Melbourne Cup Dress Code 2018: IGI Advice Series
JON MICHAIL
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What to wear to the races this year
Wondering what to wear to the Cup this year? We’ve made this guide to the Melbourne Cup dress code so you can dress to impress.
We tend to think of a day at the races as an elegant affair. But, there is no dress code for General Admission at Flemington. Actually, that does explain A LOT!
Step inside the Members’ Enclosure and it’s a very different story.
Going to the races has always been a chance for the well-to-do to parade in all their finery. When the Melbourne Cup was first run back in 1861 this meant frock coats and hats for the gentlemen, and bonnets and bustles for the ladies.
Parading the latest in fashion became more egalitarian with the introduction of Fashions on the Field in 1962. The competition included categories for outfits that had cost ￡30 and under, and ￡50 and over. This kept the Cup’s fashionable traditions alive across economic and societal boundaries.
Alongside these interventions by the Victorian Racing Club (VRC), dress standards for the Spring Racing Carnival continued to evolve organically. Most people have heard of the race day ‘rules’. The Melbourne Cup is all about colour, the Derby Day theme is black and white, Oaks Day is Ladies Day, and Stakes Day is more relaxed and family focused.
These codes are celebrated and encouraged, and this all adds to the sense of occasion. But they are not actually official codes at all. For example, Derby Day’s signature theme appears to have evolved from a competition in 1960. Sponsored by whisky-maker James Buchanan and Co. the competition offered a prize for the best black and white ensemble.
Or the black and white trend might have continued in imitation of the racegoers of the 1964 film My Fair Lady. Either way, the code is not a VRC standard and is not enforced by any official body. It is enforced only by our collective expectations.
Another interesting evolution in VRC tradition and its effect on the Melbourne Cup dress code is that of the Birdcage.
Flemington’s first Birdcage was the stabling area, with a barrier placed between horses and spectators. There was a charge for admission to prevent overcrowding, and this had an unintended side effect. The Birdcage suddenly became a more exclusive area and the place for racegoers (who could afford the fee) to see and be seen.
As well as these natural evolutions, the VRC has constantly updated its requirements for members. This has been done to keep pace with changing fashions whilst still maintaining “the dignity of the Members’ Enclosure.”
Changes to the Melbourne Cup dress code have included welcoming overseas visitors “to wear the formal National Dress of their country.” A necessary change for a race long celebrated as an international event. This consideration introduces multicultural elegance. It also means the VRC doesn’t force all men to wear suits and women to wear dresses. This makes sense when international visitors come from countries with different formal dress.
Instead of specifying hem length for women, the VRC bans casual attire. It also allows women to wear pants, though jeans, jodhpurs, tracksuits, leather pants, untailored pants, and shorts are forbidden. This strikes the balance between freedom of expression and maintaining the high standards of the event.
Why have a Members’ dress code?
Like many exclusive clubs in Melbourne, the VRC continues to uphold its dress code. Despite some protest.
It is also in part due to the high standards of enforced elegance that celebrities continue to attend the Cup. Yes, they are paid to be there, but the Cup is locked in a prestigious cycle. It is the place to be seen, and so people who are someone, are happy to be seen there. And because these somebodies are there, it remains the place to be seen.
The Members’ dress code maintains a certain standard and gives a sense of occasion. This means the Cup’s reputation for elegance has remained since its earliest days, in a world where anything remaining the same for very long is rare.
Melbourne Cup dress code for Members
The Victorian Racing Club (VRC) dress code is strictly enforced for all members’ areas. This includes the Birdcage and Members’ Carparks.
When Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt attended Oaks Day at Flemington in 2016 he followed the race day dress code to perfection. Bolt donned a promotional cap for his mock race against friend John Steffensen. Bolt then removed his cap for time in the Crown marquee, in keeping with the members’ enclosure dress regulations saying men cannot wear peaked caps or beanies.
Most of the VRC rules are aimed at preventing a look that is too casual or revealing. Interestingly, there is one rule that prevents overdressing. Cravats are not considered acceptable attire. Sorry Matt Preston.
Another rule used to stipulate that gentlemen could not wear shoes without socks. However the VRC has updated its rules citing “new style trends”, and now allows race-goers sockless in the members’. (You can read our comments on why this might not be the best idea here.)
Actually, I’m pretty sure officials turn a blind eye when it comes to Matt Preston’s signature style. He’s been seen in the Members’ Enclosure before, with some very colourful cravats. Preston is a celebrity Masterchef brand, after all.