Fashion guide to the 2026 spring racing season ahead of Ascot Racing Carnival, from headwear to sustainability

Everyone loves an excuse to dress up. To step out of their everyday uniform into something a little more elevated.

And the spring racing season has long been as much about what punters are wearing at the track as it is the horses’ performances.

With Perth Racing gearing up for much-anticipated The Pinnacles Carnival, starting next Saturday at Ascot Racecourse, there will be five Saturdays of world-class action with a massive $10 million prize pool on track, and equally important fashion bragging rights in the crowd. The first day on the program, Champion Fillies’ Day.

“It has always been a celebration of female equine excellence on the track, so it feels fitting to establish it as the new home of Fashions on the Field,” Perth Racing CEO James Oldring told The Sunday Times.

“With our biggest prize pool to date, I have no doubt the standard of stylish entrants will be spectacular.”

While fashion and racing have been intertwined for generations, the sartorial stakes were officially raised in 1962 when the Victoria Racing Club introduced Fashions on the Field in a bid to entice more women through the gates of Flemington.

In its early days, racecourse fashion was governed by notoriously strict dress codes.

For ladies, it was all about prim and proper elegance with certain requirements every fit had to tick, including headwear, stockings, gloves and modest hemlines (no higher than the knee).

For the gentlemen, well-tailored suits were the order of the day, complete with polished shoes, neckties and classic hats. A pocket square was the cherry on top.

Dare to flout the rules, particularly in the members’ enclosure, and you risked everything from disapproving looks to being refused entry. Forget your gloves and you could practically hear the collective clutching of pearls.

And if that sounds like an exaggeration, just ask Jean Shrimpton, whose bare knees almost brought Flemington to its knees in 1965.

On a sweltering spring day, she arrived to judge Fashions on the Field wearing an outfit defying every dress code in the racing rule book.

Dubbed “the dress that stopped the nation”, Shrimpton’s sleeveless white minidress sat a daring 10 centimetres above her knees. There were no gloves, no stockings and, perhaps most scandalously, no hat in sight.

At the time, Shrimpton was the highest-paid model in the world and one of the defining faces of Swinging London, alongside the likes of Twiggy and Veruschka. Her sartorial rebellion was bound to make waves.

And that it did – her fashion crime claiming the front page of the next day’s newspapers, with the media heavily criticising her lack of etiquette.

But fashion has a funny way of turning scandal into style… because lo and behold, within a few short years Flemington was awash with minidresses.

What began as a fashion faux pas went down as a defining cultural turning point in Australian fashion history, ushering in the miniskirt revolution on our sandy shores.

In the six decades since Shrimpton sent shockwaves, racing fashion has seen its fair share of trends come and go – from the power shoulders of the eighties to the flamboyant fascinators of the noughties.

But what is turning heads trackside in 2026? And do statement hats still have a place in the winner’s circle?

Headwear debate

Millinery remains part of the spectacle, but the days of plonking a last-minute fascinator on your head and calling it racewear may be numbered.

Considered shapes are set to trump feathers for feathers sake, and the frontrunner of headwear this season is the pillbox hat, made famous by Jacqueline Kennedy.

Elle Boutique associate buyer Emma Daley predicts a comeback with a modern twist.

“Make the look your own by adding personalised details such as tulle veils, tassels, brooches and feathers,” she suggests.

For those less inclined to channel Jackie O, sculptural headwear offers room to play. Claremont Quarter fashion director Teagan Sewell favours proper hats over fascinators, particularly those with raffia or intricate weaving.

At the more theatrical end of the scale, she points to the work of celebrated British milliner Stephen Jones as proof a hat can be a work of art in its own right.

Having spent a decade as Myer’s national travelling stylist, Sewell has styled Flemington parades and judged Fashions on the Field.

“I always gravitated towards entrants who brought something personal: an element they’d made themselves, a hat developed with a milliner or a piece customised by a dressmaker,” she says.

Earlier this week, the Melbourne Cup saw influencers and celebrities alike step out in their best fits and frocks. Early trends included head-to-toe striking red, seen on Jules Neale, with Bec Judd partaking in a striped multicoloured number featuring the fiery hue.

Fashion darling Pip Edwards donned a tonal turquoise ensemble, as one of the best dressed in the Birdcage.

It’s all about shape

From the neck down, silhouettes are doing the talking.

Daley points to Melbourne designer Toni Maticevski’s dramatic tailoring and fabric manipulation. His strapless ivory Marigold Fringe dress is her top pick, styled with a green tulle veil and sculptural accessories. Its swishing fringe makes a statement without excess embellishment.

But an elaborate dress is far from the only way to make an entrance.

Sewell encourages racegoers to embrace the theatre of dressing up and look beyond the traditional dress-and-hat combination.

Her suggestions? An oversized blazer as a minidress, where dress codes permit, or a three-piece suit with an exaggerated silk bow. Think Carla Zampatti tailoring or Rebecca Vallance and Aje’s architectural shapes.

Daley also tips cinched waists, peplum detailing and polka dots against sharp tailoring. She singles out Self-Portrait’s black tailored blazer minidress as an example of the trend, dressed up with an eye-catching bag. Ladylike, but hardly predictable.

