rssKENTUCKY DERBY FASHION

Let’s get something straight. I’m a sports fan, not a fashionista. I wouldn’t know Haute Couture from Angelina Jolie. When I asked my wife if she’d go to the Kentucky Derby with me, the first words past her lips were: “ I’ll need a hat”. If this were a scene in a movie, I’d be looking straight into the camera with a confused expression repeating her words “I’ll need a hat?”

So despite my complete lack of culture and my proclivity to faux pas, I have studied the matter in some detail, and I am prepared to report my findings. It turns out the Kentucky Derby is more than a horse race; it’s an EVENT! It’s a TRADITION! It’s where the elite meet to eat, as my dear old dad used to say. For more than a hundred years, this annual event has been Louisville’s most lavish garden party. So on the first Saturday in May, everyone runs for the roses – but in style of course.

If you’re going to the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks, which is the race that runs the day before the derby, the same fashion rules apply. The first thing to note is that there are essentially two ways to experience the derby. You may mingle among the nobles or you may crash the barbarian bash.

In other words you may purchase a ticket to one of the many seats found within the Churchill Downs club suites, club house, and grandstands, or you may purchase a general admission ticket and be part of the infield crowd. The following description of these two options should help you understand the fashion rules which apply to each experience.

MINGLING AMONG THE NOBLES: FOR LADIES To begin with purchasing a ticket in the club house, grandstand or a suite typically costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Accordingly, those in attendance are generally expected to be civilized. They dress to impress and they meet to compete. For ladies, the focal point of this competition can be found in the hats they wear. Make no mistake about it, the only people who are more competitive than the jockeys in the derby when it comes to Kentucky Derby fashion are the women in the hat parade.

In order to compete in the hat parade, a woman’s hat must be captivating. It is the tradition of Kentucky Derby fashion. It must be unique, stylish, and adorned with eye dazzling plumage. Whether it must also be expensive, is a matter of some debate, but according to my wife, and now professional Kentucky Derby Fashion guru, the appropriate hat is going to put a huge dent in our bank account. (See our list of hat shops below)

Once you’ve found your hat, it’s simply a matter of finding that perfect dress, pant suit, or artistic collection of chic separates that will compliment your head ornament and make you the star you deserve to be. (Garcon, I’ll have a another beer please!) High heals are popular, but you should not be afraid to wear flats, sandles, or other casual-but-stylish footwear. For the record, high-top canvas tennis shoes would probably be a faux pas, unless of course you plan on spending the day in the infield, in which case, you’re bound to be a huge fashion success.

MINGLING AMONG THE NOBLES: FOR GENTELMEN

Gentlemen often wear hats themselves. The trend, however, is to wear something stylishly understated. Fedoras, ivy caps, Panama hats and straw hats are well represented. Searsucker suits, or light colored jackets, shirts and ties or mock turtle necks are all in vogue. Always remember that your belt should match your shoes. In a sea of flesh pressing pageantry, gentlemen serve as the canvas and the ladies are the paint.

CRASHING THE BARBARIAN BASH: FOR LADIES

Admittedly the “Barbarian Bash” is one of my own inventions and a bit of a contrivance to describe an activity that otherwise would defy description. For many years now (no one living knows how long, and no one dead lived long enough to record it) the infield of the Kentucky Derby has served as a mosh pit of Ornithischian ooze and human debauchery so vile and lascivious that even politicians refused to enter. Yet, this orgy of stupefying absurdity thrives on the drumbeat of raw unbridled human perseverance. The participants appear each year and through countless acts of selfless sacrifice demonstrate the depths of human depravity for the exclusive entertainment of the HobNob lobby, which views the entire show from the comfort of their climate controlled suites in the clubhouse. Somehow, it is all symbiotic.

The infield guests have a hat parade of their own. Ladies, when selecting a hat suitable for moshing, it is important to limit your budget to no more than ten dollars. Your hat should be adorned with the castoff gadgetry of bygone innovation. It should twinkle with the dazzle of the flip tops from a dozen empty beer cans. Extra points are awarded for hats which manage to shock the conscience or offend the dignity of your fellow barbarians. Any number of stylish garments can serve to accent your cranial deflector, such as a pair of $5.00 flip-flops and a denim halter top. You might also enjoy the satellite interference you’ll cause when you arrive cloaked in a pair of pink latex pedal pushers and a faux fur bustier. Virtually anything goes in the infield, so feel free to set your altimeter to extreme and you’ll soon be on your way to creating the kind of memories that are only recorded in a deposition.

CRASHING THE BARBARIAN BASH: FOR GENTLEMEN

Whether you’re sliding face first down on a beer soaked slip-n-slide or locked in the romantic embrace of a female mud wrestling contender, it is important to represent your tribe with style and shameless self promotion. It is Kentucky Derby fashion, just a different style. If you lack the artistic aptitude necessary to craft your own hell-born chapeau, simply visit your local Army Navy store and select something equipped with goggles. Complete your ensemble with a pair of paint stained cargo shorts and a Texas Longhorn’s tee-shirt (let them know you majored in party economics), slip your feet into a comfortable pair of steel toed boots and you’re ready to make the scene. And remember – friends don’t let friends drink their beer unless they chip in.

ALSO, (and I’m not making this up) leave your umbrella at home, because umbrellas are not permitted on the grounds of Churchill Downs.

By: Captain Rob, Spectator Guides fashion editor

Kentucky Derby Fashion

LINKS TO ONLINE DERBY HAT SHOPS:

HATS FOR WOMEN:

http://www.Hat-a-tude.com

http://www.Maggiemae.com

http://www.Hatsinthebelfry.com

http://www.Derbyhats.com

http://www.Hatsandveils.com

http://www.Delmarhat.com

http://www.NYfashionhats.com

HATS FOR MEN:

http://hat.villagehatshop.com/hats/Derby

Wikipedia Kentucky Derby Fashion