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.