Are you going to the races? Getting dressed up for Ladies Day? While there is plenty of inspiration for women, men are given little consideration. I have put together a comprehensive guide on What To Wear To The Races in Spring and Summer. This guide will cover a variety outfits including 3 Piece Suits, Waistcoats and Trousers along with outfit ideas for those of you who don’t want to wear a Suit. You can dress like the Horse Racing kingpins, The Peaky Blinders with Suit looks inspired by the iconic TV Show. The post will also cover the do’s and don’ts of wearing contrasting your Waistcoat.

WHAT TO WEAR TO THE RACES

Going to the races is usually a fun-filled occasion even if you never place a bet. One of the most popular days at the majority of Racing festivals is Ladies Day. It’s not just for women anymore either with more men embracing the sartorial spirit. Another reason Ladies Day is popular is there is a best-dressed competition with lavish prizes on offer for the winners. Whether you want to dress to impress and be in with a chance of winning best-dressed or you just want to look good while winning a ton of money Fashionable Frank will have an outfit for you.

3 PIECE BLUE SUIT

Wearing a 3 Piece Suit is always a good idea in my opinion particularly to occasions like The Races where you might like to take off your Jacket. Having your Waistcoat on underneath will ensure you don’t disappear into a sea of white shirts. Blue is colour which tends to look good on most men. Choose a lighter blue to avoid the cobalt blue which has become a bit of a uniform at formal gatherings recently. Accessories play an important part when constructing your outfit so make sure you consider the colour of your tie and lapel pin even your sunglasses. The trend in Menswear at the moment is to show off some ankle. This requires your shoes to be a bit more interesting than the standard Brogue. Choose double monk straps or slip-on loafers where you can.

In the first picture, I have styled outfit with a floral tie and pocket square matching the tone of the suit. A lapel pin, watch and shoes add pops of colour to the look.

The second picture features a more prominent pop of colour via a pink tie and pocket square. I’m wearing grey loafers instead of tan for a different look and this emphasises the shorter leg/showing off ankle look.

SHOP THE LOOK

I’m wearing a River Island Suit and Loafers.

A TOUCH OF PINK

Want to win Best Dressed? Go with Pink! It will blow everyone else away! Pink is a colour which has been growing in popularity in Menswear over the past few seasons. While a Pink Suit is certainly a ballsy option to consider it is also one which doesn’t require much thought when accessorizing. I have styled the Suit with a classic white shirt. This shirt features a collar pin for additional sophistication. You could go down the navy route and while there is nothing wrong with that it is a bit predictable. When choosing a tie I suggest a floral tie. Mine has a taupe background and is hard to find now so choosing something similar or going for a darker colour will work. A print or pattern on your tie will help to break up the block colour of pink and white.

SHOP THE LOOK

I’m wearing a River Island Suit and Loafers

3 PIECE BROWN CHECK SUIT

Check Suits are incredibly popular in Menswear at the moment and investing in one is certainly a good idea. This brown Cavani Suit is a more traditional looking Suit which will appeal to guys who prefer something more muted for the Races. The dark colour means a good option for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. I’ve styled it with a penny collar shirt and a burgundy knitted tie with a pair black double monk straps. A black shoe is something we don’t see often these days.

SHOP THE LOOK

I’m wearing a Cavani Suit.

WAISTCOAT AND TROUSERS

You don’t have to wear a 3 Piece Suit To The Races. You can go with a regular 2 piece or a Double Breasted Suit (these are really trendy at the moment) and these will look equally as good. However, another option is a Waistcoat and Trousers. This is a great option if you know the weather is going to be good. Once again the double-breasted Waistcoat is quite popular and choosing one will give your outfit a unique and stylish appearance. A regular Waistcoat will look great too!

SHOP THE LOOK

I’m wearing a blue Linen River Island Waistcoat and Trousers. My bracelet is from Soel Beads and my watch is from Skagen.

SHOP THE LOOK 

I’m wearing a River Island Waistcoat and Trousers. My watch is from Skagen and my bracelet is from Azuro Republic.

PEAKY BLINDERS STYLE

A group synonymous with The Races is everybody’s favourite bad guys, The Peaky Blinders! So what better way to pay homage to Tommy Shelby and his crew by dressing like them and going to The Races. Women, booze, winning fights and being a badass isn’t included in my advice. That’s on my YouTube channel :-p To dress like a Peaky Blinder you need a Tweed Suit like the one I’m wearing. I got mine from Cavani Menswear. For more tips check out my Peaky Blinder Style Steal.

CONTRAST WAISTCOAT

If you want to try something completely different you can take inspiration from David Beckhams Royal Wedding contrast Waistcoat inspired outfit. To achieve the contrast Waistcoat look you need make it an obvious contrast. This can be done in a few ways. If you are contrasting the colour of your Waistcoats then opposing colours will give you the best results, for example, grey and black like David Beckham or pink and blue etc. Another option is to use “tonal layering”, simply put, using the same colour in a different tone. Gray is a good colour for this as the tones will be more obvious and more importantly will look good too. You can achieve a contrast using patterns and prints too. So if you have a check or tartan suit you can utilise the Waistcoat as a contrast for another Suit. The fabric is also important. Try to avoid contrasting Tweed fabric with traditional Suit like material as this will not work at all! Just remember colour and fabric are the determining factors.

Image via GQ

BLAZER AND CHINOS

If you would prefer to not get Suited and Booted but still look good the options are endless. One of my favourite looks is this Double Breasted Blazer and white chinos outfit. In Spring Summer choosing a pair of white pants is a great starting point for a dapper ensemble to Wear To The Races. Summer colours like pink and blue team really well with white while the humble tan shoe is your best option for footwear. Accessories can enhance and dress up almost any outfit. Adding pocket squares and lapel pins will give your outfit a pop of colour and interest. I recommend contrasting the colours where you can. I’m an advocate of wrist accessories and I love wearing bracelets and watches. Every detail counts and contributes to the overall appearance of your outfit. Looking good does not happen by coincidence! Believe me!

ACCESSORIES

Choosing the right accessories can transform your Race Day look from good to great! Invest time and effort when choosing your tie, pocket square and lapel pins. Wear a watch, it doesn’t have to be expensive just ensure it compliments the colours in your outfit. When it comes to shoes some of my favourite options are loafers and double monk straps while showing off some ankle. Should prefer to wear socks avoid wearing them with loafers in Spring Summer. Finally, hopefully, you will need some sunglasses. Again, like watches, they don’t have to be expensive and the more they complement your outfit the better.

I hope this post has given you some ideas for your Race Day outfits. Tag in your dapper ensembles. I would like to see what you decided to wear.

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I have been Fashionable Frank and you have been Fantastic!

Until Next Time,

STAY STYLISH!