Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is an event in the British Calendar that many people seek to attend for all the wrong reasons and unfortunately the event no longer gets the recognition it deserves as one of the leading racing events in Britain and possibly Europe and further afield.

Royal Ascot is better know for the Milinery displays that attract women from far and wide as well as a multitude of fashion press. It's one of the few events in the fashion calendar that exhibits the work of milliners, and the designers really go to town for this event. As much as it is disappointing the racing does not get as much attention, like many people I revel in seeing what feats of fabric sculpture have been achieved.

All the best known milliners work will make an appearance from Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy and Louis Mariette to independent brands who will create outstanding pieces with Ascot in mind. I always seek out any vintage pieces, and this year in particular a few have cropped up. The latest trends are the smaller saucer hats that sit to the side of the head and were very popular across the 1940' s and 50's.

Hilary Alexander from the Daily Telegraph describes this years trend as 'The Kate Middleton Effect', explaining that there are less 'picture hats' and more small 'saucer' hats and 'pill box' hats. Throughout the years Ascot has witnessed the craziest and impractical of designs, from oversized pieces to unbalanced artwork and it has to be said there has been some real hazardous work.

Just like for fashion week, much though has gone into women's outfits with particular effort to the hat. Whether seeking attention, or wanting to blend in, choosing the correct piece of headgear is vastly important. Some spectators live for this event and will commission something every year taking extreme care to look at trends, consider practicality as well as the complete outfit.

My praise goes to Tracy Rose, someone I regularly see at London Fashion Week, her outfits are always amazing. Perhaps not to my taste, but she certainly attracts everyone's gaze. She is the one to look-out for at Royal Ascot as her hats are really inspired. Tracy creates her own hats and will often have a matching dress. She has often been featured in newspapers and magazines. From time to time her work will be featured at London Fashion Week.

This year Tracy's hat was once again not to be missed, a rather sweet affair, influence by liquorice allsorts. I'm astounded by how her work is always so well balanced on her head, fits perfectly and how much time must have been spent in designing this complete outfit, experimenting with the weight of the millinery and arranging it upon herself to last the entire event. It's worth checking out her work for a full example of her work.

Marie V