Ever wondered what the dresses for Royal Ascot in ages past looked like? For the first time ever, a modern slant has been put on the Royal Ascot dresses of old in a creative project to mark the event’s tercentenary.  A past-inspired flurry of inspiration for any of us wondering what to wear to the races this year.

Royal Ascot Dresses 2011 – What to Wear to the Races Captures the Past in the Present

In a collaborative effort to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of Royal Ascot, the darling of British fashion, Dame Vivienne Westwood, along with maestro-miliner Stephen Jones and acclaimed photographer Simon Procter, have produced this provocative, eye-catching image as part of the Royal Ascot 2011 campaign.  In it, dresses for Royal Ascot from some of the definitive historical eras in British fashion have been reproduced, to mark the changing tides in races fashion, clearly reflected in these distinctly different dresses for Royal Ascot.  Moreover these Royal Ascot dresses are each in themselves a centenary benchmark for the coming age of what is considered one of Britain’s most prized institutions.

In front of an 1818 image of Royal Ascot, dresses featured hail from Dame Westwood’s Gold Label collection.  The Royal Ascot dresses pictured seek to combine looks from previous centuries.

The traditional Royal Ascot Dress Code – Royal Ascot Dresses 2011

The woman on the left of the image emanates Audrey Hepburn in the black and white Royal Ascot dress she wore for the famous ‘My Fair Lady’ race scene.   The black and white colour scheme also harkens back to the race year of 1910, dubbed ‘Black Ascot’  as this was the colour people at the time were sporting in the form of hats to mourn the death of King Edward VII.

The ombre silk dress (centre) portrays traditional women’s attire typical of Royal Ascot dresses from the Victorian era, crafted out of a select taffeta. Meanwhile, the crimson colour of the suit on the right updates the demure ’50s era two piece, giving it a certain modern appeal.

What to Wear to the Races (on your head!) – Royal Ascot Hats to go with Royal Ascot Dresses

Each of the women’s hats has been designed with a view to complimenting their dresses for Royal Ascot.  On the left, the Edwardian fascinator mirrors the designs showcased in ‘My Fair Lady,’ while the bonnet is reminiscent of first century Royal Ascot dress. The top hat topped with laquered straw, is the perfect antidote to the demure suit, again putting a more modern spin on the traditional suit.

The Royal Ascot dress code is a difficult thing to get right and something that high fashion does not often cater to. In trying to find Royal Ascot dresses, many women choose to hire designer dresses, finding the selection of Royal Ascot dresses offered by dress rental services to be ampler and often more tailored to the Royal Ascot dress code. In other words, online designer dress hire makes the lives of women, who would otherwise dread having to buy or hire their Royal Ascot dresses a much less stressful experience.

Rent Designer Dresses – Avoid Wardrobe Malfunctions at Royal Ascot

On the subject of dress code, Royal Ascot is renowned for being strict.  Depending on the event, the Royal Ascot dress code can vary.   The Royal Enclosure dress code is of course the strictest area of all where Royal Ascot dress code is concerned.  And exceptions are not made for the privileged and the influential, the rich, or the famous.  Which is why last year, Emmerdale actress Roxanne Palett was turned away from the Royal Enclosure because stewards ruled her dress to be too short.

Women who choose to hire a dress from an online designer dress hire boutique like Girl Meets Dress, know that the collection of dresses available to rent have been hand-picked for the occasion.   So when they rent designer dresses, all of which are high-fashion labels, ladies wanting to look their best can rest assured that their selections absolutely meet the occasion dress requirements.  What’s more, if you rent designer dresses from an online designer dress hire service  you can borrow multiple pieces.   Which is particularly useful if you require Royal Ascot dresses for several of the event days.

Royal Ascot Dresses – Dress Code for the Royal Enclosure

If you are lucky enough to get invited to the Royal Enclosure ( if you are not a member you need to be invited by a member who has attended for four consecutive previous years), when you hire a dress be sure to let the online designer dress hire customer services know.  The Royal Ascot dress code for women attending the Royal Enclosure is as follows:

• ‘Formal day dress with a hat or substantial fascinator’
• ‘Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and miniskirts are considered unsuitable’
• ‘Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and colour’

The online designer dress hire stylists at Girl Meets Dress have put together the following Royal Ascot dresses suggestions, ensuring you do just the right amount of ‘standing out’ from the crowd.

1. Alberta Ferretti – Floral print dress – hire: £179, RRP: £948

2. TIBI – Patterned silk dress – hire: £49, RRP: £320  

3.  Halston Heritage – Knot cocktail dress – hire: £99, RRP: £223.

4. Paul & Joe – Montargi dress – hire £89, RRP: £300.

Our very own founder Anna Bance was in Radio1 Extra studios today, chatting to the show’s host Gemma Cairney about the latest trends for Spring/Summer  2011.  Anna, channelling the brights trend in a light magenta sweater and burnt orange skinny jeans, paired with turquoise accessories, urged listeners to embrace the brights trend this summer, stressing it was a look that was flattering to both pale and more olive skin tones.

Online Designer Dress Hire Boutique Owner Dishes the Dirt on Spots vs. Stripes for S/S ’11

Stripes, it seemed, were also on the menu for S/S ’11, much to Gemma’s dismay it was stripes and not spots (she admitted to being more of a spot fan.)  Out of all the dress hire horror stories, the luxury dress hire boutique founder confessed the worst to be a girl who had hired a dress and then had money stapled to it over the course of the night she hired it.  But as Anna was keen to stress, the main concern for Girl Meets Dress is that women have fun and really relish wearing their ball dresses.

There are many reasons why this silk draped column dress by Dries Van Noten is our Dress of the Week.  For starters, the fade-out ombré effect has become quite the subtle trend du jour.  Dip-dying, which started as a hair trend  – think Dalston’s BLEACH and Meadham Kirchhoff’s S/S11 catwalk show – has translated into catwalk looks and we love.  Plus, it’s a happy sunny colour that just makes us smile and start dreaming of our summer holidays – which, let’s face it, with this weather, is totally reasonable.

The asymmetric sleeve detail and loose, languid style is effortless – ideal for lazy summer days.  Style it up with tans and browns to keep the summery theme going – black looks too harsh in such glorious sunshine!  We recommend open-toe chunky sandals for day.  For a going out look, slip into some pointy-toe courts and grab a clutch and you’re good to go!

Silk draped column dress by Dries Van Noten is £99 for 2 nights or £109 for 7 nights.

Useful links: Dries Van Noten dresses, Bright dresses, Asymmetric dresses, Dresses with Sleeves, Day dresses, Party dresses, Dresses for evening and dinner, Dresses for Girls Night Out

By Katie Rose