Women - s Attire

Women',s Attire

The Kentucky Derby is a chance for every female to express her inner Southern Belle so take note and don't hold back when planning your Derby fashion pieces!

Hats

Wearing a hat to the Kentucky Derby is believed to bear good luck! The long-established fashion was started by the women, however, over the last few years, many men have taken part in the tradition as well. Wearing a hat is much like getting into costume, you might be pleasantly surprised to see what type of character you become. From the fantastic to the sublime, there are no rules or limits. In the clubhouse and paddock, women of grace and taste sport classy, fashionable styles. In the infield, the headwear has tendancy to take on a zanier character.

Within the seated sections of Churchill Downs, you will find hats of elegance and style. Generally speaking, women wear wide-brimmed, “Southern Belle” inspired Kentucky Derby hats. The hats can be decorated with flowers, feathers, bows and ribbons of any color to express creativity and individuality. Men's Derby hats are generally solid in color and inspired by the style from the 1920s.

Derby Hat on a Budget

Sure you can have a custom hat created if you want to splurge, but you can also make an elegant hat using materials from around the house and garden. Not to mention make a visit to your local craft shop for your decorating needs. This will create a buzz with your friends and family, perhaps even win a contest!

Dress or Hat - Which Comes First?

You can exhale - there are two answers here!

Some will say that you absolutely get the outfit first. Then you design your hat to go with the outfit. (The arguement here is that it’s easier to custom design a hat than to “make” an outfit to go with a hat!)

Then there are those who say that you must definitely purchase, create or design your hat before picking out the outfit.

Most often in this case, matching the dress (or outfit) to your hat involves personal preference, however keep a few things in mind in getting dressed:

* If your hat is having a pattern party, keep the dress design simple.

* If the hat is simple and elegant, keep the outfit simple also for a classy look.

* If you want a funky outfit, keep it consistent and accent the hat most of all!

* If you have long hair, showcase a ponytail slightly to side or keep it down to one side to highlight the color on your face.

You will find lots of debate on this subject– so finally the NO answer is THE answer!

Party Idea - Best Dressed Hat Contest

If you're having a Kentucky Derby Party, consider having a Best Dressed hat contest. Celebrate your guests efforts with the following categories:

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