run. As your suit can be used for lots of different occasions.

Deciding To Be More Casual

If you don’t want to go in all suited and booted a suitable compromise would be dress trousers and a blazer. But its advisable not to go any more casual than that, as you would feel out of place amongst the other visitors on the day who really relish at the opportunity to play dress up. Shorts are allowed on some race days in certain areas, as long as they are smart shorts. But its best if you want access to all areas to dress more formally than that.

Accessories

Depending on the time of year you will want either sunglasses or a classic flat cap and scarf. If you want to look a bit smarter then of course wear cufflinks and tie clips too. Race day really is a chance to go all out. Pocket squares can also add a splash of colour or interest if your outfit is lacking individuality.

Footwear

Avoid trainers at all costs, they are frowned upon on race day. Footwear should be formal. Although do expect the terrain to be uneven and use that to judge which formal shoes would be best for you on the day.

Many race day events make it on the television and if you are going to appear on the TV its nice to know you will be looking your absolute best.