Four Carriages at Two O'Clock
In an age when most traditions have been focus-grouped to death or abandoned entirely, the Royal Procession at Royal Ascot remains deliciously, defiantly unchanged.
Racing
Royal Enclosure Dress Code: Requirements for Men & Women
The Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot enforces Britain's most exacting public dress code. Standards are published, monitored at the gates, and non-negotiable. This is not a place where close enough will do.
Hats at Royal Ascot: Notes on Form, Etiquette, and Makers
For many women attending Royal Ascot, the question of what to wear begins—and often ends—with the hat. It is the most visible expression of dress at the event, shaped not only by tradition but also by official rules.
Savile Row for Royal Ascot: Where to Commission Morning Dress
Royal Ascot's dress code for the Royal Enclosure is precise: morning dress, with all the formality that entails. Black or grey morning coat, matching waistcoat, striped trousers, black shoes, and a black or grey top hat. For those attending for the first time, the natural question is where
Kentucky Derby Dress: The Sack Suit Option
The first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs has, in recent decades, become the occasion for a particular kind of American costume. Pastel seersucker in colours unknown to nature, fedoras with hatbands picking up a fourth and unrelated hue, trousers in mint or coral, ties printed with tiny mint juleps.
Cup Day, Melbourne 2025
Cup Day always sneaks up, even when one knows it's coming. By the time one glances at the morning papers, half of Melbourne seems to have found a hat, a horse, and a reason to take the day off.
The Season Under Other Stars
While the northern countryside settles into mist and pheasant calls, the Southern Hemisphere is bright with its own anticipation. In Melbourne, the air sharpens, the jacarandas bloom, and the lawns of Flemington Racecourse are cut to a billiard's smoothness.