If there’s one date on the spring racing carnival calendar that begs for the loosening of traditional dress code restraints, it’s Seppelt Wines Stakes Day.
The laid-back race day counterpart of Derby Day and Melbourne Cup, Stakes Day sees the slipping off of opulent wares, form-fitting silhouettes and elaborate headwear in favour of relaxed fabrics, pared-back cuts and not-so-serious accessories—think cotton and linen over delicate textiles, billowing dresses over pencil cuts and thicker heels over your pin-thin stiletto.
So if there were a single racing occasion where one could let their own sartorial flair truly shine, as opposed to squeezing it into a pre-determined dress brief, Stakes Day is it.
As predicted, this year’s event saw looks that were the epitome of nonuniformity—in the best way possible. Graphic prints appeared in their dozens, shorter hemlines and deep-cut necklines were welcomed and fifty shades of pastels found their way into many race goers’s Stakes Day wardrobes, while Michael Kors’s Whitney handbag and the Burberry Lola handbag from each of the brand’s autumn/winter ’19/’20 collections proved to be crowd favourites.
But if we did have to dub this particular event with a theme, it would no doubt read along the lines of ‘freedom in femininity’, or something of the like.
In terms of ticking off this season’s racing wardrobe trends, the event had its fair share of offerings. Wide-brimmed hats, straw headwear, ornate headbands and cutesy hair clips proved popular accessory choices, while puffed sleeves, logo-emblazoned designer pieces, and micro bags favoured over the classic clutch each made their own extremely welcomed appearances.
This year, our stand-out looks include Kate Waterhouse’s all-Dior outfit tied for first with her Burberry-donning daughters, Rebecca Harding’s floral dream of a dress paired with her heart-shaped velvet shoulder bag, and Lindy Klim’s check motif skirt and its peak-a-boo centre slit.
Click Here: NRL Telstra Premiership
For more, scroll on to take a look at the best street style from Seppelt Wines Stakes Day 2019.