Race day dresses for ladies day and the big meetings

Embroidered flowers or a printed dress

Most of the flowers here are stitched rather than printed, which gives the dress some texture up close and a clear pattern from further off, where most race day photographs are taken. The peach and cream frocks are the two prints: small gold flowers on peach, and indigo flowers on cream, the quieter and more daytime of the pair. If you are torn between a bold pattern and a calm one, read floral or geometric print and judging print size from a photo. More dresses at this length are on our midi dresses page.

Shape that still looks tidy at the last race

A soft, unshaped dress can look tired by mid-afternoon. A fitted bodice and a defined waist keep their line for longer. The Wisteria and the scarlet frock are fitted through the bodice with a skirt that flares from the waist, the black rose frock is fitted at the waist, and the jade frock widens gently into an A-line. The Lilac dress and the peach frock are the softer, tiered pair, with fullness that swings as you walk. A-line or fit and flare explains which suits which figure.

For a summer wedding in the same month, see our wedding guest dresses, and for an evening meeting under floodlights, our party dresses carry more shine.

Measure the hem in your race day shoes

Thin heels sink into turf, which is why plenty of racegoers switch to block heels or wedges for the day. We do not make shoes, but the pair you choose changes where the hem lands, so measure your length wearing them. If you are on the shorter side, a midi can swallow you; our petite dresses page goes into cutting a dress for a shorter frame. You can send body measurements, or numbers taken from a dress that already fits you well, as long as each one is labelled. Racegoers in Australia who usually buy in AU sizes can check how Australian sizes compare with UK sizes before choosing between S and XL.

Wind across an open course

Racecourses are wide and exposed, so expect a breeze even on a warm day. Light, layered skirts lift easily: the coral, peach and lemon frocks are drawn in chiffon, and the peach and lemon skirts are built in several layers. A lining helps the skirt hang and keeps it from turning see-through against low sun, and every design here can have one. The black rose and jade frocks are drawn in crepe, which has more weight and falls straighter. Tell us the dress is for an outdoor meeting and the fabric is agreed with you in your quote before cutting. A wrap skirt or a deep front slit can blow open in a gust, so think twice before asking for either.

A cold day at the course

On a cold course a coat usually stays on until the sun appears, so picture the dress with the coat open as well as with it off. A lining adds a little warmth and stops the skirt clinging to tights. Flowers on a dark ground, like the red roses on black, sit naturally in the colder months, and florals in winter explains why dark-ground patterns work.

Sleeveless at Royal Ascot, Galway or a summer meeting

In June heat, or at the Galway Races at the end of July, a dress without sleeves is often the comfortable choice. The coral frock is drawn that way, and every other design here can be made sleeveless too: choose Sleeveless under sleeves on the order form, or note it in the changes box, and your quote confirms it. Read your enclosure’s dress code first, though, because some ask for straps of a set width or covered shoulders. If yours does, the coral frock can take short, elbow, three-quarter or full sleeves instead.

For a sleeveless dress, send an armhole measurement too, as why sleeveless armholes gape explains, and keep a wrap in your bag for the evening; covering your arms in a sleeveless dress has ideas.

Leave room in your colours for the hat

We make the dress only, never hats, fascinators, headpieces, shoes or bags, so those come from elsewhere. Plan the colours with the hat in mind before you settle on the dress. A busy floral already carries several colours, so a hat in one of them, or in a neutral, keeps the whole look calm: white or ivory picks up the vines on the coral frock, and a gold-toned headpiece echoes the print on the peach one. A plainer ground, such as the powder blue Wisteria, leaves more space for a big, bright hat. The three-colour rule is an easy way to stop the dress, hat, shoes and bag competing.

Derby Day, Cup Day and ladies day

Some race days carry a colour tradition. Derby Day at Flemington is known for black and white. The black rose frock is mostly black, but its red roses step outside a strict black and white look, so the Lilac or Wisteria made on a white base with the embroidery worked in black follows it more closely, with both colours agreed in your quote. Melbourne Cup day itself tends to be brighter, and the coral or scarlet frock suits that mood. Many UK courses hold a ladies day at their bigger meetings, where florals and soft colours such as the Lilac, jade or lemon feel at home. The frocks are made in the colours pictured; only the Lilac and Wisteria change colour.

Ordering in time for the races

Making takes 5 to 7 working days, counted from the day your written quote is approved and paid in full. Shipping follows, and how long it takes depends on your country. Count back from race day, allow for the making and the journey, then leave a few spare days in case the parcel is held up. The big meetings sit at fixed points in the calendar, Cheltenham in March, Royal Ascot in June, Galway at the end of July and the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November, so there is no need to leave it late. Planning ahead for made to measure walks through the timing.

When you ask for a quote, give the meeting and its date, the design, your size or measurements marked as body or garment, the hem length and any change you want. Delivery to your door is in the quote, along with any import duty and taxes, so there is nothing left to pay when the parcel arrives.