National events
What to Wear to Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is undoubtedly one of the biggest events of the summer sporting calendar. Over time, it has become the most internationally renowned regatta with thousands of spectators travelling miles and miles to attend. Although the raison d’être for this event is the rowing, the fashion is undoubtedly a huge part of the event, so you really do need to make sure that you look the part! Whilst planning your outfit for such an event is (and should be) good fun, it’s also really important to adhere to their dress code (especially if you are in the Stewards’ Enclosure), if you don’t, you are running the risk of being refused entry (how embarrassing!). Here are a few tips on the Henley dress code to ensure that this does not happen to you:
Floral pencil dress
1. Dress length
If you are lucky enough to be in the Stewards’ Enclosure, make sure that the hem of your dress is below the knee as knee flashing is a definite no-no! Likewise, make sure that you are not wearing divided skirts, culottes or trousers.
This figure flattering floral pencil dress pictured on the left is an excellent example of a great dress for Henley Regatta. This style of dress looks fabulous on many different body shapes including curvy, hour-glass and tall and willowy. The gorgeous floral pattern adds vivid splashes of colours to ensure that you will stand out from the crowd. This dress looks great with black shoes and a bright fascinator or hat to match the print. Check out that length too – not a flash of knee in sight for the Stewards Enclosure!
Vintage style feather fascinator
2. Hats
Hats are not a requirement at Henley, but they have stated that it is customary to wear one. If you are concerned that a hat may be too much, a fascinator is an excellent alternative that wont block the view of anyone who is behind you who wants to take in the rowing!
This stunning, handmade, vintage inspired fascinator is a delicate alternative to a hat with gorgeous feathers and subtle bling.
3. Shoes
Although there are no formal requirements for shoes, the right footwear can really make the outfit. However, be mindful that for much of the event you will be tottering about on grass, so make sure that your shoes are sensible, like a wedge or block heel, as well as fabulous!
Sparkly box bag
4. Bags
Don’t forget to finish off your outfit with a gorgeous bag. If you are wearing a patterned dress, pick out the secondary or tertiary colour to match the bag with, it’s a great way to accent the other colours. If your dress is one colour, match it to the colour of your shoes or hat to break up the colour. If you are having problems colour matching, go for a trusty bag with clear sparkles (like the one on the left) – they look gorgeous with anything!
So, if you are lucky enough to be a ticket holder for the regatta, have a fantastic time and enjoy a Pimms for me!
What to wear to Goodwood Revival 2013
Retro inspired ladies hat
It’s that time of year again where you need to dig out your biggest hair rollers, seamed stockings and get practicing your most dramatic eyeliner flicks! Yes, one of my favourite events in the social calendar is coming up: the Goodwood Revival Festival. Goodwood Revival is a truly unique annual event which is held at the world renowned Goodwood race circuit in Sussex, UK. This event allows you to take a magical step back in time to the golden era of motor sport from the late 1940’s to the 1960’s and is jam packed with fun, cars and celebrities. However, although I am always fascinated by the racing (in particular saloon car racing!), what I really love about the event is the theatrical fashion parade.
Dressing up for Goodwood Revival allows you to channel your inner Katharine Hepburn for an opportunity to take a fashionable step back in time and to embrace the culture and glamour of the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. This event is awash with gorgeous swing and pencil dresses, and not to mention some stunning accessories! I feel that the effort put in by the ladies to capture the style of these periods gives the heartbeat to the whole event, giving ticket holders a feeling of true retro glamour. It’s not just the sense of inclusion you have when you dress up for the Revival Festival, there are also fantastic prizes to be won for the Best Dressed Lady, so it’s important to get it right if you want to be in with a chance!
The first thing I would like to say regarding style when you are choosing your outfit is to stay away from the ‘fancy dress’ mindset. Instead, try to capture the spirit and authenticity of the event. Fancy dress could lead you to looking tacky, and at big fashion event such as this, this is a big fashion faux pas. When first exploring what to wear I recommend looking on the internet for golden era actresses who you can get inspiration from. This list by IMDb is a great place to start: http://www.imdb.com/list/P80HvOfFoyc/ Try to find an actress who has a similar colouring to you and is a similar shape.
