Stacks of books, an entire topiary, a block of Stilton cheese, a pink flamingo: all this and more have appeared on the minds of visitors to Royal Ascot, the five-day British racing event equally famous for its outrageous millinery like his stallions. Hats can follow horses all over the world, from the Kentucky Derby to the Dubai World Cup and the Hong Kong Cup, but nothing tops the… well, toppers at Ascot, founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. They go together like strawberries and cream. Pimm’s and cucumber. Champagne and finger sandwiches.
Maybe it’s because of “My fair lady‘ and the extraordinary black and white lace hat Cecil Beaton created for Eliza Doolittle when she made her Ascot debut. Or perhaps it’s thanks to Queen Elizabeth II, whose twin passions for horses and herding reached their zenith at Ascot. Right now, though, the game of hat-upmanship is as heated and closely watched as the races themselves.
“It is a joy for all to err on the side of extravagance rather than modesty,” said milliner Stephen Jones, who said he once made an Ascot hat from feathers for Jasmine Guinness, the Aristo model, in the shape of a feathered pinwheel about two feet high. “There are so few rules anymore when it comes to dressing up that dressing up is one of the reasons to go to Ascot. It’s the chance to do something you never do.”
Indeed, the Ascot dress code stipulates that all attendees must (ahem) wear hats – and in the Royal Enclosure, the most exclusive ticket area, and at the Windsors’ venue, they must have a base that is at least four inches in diameter. That means “fascinators,” those bizarre concoctions of net and glitter that perch on the edge of a headband like a bird on a twig, are not allowed. Instead, guests can wear a ‘hatinator’ – a compromise between a fascinator and a real hat – which may be why the stand is often larger instead of smaller.
This year, Mr. Jones, who attended the opening day, reported that the dominant fashion trend favored a real hat, or an object that identifies the hat, rather than a shape not normally seen on heads. He attributed the shift to the influence of Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, both of whom have a penchant for saucer-style headpieces, rather than new creations.
That doesn’t mean some eye poppers didn’t appear. One guest modeled a giant hat made of Sweethearts (yes, the Valentine’s Day candy), which spun around her crown like pastel planets. Another wore what looked like a wearable pink huppah of peonies, roses and glittering butterflies.
And then there was Princess Eugenie, whose hipster skipper came with such a long tassel — it looked a lot like a grad cap’s tassel — that Prince William couldn’t resist slapping his hand with it.
“It’s easy to be judgmental, but if someone has fun with what they wear, isn’t that the goal?” said Mr. Jones. “That kind of fun is the essence of fashion.”
