Boxing Day Races style picks

Don’t ask me about the horses. I lost big time on the Melbourne Cup and at the Telecom Derby Day. But one thing I do love is the fashion. Here are my Boxing Day Races style picks for Ellerslie this 26th December…

Don’t ask me about the horses. I lost big time on the Melbourne Cup and at the Telecom Derby Day.

I waiver between following my intuition (liking the horses’ names, choosing the jockey’s silks) and doing some albeit basic research on Google of what horses to pick. Combining these two supposed winning strategies should have worked, but sadly I would have done better keeping the money in my wallet! Oh well, it was a bit of fun having a flutter.

But one thing I do love, is the fashion. But it can be as easy to win and lose on what you wear, as what you bet on.

I always enjoy watching the show ponies off the turf more anyhow. And what I personally like is the women who follow their individual style, rather than putting a black fascinator on top of any short, tight, cocktail dress.

Read Claire Hahn’s race day style tips for Thread.co.nz and our what to wear to the races article here.

And now to the 2010 Boxing Day Races, which are, after all, the last chance to be stylish in the year. Here are my style picks for Ellerslie this 26th December…

The starting point is usually the dress. How gorgeous is this Amulet Dress, in a variety of colours including black pictured above left and red pictured below? From T K Store at 50 Brown Street Ponsonby and High Street in Auckland city. With its fashionable one-shoulder it’s not as baring as a strapless dress, is beautifully and flatteringly draped, and shows some summer skin without falling into the dangerous "short and tight" camp.

After choosing a dress, you need to think about accessories. Namely, shoes, hats, and bags.

You have four choices for a hat: buy, borrow, vintage, or make. I have made my own hats for the races twice now and it was a lot of fun.

That’s me, below in the cream dress in a cream and brown braid fascinator and petals dress I made.

Vintage is a great way to go, and Races verteran and now fashions in the field judge, Claire Hahn, successfully pulls off mixing designer with vintage each year. It often saves you money and looks unique, too. Borrowing is of course limited to the friends you have. Good luck.

As for buying, you can go the cheap and cheerful route and get a hair band or clip for around twenty to thirty dollars at Farmers, Diva, Bling and so on in the malls, or go high quality and the market leader here is Natalie Chan in Parnell Road. My pick from her site is this red dupion silk bow ($175)

For shoes, I love Kathryn Wilson’s heels. How about the Desiree Heel in Cherry?

For a bag, leave your office work bag at home, and carry the barest essentials in a clutch. I like Super Scarlet by Saben.

Have fun at the races. Wear your sunscreen. And I hope you have better luck on the horses than me!

By Megan Robinson, 20 December 2010.