Thanks to one of my favourite instabloggers @Corporatecatwalker, my #RaceMomĀ (Brooke) and I were lucky enough to win members passes to Girls Day Out Race Day at Doomben Racecourse.
How could I say ānoā to a day with a group of girls surrounded by popping bottles, scrumptious food platters andā¦ Firemen?
Plan A- The Op Shop Treasure Hunt
Iād been playing around with the idea of finding an outfit from an Op shop.
The potentially low price tag has its appeal, but the possibility of striking gold with a vintage piece that no one else would have ever seen before was the real excitement!
Although I visited 7 OP shops and found a few goodies (sippy cups, a Fiorelli brief case and two waist belts) I did not find one single item that was wearable or alterable, except for this epic leopard print onesie Iām sure somebody totally rocked in the 60ās.
Plan B – Outfit Repeat!
As mentioned in my earlier blog post about recycling outfits, I am a strong believer in getting your moneyās worth with an outfit. And being Girls Day Out, I wanted something pretty, chic and… Pink!
So, I opted to repeat an old favourite I wore to last yearās Melbourne Cup at Flemington. I made it to the prelims in it, but no further.
I really love this outfit- The skirt comes from āTalulahā. I had originally gotten a top made to go with it,Ā but it all ended in disaster.
My millinery is by the very talented Peacock Millinery and I really didnāt want this outfit to go to waste.
So I ended up spending the whole day before the Melbourne Cup last year desperately searching for a replacement.
As luck would have it the very last shop I decided to look in, āMossmanā, happened to have a dusty pink mesh dress which, when worn under my skirt, matched perfectly and the length of the dress complimented the skirtās split!
I could not believe my luck.
The only changes I made to this outfit for Girlās Day Out was to purchase new shoes and a necklace. My original accessories were black, but I wanted to keep it light this time.
I opted for beige heels (which I got on sale for $30!) and a gold and beige necklace.
The necklace alone wasnāt quite right, but I found another necklace purchased earlier in the year and stacked them together. Did you read my blog on Stacking Necklaces?
BIG Hair – My Favourite Accessory
Seeing I didnāt spend much on my outfit, I treated myself to getting my hair done by a hairstylist my friend Tania introduced me to. I refer to her as The Hair Wizard!
She is AMAZING.
Hair stresses me out. Big hats and small hair stresses me out even more.
But I can always count on Kirsten (The Hair Wizard) to create a major voluminous up style, which I think adds ten points to any outfit!
In my post about races hairstyles I share some of my favourite hairstyles for the races.
The Big Day
Brooke and I arrived at 11am and met with Corporatecatwalker and the other lucky winners. It was super fun to hang out with a group of girls I hadnāt met before and chat about fashion.
We even placed some (losing) bets. The day is always a hundred times more fun when you go with a group.
My new friends supported me in FOTF and it was such a nice feeling having them there cheering me on!
There was a well-selected panel of judges at this gig. All of these women have fabulous style and are in the know of Racing Fashion. So Kudos to a great judging panel.
- Barbie Payton Director @StylePalaceĀ online boutique
- Alex Patterson from @Whattheteacherwears
- Emily Plummer @CorportateCatwalker
- And the amazing Laura Moss from @RacingStyleNation
I entered FOTF and came second place! :)
What the Winners Wore
Lindsay Ridings took out first place in an outfit I adored. It was super feminine and classic, with a modern twist.
Her dress: ASOS- Usually Lindsay and her Lifestyle Collab partner Rachel, put together all their outfits, designing and sewing from scratch, but they couldnāt pass up this dress from ASOS with its perfect fit, fabric and theme for the day.
Millinery: Custom made by Marilyn Van Den Berg Millinery (Rachel Cockrell).Ā Lindsay said to Rach, āItās my birthday and I simply MUST have flowers, butterflies and swirly spirally things!ā and five days later I had my beautiful rose gold and floral headpiece, so dreamy and whimsicalā.Ā P.S A BIG happy birthday to you Lindsay!
Accessories: Shoes are from ASOS āSpring into itā. Earrings and Clutch from Collette, Seed bracelet and her beautiful amethyst and gold ring was on loan from her mum.
Hair and Makeup: Jo and the team from Twidale Hair and Makeup. The makeup and hair lasted all day and complemented her outfit perfectly.
Kerrie Carucci took second runner up in a perfect Spring Racing dress.
Dress: Milva Carucci DesignsĀ Dress which was a collaboration between Kerrie and her mum, Milva.
Kerrie came up with the design and her talented mum worked her magic, creating the gorgeous outfit with 2000kms between them!Ā āThe Cherry Blossom print was the focal point of the outfit and I had picked up the gorgeous fabric on my visit to Italy last year which Iāve been dying to have an amazing reason to wear it! The dress was made complete with a contrasting lace which was hand dyed to compliment the print.ā
Millinery: A ready to wear Allport MillineryĀ piece which complimented the blossom flower and branch detailing perfectly!
Accessories:Ā Shoes- Target.Ā Clutch- Colette.Ā Necklace, earrings, bracelet- Colette.Ā Watch- The Fifth Label.
It was the first time Kerrie wore this outfit and says she will certainly be reusing the ensemble later in the year! YAY for reusing!
All in all, a fantastic day.
Attending the races with a big group of girls who share my passion for racing fashionĀ really heightened the experience and made me realise how fun it can be to go in a group.
I want to organise more group events in the future and meet new race friends, which is why I’ve started the Field Fashion Community Facebook Group. We’ve already got over 300 members and wouldĀ love you to come join us :)