Ladies Day

By Gem - 14:00:00

Cheltenham Ladies Day is famous for the dress code of women sporting fancy hats and dresses so picking something to wear for the day can be a little daunting. Try to relax though because what’s not to love about getting dressed up, sipping on a glass of champagne and enjoying the atmosphere of a live horse race?

The event takes place on the 11th of March this year and we all know that the British weather can be rather unpredictable at that time of year so you need to strike the balance between standing out so you win one of the fashion awards and staying warm and dry. With fabulous Best Dressed prizes on offer you might want to think about what you're wearing and put some real effort into it.

Whilst there is a lot of emphasis on fashion at the big race meetings such as Royal Ascot, dress codes are generally more relaxed at other venues like Cheltenham so you can wear something a bit more fun. Officials can be strict about entry to anyone not suitably dressed. At Royal Ascot strapless, halter or spaghetti-strap dresses are banned!

Many women go for extremely dressy hats and matching outfits, think WAG gone mad but the best dressed are often understated. What you wear really depends on what you’ll be getting involved in. If you're more interested in spending the day at Cheltenham watching the races and placing some bets then you could chose classy outfits with tweed or a smart suit, covered with warm (faux) fur coats if you don’t want to catch a cold on the day or spend the whole day shivering.

I've been asked me to put a little outfit together for a day at the races and this is my selection:

Dress: Ted Baker - Shoes: New Look - Coat: ASOS - Bag: Whistles

I've gone for nice Spring like pastels and items you can wear again, not just to the races. This outfit would work equally as well for a wedding or date.

The dress has a lovely bold print which will help you stand out and you could add some nude tight to keep warm or a little slip underneath.

I chose a bag big enough for you purse, phone and make up and this gorgeous Whistles one is effortlessly chic If you're walking around on grass all day you wont want super high heels that will get stuck in the ground so I've gone for a mid heel in patent so you can also wipe the mud off these ones. They are a total bargain at under £20.

I adore this coat, it's perfect to keep you warm all day when your out watching the races and you can take it off and wear a little cardigan if you're sitting in the hospitality area.

Are you going to Ladies Day? If you fancy a flutter at cheltenham ladies find out the very latest betting odds at Willhill.com. How do you decide which horses to place a bet on? I have to admit I don't always chose them for their form, I might chose the prettiest horse ;)

Have you ever been for a day at the races? Would you choose delicate dresses, or tweed?

*post written in collaboration with Hubert Douglas