Just how far in advance should you get your outfit for the races?

Unless you have a clear idea of what your outfit for the races is going to look like, I’d say start looking at least a month in advance.   We usually hear from women needing dresses for the races at least 3 or so weeks before their event.  Talk to friends about what they’re wearing- you don’t want to turn up wearing the same dress!

Dresses for the races vs. trouser suits/skirts?

Call me old fashioned, but the races as a sport are deeply entwined in tradition and the etiquette that accompanies it, down to behaviour, rules and of course dress code.   So, I’d always say dresses for the races over trouser suits or skirts for women. Of course trouser suits can look chic, but why not embrace tradition-dresses for the races are almost a given! Leave the suit-wearing to the chaps on this occasion.

What with the strict dress code that’s usually required at the races, how can you ensure an outfit for the races ticks all the right boxes without the risk of looking too prim or perhaps even over-the-top?

For starters, when picking an outfit, ignore trends and go with what suits you.  Think about what you can wear and not what you can’t.  If you are going to go for a particular trend in terms of your outfit, it needs to be worn in a classic way.

What are the style predictions in terms of dresses for the races this year?

If the British weather continues to surprise and the sunshine and St Tropez temperatures prevail, I think you’ll see a lot more dresses for the races in brighter colours- brights being a big catwalk trend anyway this season.   Expect to see colour blocking, floral prints, and fruit prints – another hit for Spring/Summer ’11.  In other words we can expect dresses for the races this year with a little more chutzpah!

What kind of dresses for the races end up making the biggest fashion faux pas?

Both hats and dresses for the races built on the premise that ‘more is more’.  What ensues is fashion disaster and fashion victimhood on an epic scale.  Hats that are too big end up looking out of proportion and detracting from the dress.  Make sure it’s dress over hat when you consider your outfit for the races.  Many do it the opposite way round, but it’s much easier to find a hat to complement your dress, than a dress to complement your hat.   And of course, it goes without saying; too much flesh on show is one of the biggest crimes of which many dresses for the races are guilty.  The dresses featured here are available in our designer dress hire dresses for the races section.

‘Hmm, what to wear at a wedding?’ you’re thinking, as you glance at the invitation pinned to the fridge, tormenting you each and every time walk past it.  ‘An outfit for a wedding,’ you say to yourself.  ‘Can’t be that hard.’  But as you start to think about it in more detail, the ‘what to wear at a wedding question’ becomes a lot harder to answer. Deciding what to wear to a wedding requires getting the four ‘w’s (that’s who, what, where, and whens of the wedding) exactly right.

A Designer Wedding Outfit? What to Wear at a Wedding – Tailoring it for the Occasion

No matter the ‘who’, (whose wedding you’re attending) in getting what to wear to a wedding right, your outfit needs  to make the right kind of statement – not one of the ‘upstage the bride’ kinds, nor one of the ‘far too casual for a wedding’ kind. An outfit for a wedding needs to give off all the right impressions; it’s as much a symbol of your feelings toward the due-to-be wed couple as anything.  A shabby outfit for a wedding spells indifference, while an outfit for a wedding that is overdone and outshines the bridal gown itself, might spell disaster/embarrassment for multiple parties.

What Do I Wear to a Wedding? What to Wear at any Wedding

Depending on the ‘when’ and the ‘where’ of the big day, you may need to tailor you outfit for a wedding choice accordingly.  A fail-safe option is almost certainly a dress; go for something simple in cut and pattern, that you can dress up or down depending on the scale and tone of the event.  Trousers risk looking a bit too alternative, unless alternative or low-key is the order of the (wedding) day, then they are probably best left to the men.  Meanwhile, skirts can look chic, but getting a hemline and style that is both age appropriate and right for the occasion and time of year can be tricky. 

Designer Wedding Outfit Hire

‘ What do you I wear to wedding?’ you ask your work colleague.  ‘A designer wedding outfit?’ they suggest.  ‘Won’t that be expensive?’ you ask.   ‘Not if you go for designer dress hire,’ she refutes.   A designer wedding outfit doesn’t have to be expensive if you go down the route of designer dress hire.   We give you some lovely designer wedding outfit suggestions that will guarantee you look spot on, with an outfit for a wedding that ticks all four wedding  ‘w’s.   Dress up or down, with or without tights depending on the weather- versatility is everything when it comes to your designer wedding outfit! Click on each designer wedding outfit to learn more about hiring it.

1.LaDress olive tunic (left). Hire: prices start at £69.  Accesorize your designer dress outfit with this Blaguette square cocktail ring and NY straw clutch.

2. Beyond Vintage batwing dress (bottom).  Hire: prices start at £79 (RRP: £270.) Team with a chic cropped jacket and minimal accesories such as this Wilbur & Gussie ‘Edith’  leopard clutch and these labradorite drop earrings from Blaguette; a designer wedding outfit for all seasons!

3. Jonathan Saunders long silk dress. Hire: £179 (RRP: £1, 259). Blue clutch: Wilbur & Gussie.  Wear with earrings from 2. or cocktail ring from 1. 

Launching one of the world’s most prestigious musical events yesterday was Katie Durham in none other than one of our stunning Ruth Tarvydas designer evening dresses!  (We stock over 20 Ruth Tarvydas designer evening dresses available through our online designer dress hire service.)

Proms Launch Photo-Op Gives Centre Stage to Designer Evening Dresses

Katie, who radiated glamour in this fuschia pink strapless ‘Rose Idol’ ball gown with ruffle detailing across the front, posed in front of a piano in front of the Albert Hall together with young pianists Benjamin Grosvenor and Alice Sara Ott to mark the launch of BBC Proms 2011.

Alice had a opted for an emerald halterneck ball gown (designer unknown) and far from clashing with Katie’s fuschia ball dress, side by side for the photo-op, the two women’s designer evening dresses positively complimented each other.   This year’s Proms will bring performances from some of the youngest performers in the event’s 117 year old history, including Benjamin Grosvenor pictured.

Will More Women be Going for Online Designer Dress Hire Come the Proms?

Although a little upstaged in the style stakes by Derham and fellow performer Ott  in their designer evening dresses, the pianist will hold his own at the Proms as a star soloist for the opening of the 2011 Proms’ season.    And who knows, whether Katie (and maybe this time even Alice!) will turn to online designer dress hire for her upcoming appearance as BBC proms host in July.  Watch this space.

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.