Golden Era inspired black peplum dress
Pencil dresses for Goodwood Revival
Pencil dresses were all the rage during the 1950’s and are perfect dresses to wear to Goodwood Revival. The pencil dress was a super sexy alternative to the fun and flirty full skirted swing dresses. To me, these dresses are the epitome of golden era glamour, provide you with an iconic Audrey Hepburn style look, and also give you a classy little wiggle when you walk! These dresses look stunning when teamed up with a pair of heels, but remember that you will be walking around a lot at the Festival, so unless you are well versed in wearing sky-scraper heels, stick to a lower, thicker heel.
Accessories to complete your golden era inspired look
Accessories are a must when you complete your outfit. Furry stoles were hugely popular in the golden era and offer you the function of keeping warm when the day turns into evening and also looking like a glamorous 1950’s fashion goddess! Team up a pencil dress and a stole with a gorgeous pair of long gloves and a 1950’s style hat.
It’s rare to find someone who embraces the golden era full time, and if you’re not one of them, don’t worry, stepping out to this event doesn’t have to cost the earth. Our dresses and many of our accessories can be hired rather than purchased both at the boutique and online, so you won’t be stuck with a dress and accessories you are unlikely to wear again. We pride ourselves on sourcing excellent quality outfits and accessories, so you can feel rest assured that you don’t have to resort to ‘fancy dress’ style outfits, and you will be able to wear a stunning high quality dress and accessories at a fraction of the cost!
Visit http://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/welcome.aspx for more details of the event.
Ladies Day at Sussex County Cricket Club
The judging panel for best hat – left to right, Denise Cobb, Mayor of Brighton and Jim May, Chairman of SCCC, Leah, Walk in Waradrobe
I was lucky enough to be invited to Ladies Day at Sussex County Cricket Ground to be on the judging panel with the Mayor of Brighton and Hove Denise Cobb and the Chairman of the Cricket Club, Jim May for a time honored tradition, the best hat competition. The event, which took place on Friday 19th July 2013 was a truly glamorous event, with stunning dresses and the most extravagant hats and fascinators. It was fantastic to see so much glamour under one roof, and all for a good cause – the Rockinghorse Appeal.
At the event, guests were truly pampered with a complimentary 15 minute beauty taster treatment by the newly launched Spa at the Grand Hotel, Brighton and celebrity favorite jewellery designers Stella and Dot were showing off their fabulous jewellery. There were also some fabulous prizes up for grabs, including champagne afternoon tea for two at one of my favourite places to socialize in Brighton, Bohemia Grand Cafe and Late Lounge.
Thank you to Fiona and the events company Midnight Communications, for putting on such a fabulous event, we are looking forward to next year! Thank you also to Stephen Lawrence, the professional photographer who took some fantastic shots at the event. Please visit his website here: www.snapitnow.co.uk
If you are interested in attending Ladies Day at the Cricket Club next year, please call 0844 264 0202.
All photographs by Stephen Lawrence
Ladies Day at Sussex County Cricket Ground 19-07-13
The summer social calendar this year has been positively bursting with Ladies Day events, and WiW HQ are particularly excited about the upcoming Ladies Day at Sussex County Cricket Ground on Friday 19th July. Tickets are £70 and include ALL drinks AND a three-course meal, or just £35 if you want to do a cash bar; if that’s not a complete steal, I don’t know what is! This promises to be a fantastically entertaining and glamorous day, including complimentary taster spa treatments and some fabulous raffle prizes, such as a champagne afternoon tea for two at Bohemia Grand Cafe in Brighton. The fun doesn’t just stop here, there are some undisclosed surprises (which certainly intrigues me!) and also a slave-for-a-day charity auction, which features some of Sussex’s most well respected business people!
So what to wear? Ladies day’s are traditionally fashionable, theatrical yet sophisticated and elegant. Ladies day really is the day where you can take your chance to have some fun with fashion and really step out of your comfort zone.
