What to wear to winter race meets

While Christmas is a special date in everyone’s diary, there’s another event that propels people off the couch, that has them leave an opened tin of Roses unattended and despite the cosiness of their homes, inspires them to step out in their Sunday Best. Yep, it’s that yearly favourite... Horse Racing season!

With our unpredictable weather, dressing for the winter races can be a challenge. Of course, you want to wear something show stopping, crown your look with your favourite headpiece, dust down your high heels, enjoy the opportunity to dress up and then you remember... it’s winter, this is Ireland and your commitment to style wavers. Dressing for a race meeting in winter is not for the faint hearted.

However, there are many ways to maintain your style and be comfortable. For some, there’ll be an invitation to enjoy the warmth of the hospitality suites and relish the luxury of dispensing their outerwear to reveal favourite looks. For many others, the appeal of being next to the race track, being part of the excitement, of the crowd, of hearing the thud of the horses hooves and feeling the crescendo of cheers as the winner gallops home, far outweighs any personal comfort.

And that’s the first question to ask yourself - will you be spending most of the day indoors or outdoors?

If you’ll be out in the bracing air, your choice of coat is all important. A tailored, slim line coat is the ideal piece for adding cosy layers. The addition of a faux fur collar and hat will not only keep you warm but will also give your look a glamorous and elegant edge.

Fine leather gloves or woolen mittens with an embellished detail will keep the cold at bay and a stylish larger bag will offer the perfect finishing touch.

Knee length boots will enhance an understated style and also allow you to wear the wisest choice for cold weather... thermals! Yes, thermals. No, I’m not talking about those bulky thermals your gran was so keen on, today’s option is fine performance wear that will keep you warm all day long with no compromise on your style.

A pair of thermal socks unseen in those boots will transform your outdoor experience as we all know, once your feet are cold, misery sets in and it’s time to go home.

If you’ll be indoors for most of the day, comfort becomes a little less important (but only a little!). As your headpiece may be the focal point, an easy wear dress in a block colour will offer you versatility all year round. A statement necklace will refresh your favourite trouser suit or any of your go-to staples.

The all important choice is your head piece. With a wealth of talent amongst Irish milliners, you have so many options to choose from. If you don’t usually wear hats, you might find that wearing a large hat may feel a little uncomfortable and distract you from the enjoyment of the day. Perhaps a better option is an embellished hair band; light and easy to wear. Headpieces with near invisible elasticated bands to hold them in place are a great choice, particularly if you’ll be outdoors. Your hairstyle can be put up in order to showcase your fabulous headpiece and no matter what the wind does, your hair and headpiece remain perfectly in place.

I enjoy going to the races for all sorts of reasons but mostly because it’s such a celebration of Irish style. It’s not about being judged; it’s a marvellous opportunity for Irish women to do what they do best - dress like it’s a red carpet moment, (no matter what the weather), enjoy the craic and celebrate each other’s style.