Wear the rainbow

Colour, too, is refusing to play it safe.

Stylist and fashion jewellery designer Bridget Hudson anticipates a palette spanning cornflower blue, icy pink and buttery yellow through to rich chocolate brown, cobalt and tomato red.

“With the exception of Derby Day, racing season is a great opportunity to embrace colour,” she says.

Dressing tonally from head to toe remains a winner, but the adventurous can try powder blue with red, chocolate with buttery yellow, or chartreuse with violet.

Sewell favours pink with red or green with blue, pointing to Royal Ascot’s 2026 colour of the year, Bright Tomato, as inspiration for a head-to-toe statement or a pop of colour through shoes or millinery.

Daley also tips red accessories for Stakes Day and soft pastels with bolder finishing touches. A strong accessory also lets colour-shy punters experiment without going all in.

On the footwear front, pointed pumps remain reliable, while sculptural heels and delicate slingbacks bring personality.

Australian footwear brand Midas Shoes tips sculptural heels, jewelled mesh slingbacks and subtle shimmer to enliven black-and-white looks.

Tactile threads

Texture is becoming just as important as colour.

Think breezy organza, fluttering feathers, swishing fringe, and intricate embroidery or beading.

Hudson expects sheer details and feather trims to soften tailoring; Sewell likes the contrast of woven raffia against structured clothing.

Designer Jana Kachel predicts bold colours, playful prints and feminine silhouettes, while OnceWas founder Belinda Abbott backs flowing shapes, botanical prints and delicate embroidery. The key is thoughtful detail, not another predictable garden-party print.

But when the fabric does the heavy lifting, accessories needn’t compete.

That said, accessories are enjoying a moment of their own, particularly handbags.

Hudson champions tactile bags in satin, faux fur, shells, feathers, raffia and beads, capable of elevating even the simplest dress. It might be tempting to match a bag perfectly to the shoes, but a contrasting texture or unexpected colour can bring far more personality to the finished look.

“A bag doesn’t have to be an afterthought; it can be the starting point for the whole look,” she says.

Think metallic earrings, chunky cuffs or an unexpected brooch, rather than everything at once.

“I only add jewellery if it contributes to the look - every accessory should have a purpose,” she says.

And for the gents

And what about the men?

Hudson urges men to venture beyond the standard navy suit.

She suggests linen-blend suits and relaxed separates in chocolate, olive, burgundy, bone or powder blue. A pocket square, tie pin or brooch adds personality, while dark brown leather shoes finish the look.

Sunglasses deserve just as much consideration as the rest of the outfit, she adds. Check enclosure dress codes before forgoing a tie.

A few gents which showed up and showed out at the Melbourne Cup included Hollywood star Jamie Foxx, who wore a striking black and gold tux, Robbie Williams in an embroidered suit and Peter Bol in a velvet number.

Sustainability at the forefront?

Perhaps the biggest change has less to do with hemlines than how we shop.

RMIT University fashion academic Dr Rashmita Bardalai says rising interest in rental fashion, resale, vintage and outfit repeating is changing the way people approach spring racing.

“As consumers become more conscious of sustainability, affordability and the long-term value of their clothing, we are seeing a growing interest in rental fashion, resale, vintage and outfit repeating during the Spring Racing Carnival,” she says.

A designer dress needn’t be bought for one afternoon, nor last year’s look retired. Different millinery or a pre-loved piece can refresh an ensemble.

“Rather than treating style and sustainability as competing priorities, many consumers are finding ways to achieve both,” Bardalai says.

Nicole Adolphe, head of style at The Iconic, agrees with the premise: “There’s a growing focus on pieces that can be worn beyond race day, with shoppers looking for styles they can easily rework for weddings, summer celebrations and other special occasions.”

“For me, it’s all about starting with a standout piece. A statement dress with an interesting neckline, playful texture or bold colour is a great place to start,” she suggests.

“Matching sets are another striking option, and with race-day dressing becoming more contemporary, a tailored blazer and skirt combination can feel just as polished.

“From there, I’d introduce a statement accessory, whether that’s sculptural earrings, an eye-catching clutch or a beautiful piece of headwear. Comfort is also key, particularly when you’re spending hours on your feet. A wedge or block heel is always a great option, while a chic pair of ballet flats can offer a modern alternative where the dress code allows. Above all, consider the event’s dress code and choose something that makes you feel confident.”

Adding a sustainable spin to spring racing on local soil, Perth Racing’s Pass the Hat initiative is encouraging racegoers to donate their pre-loved hats and fascinators in support of Telethon.

The donated millinery will be given a new lease on life at a special charity sale on Champion Fillies’ Day, allowing fashion enthusiasts to refresh their racewear wardrobes while raising funds for WA children in need.

Sewell also champions outfits with life beyond the finish line.

“Above all, choose pieces you can see yourself wearing again and bring enough of yourself to the styling that the outfit feels lived-in and your own,” she says.

Sixty-one years after Shrimpton caused a national fuss by leaving her hat at home, perhaps the most fashionable thing a racegoer can wear is still a little individuality.