Certainly anyone living in Australia knows that Spring is horse racing season, and Cup Day in Melbourne, is the culmination of that. The main race yields big money, the weather is warmer, the flowers are blooming and the fashion is worth celebrating! But Cup Day, a public holiday in Melbourne, is not what it was. The Melbourne Cup race itself is traditionally known as the race that stops a nation. But despite the lovely frocks, suits, flowers and hats, it’s becoming unfashionable.

Personally, I’m conflicted because I:

Love the fashion
Love the festivity
Particularly love the hats
Hate the gambling
Hate the horse racing
Love the family barbeques and parties with friends

So back to the fashion (of course!) …why, in this era of athleisure, do people love dressing up for a horse race? Clearly we do love dressing up for an occasion so why to watch horses racing around in a circle and not on other occasions? Perhaps it’s because we need the excuse of an event or permission to dress up? The Victorian Racing Club is unique in still strictly enforcing a formal dress code, so it’s unlike going to a nightclub or the theatre or the ballet which people used to dress up for but often don’t now. But numerous people rise to the occasion, swapping their athleisure for stunning outfits, whether it be couture or personalised unique combinations, and they have a lot of fun doing it!

True confession 1:

I used to love going to the races in the 90s and early 2000s. I was able to drink more then (and I did!) and I loved the socialising and the dressing up. It was an honour to be invited and it felt like an adventure. Eventually however, I found the days too long, I no longer enjoyed drinking for hours on end and I tired of the gambling. Was I interested in horse racing? Not really. I was ambivalent. But I was also ignorant.

As we learnt more about how the horses are treated behind the scenes, how indispensable they are, how many are injured or killed as they compete to make money for owners they have no attachment to, how the mares are subjected to more pregnancies than are natural or safe for their own wellbeing post their racing days in the hope of producing more money-making horses, I no longer felt comfortable about being a race-goer.

True confession 2:

One of the best experiences of my life was Cup Day in 2021, being invited to promote Melbourne independent fashion designers (as well as my book!) on board a beautiful boat on a superb morning for The Today Show on Channel 9. I was allowed to invite friends and we had a sumptuous feast surrounded by the most beautiful floral display. You can see a little of that awesome experience here (scroll down to November 2021). Although I felt awkward about promoting horse racing, the opportunity to promote ethical, independent Melbourne fashion outweighed that.

True confession 3:

I went to the races earlier this year and had enormous fun. I went with some of my best friends (they are frequent race-goers), I had a superb meal (that was an unexpected delight) and of course I loved the dressing up. All in all it was a wonderful day out. Did I gamble? No. Did I see any races? No. I was completely oblivious to that element of the day.

I’m not alone in losing interest in horse racing or being actively against it. According to The Guardian, 90 000 people are expected to attend Melbourne Cup in 2024. Although it sounds like a lot, that is around 27% fewer attendees than 20 years ago. On top of that, five years ago Roy Morgan found that a third of race-goers were 65 years or older, making them 70 plus now.

Most young people are just not keen on horse racing. A number of millennials and Gen Zs in my extended family consider the whole thing barbaric. Though, like me, they sometimes enjoy dressing up for a day out, but I believe it’s more for the sense of occasion, the social aspect and festivity than for the horse racing. So what to do? How can we encourage people to feel comfortable dressing up to go out and have fun without the gambling and horse racing?

I think we just do it! Let’s dress up simply because it’s fun. We don’t need to be uncomfortable; I’m not advocating for uncomfortable shoes or overly tight skirts (remember the images of women walking barefoot at the end of a long day, stilettos in hand??). Let’s just do it in our own way, whatever that may be, for whatever events come our way. Australians clearly love clothes as we’re the biggest global consumers of fast fashion for example (Ugh! Not proud). My advice is to wear the clothes we love (please choose wisely and buy well) and enjoy wearing them, celebrating each and every day we’re able to. I’ve had the experience of ‘saving my best clothes’ and then eventually they no longer fit, or what once looked edgy now looks mundane, or moths got to them. I recommend enjoying the clothes you love now. Today.

If you’re concerned about looking too dressed up, mix high end with low. For example, I recently bought some sparkly red shoes but I envisage wearing them much more often with jeans than I do with a dress. Enjoy your clothes in combinations that light you up and that you feel comfortable in. One of the 2024 runway trends featured cocktail dresses with anoraks or rain jackets. If that appeals, do it. Or do it your way.

As for hats, why are they not worn more often??! Have people forgotten what they’re for? They provide shelter from the elements! As a melanoma survivor, I’m a massive advocate for hats and I wear them frequently. Don’t be timid about wearing a hat. They’re also great for a bad hair day and to protect your hair from the dust and dirt of both the city and rural areas. So please support our millinery industry year round by wearing hats more often. If you’re unsure about how to choose a hat to suit you or your outfit, I can help you with that. It comes down to getting a good colour, shape, fabric and considering proportions, like with the other things you wear. Or pin a single flower into your hair or lapel. That’s easy enough for us all to do.

So my final message is: you don’t need the excuse of a horse race to dress with joy. You have permission to celebrate every day wearing clothes that are special to you. And know you’ll be providing joy for others by doing so. And wear hats. ;-)

Cup Day couture, conflicts and confessions

ME WEARING HATS AND HEADWARE OVER THE YEARS, AS A YOUNGSTER UNTIL NOW