Royal Ascot Was Awash in Extravagant Hats

Piles of books, a complete topiary, a block of Stilton cheese, a pink flamingo — all these and extra have appeared on the heads of attendees at Royal Ascot, the five-day British racing occasion that’s as well-known for its outrageous millinery as its stallions. Hats might comply with horses all over the world, from the Kentucky Derby to the Dubai World Cup and the Hong Kong Cup, however nothing tops the … properly, toppers at Ascot, based in 1711 by Queen Anne. They go collectively like strawberries and cream. Pimm’s and cucumber. Champagne and finger sandwiches.

Maybe it’s due to “My Fair Lady” and the extraordinary black and white lace hat Cecil Beaton created for Eliza Doolittle when she made her Ascot debut. Or possibly it’s because of Queen Elizabeth II, whose twin passions for horses and hats reached their apex at Ascot. At this level, although, the sport of hat-upmanship is as heated, and carefully watched, because the races themselves.

“To err on the facet of extravagance versus modesty is a pleasure for everybody,” mentioned the milliner Stephen Jones, who reported that he as soon as made an Ascot hat out of feathers for Jasmine Guinness, the aristo-model, within the form of a feathered pinwheel about two toes excessive. “There are so few guidelines in dressing anymore that to decorate up is a part of the rationale for going to Ascot. It’s the chance to do one thing you by no means do.”

Certainly, the Ascot dress code dictates that every one attendees sport (ahem) hats — and within the Royal Enclosure, essentially the most unique ticket space, and the Windsors’s spot, they need to embody a base that’s not less than 4 inches in diameter. Which means “fascinators,” these weird concoctions of internet and sparkle that sit on the sting of a headscarf like a hen on a twig, should not allowed. As a substitute, friends might put on a “hatinator” — a compromise between a fascinator and an precise hat — which can be why the default is usually to go larger slightly than smaller.

This yr, Mr. Jones, who attended opening day, reported that the dominant millinery development favored extra of an precise hat, or hat-identifying object, slightly than a type not usually seen on heads. He attributed the shift to the affect of Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, each of whom have a penchant for saucer-style headgear, not novelty creations.

That doesn’t imply that some eyepoppers didn’t seem. One visitor modeled an enormous hat made from Sweethearts (sure, the Valentine’s Day sweet), which orbited her crown like pastel planets. One other wore a bit that resembled a conveyable pink huppah of peonies, roses and glittering butterflies.

After which there was Princess Eugenie, whose snazzy boater got here with such a protracted tassel — it regarded loads like a grad cap tassel — that Prince William couldn’t resist batting it about together with his hand.

“It’s simple to be judgmental, but when somebody is having a superb time with what they’re carrying, isn’t that the aim?” Mr. Jones mentioned. “That type of enjoyable is the essence of vogue.”