Dressing for the races in Autumn/Winter (A/W) is harder than Summer.
Not only do you want to look your stylish best, you also need to keep yourself warm.
In order to beat the Winter chills, I’ve compiled a list of suggestions to keep you looking demure and feeling snug in this season’s warm tones and classic silhouettes.
Contents
Materials and Fabrics for Winter Races
Firstly, consider your fabric options. A wool blend/tweed has a warm, wintery feel.
Thicker fabrics are fine too, and work beautifully in a structured tailored style.
Winter fashion perfectly executed by Kacey
Alla showing us how to wear pastels in Winter <3
Thick, heavy laces are often used too.
Belinda from Peacock Millinery rocking a dress by Matilda Alegria and millinery by her talented self.
Leather trims can look great. Alternatively, be brave and wear a whole leather garment, like a pencil skirt.
How amazing does Lindsay look here in an outfit by The Lifestyle Collaboration and millinery by Marilyn Van Den Berg.
Faux fur trims bring a cozy, yet stylish, touch to an outfit.
Abby and her mum in heavy lace and a fur trim.
Abby in an incredible pair of flares and fur jacket. Image source: The Races SA.
Tracy and the girls all sporting fur trims.
Shapes and Silhouettes
Depending on where you are in the world, in the cooler months, you can be flexible with sleeve length because you can always cover up with a jacket or shawl.
Sleeves are great to play around with different shapes like a full sleeve, draped sleeve, ruffles, bell sleeve etc.
Lindsay wearing a custom made Life Style Collaboration outfit
Elis showing how you can get creative with your sleeves.
Image Source: Maker Millinery.
The very talented Sarah sews all of her own outfits, showing off a contrasting fabric sleeve.
For extra warmth, wear a midi length dress or skirt.
Mija looking fab in a teal number.
If you are wearing a dress on a cold day, wear a thin singlet underneath that won’t show through.
Winter Colours
Rich jewel tones are favourites in winter time.
Colours such as navy, maroon, deep purple, copper, emerald green, mustard, oranges, tan and the classic black, white and grey are popular choices. Metallic accessories are fun to play around with too.
For more colour inspiration check out my post about how to choose your perfect colours.
A great array of Autumn Winter colours on Bri.
Parris wearing emerald green in three tones and looking snug!
Love this colour combo Sally.
In a self designed outfit incorporating rich Autumn tones and metallic accents with a black, soft leather boater from her collection.
Pantone shows some popular winter tones.
If you decide on wearing a bright colour, it can still be acceptable for Autumn/Winter racing depending on the fabric and structure of the garment.
Capes and Jackets
A fun addition to an outfit is to wear a cape over the top. You can purchase capes in many different colours and patterns and look very on trend.
Fortunately, the days of the dull black suit jacket are gone and there is a wide variety of prints and colours and lengths to play with.
Image Source: The Races SA.
Shellzy showing us how to rock a fab red cape.
Kirsty in a navy cape and matching gloves.
Mija in a black and white stripe cape.
Doesn’t Jen look warm and ultra styling!
The always stylish Elis in a black and white ensemble with complementing cape.
Gloves
People love to wear gloves in winter time.
They can be made of leather, suede or wool and come in a variety of different colours and lengths ranging from half palm to full length.
I love wearing gloves with an outfit, as it gives you a chance to add in an extra colour and feature.
Ladies showcasing different types of gloves. Image Source: The Races SA.
Half palms were the glove of choice at Prime Minister’s Cup!
If you don’t want to wear gloves, you can always carry them in one hand over your bag- extending your outfit with another feature.
Click here for my guide to choosing gloves and where to buy them online.
Kacey shows us how to take a Spring outfit through to Autumn with added fishnets, closed toe shoes, full gloves, a fur trim and change of millinery!
Millinery
Millinery of the season is often made of felt, wool, leather and silks. They can be adorned in a variety of trims such as feathers, leather flowers, lace and veiling, all great choices for winter time.
Metal crowns and headpieces are still trending around race courses and can be a great alternative to heavy winter fabrics.
Lindsay wearing an edgy crown by Marilyn Van Den Berg.
Below are some examples of great Autumn/Winter headpieces by Jack and Jill Millinery.
and some more from Meredith McMaster Millinery.
Kacey wearing a beautiful leather boater with silver roses.
If you haven’t discovered Millinery Market yet, I encourage you to check it out. It’s an online marketplace for buying and renting hats and it lets you filter the listings by hat shape, colour, fabric, features, price, etc. Makes millinery shopping a whole lot easier!
Accessories
Metallic accessories are popular this time of year and can be a great way to vamp up a dull dress.
Think gold, silver, bronze and chrome, as well as stones and jewels.
If you’re wearing winter tones then your accessories should match your outfit.
I think Kacey takes out the title of Flat Lay Queen!
Shoes
Put away your strappy summer heels and snuggle into enclosed shoes.
Shoes with a slight peep toe have been spotted around FOTF recently too- a great opportunity to show off a matching pedicure.
Stockings
Stocking are a fun addition to an outfit.
Of course you can still wear your opaque stockings for added warmth, or you can make your stockings a feature of your outfit too.
These days there are a variety of fishnet and patterned stockings available.
Handbags and Clutches
Your clutch at this time of the year should also adhere to winter fabrics so opt for leather, plastic or a thick fabric. Steer clear of straw bags and anything with a summery feel.
And don’t forget to take a backup race day handbag with all the essentials.