Ladies day pink and black dress with matching jacket
The dress
As ladies days are all about the ladies, we understand that the task of finding the right dress for these ‘all eyes on you’ events can be a little daunting. Fortunately, our team of in-house stylists are well versed in dressing ladies for their ladies day events and will know what outfit will suit your shape. We will also keep in mind your personality and will help you find a dress that you not only look great in, but also feel comfortable in (comfort is a MUST as you will be in the dress for the whole day!). The style pictured right is a particularly appropriate dress for a ladies day. This European, designer dress is a truly unique dress with it’s luxurious black lace over a gorgeous dusky pink, giving you a fresh, modern look yet also an air of elegance and chic. The matching jacket is a perfect addition, ensuring that you won’t be caught cold when the party goes on into the evening!
Dramatic and elegant hat for Ladies Day
The hat or fascinator
A hat or fascinator will be your crowning glory, so this is your chance to really indulge yourself, take a fashion risk and go completely over the top with your head gear! For Ladies Day at the Sussex County Cricket Ground the hat is particularly important as there is a Best Hat Competition! We have a wide range of dramatic and elegant hats at the boutique, so not only will you will truly be spoilt for choice, most importantly, you will certainly be in with a good chance of winning this competition!
Keep your eyes on the blog next week for my report on Ladies Day at Sussex County Cricket Grounds!
Walk in Wardrobe are also offering a special discount for ticket holders for this event, please visit our events page for more details! http://www.walk-in-wardrobe.co.uk/events.php
Tickets for Ladies Day at the Sussex County Cricket Ground can be purchased online at www.sussexcricket.co.uk or over the telephone on 0844 264 0202.
One of Britain’s most exciting fashion parades – it can only be Ascot!
Champagne Ladies Day Ascot dress with matching jacket
Ladies day at Ascot is drawing very near and we have been inundated with ladies looking for fashionable outfits that adhere to Ascot’s strict dress code. Ladies day at Ascot is a very special day as it is a stylish parade of only the most fashionable attire mixed with traditional British heritage. The fashion police at Ascot will refuse admission to anyone who is not dressed appropriately, so it’s essential that you get it right. Our staff at Walk in Wardrobe have many years of experience of dressing ladies for Ascot, so we can help you dress correctly and avoid any embarrassing refusals on the day!
Ladies outfits for the Royal Enclosure
Although there is a strict dress code for the Royal Enclosure don’t think for a minute that you can’t still look sexy and glamorous. I can inform you now that midi-dresses are IN, so even though you are required to wear a dress which is just above the knee or longer, you will still look fashionable. Strapless, or off the shoulder dresses are a big no-no, and you need to make sure that your straps are at least 1 inch thick, regardless of whether you are wearing a jacket or not.
For Ascot, we have some stunning collections with fresh and modern designs make out of high quality fabrics in plain or with stunning prints. Our race day outfits adhere to the dress code at Ascot and come with jackets which are very suited to the unpredictable English weather!
Fabulous feather hat – perfect for Ascot!
Hats and fascinators for the Royal Enclosure
Hats are required in the Royal Enclosure, although a substantial fascinator with a base of at least 4 inches is acceptable instead of a hat.
Ladies outfits for the Grandstand
Classy yet sexy pencil dress for the Grandstand at Ascot
Although the dress code is slightly more relaxed in the Grandstand, ladies are still required to wear formal wear. As with the Royal Enclosure, regardless of whether you have a jacket, you are not permitted to wear strapless or sheer strap dresses. Our pencil dresses are particularly suitable for the Grandstand, and have the added benefit of being made out of stretchy fabric which are really comfortable – a must if you are going to be in the dress all day!
A comfortable, elegant and chic fascinator
Hats and fascinators for the Grandstand
A hat, headpiece or fascinator must be worn at all times, so it’s essential to get the right one for you with reflects your personality so you feel comfortable.
Although no one likes to surrender wardrobe autonomy to anyone, if you adhere to the rules you will have a fun packed and fabulous day. And if you get your outfits and accessories from us, you will not only have a fabulous day, you will be looking stunning and feeling confident too!