You’ve bought the dress, the shoes, the purse, THE HAT!? In light of recent events, a lot of tracks are opting to continue racing as scheduled, but some are closed to the public. What does that mean for you? You’re now “All dressed up with nowhere to go.” Well, who says you can’t wear it all at home? Lets turn the old phrase “All dressed up and nowhere to go” into a positive! “All dressed up and nowhere to go…but my couch!” or “All dressed up and nowhere to go, but my dining room” or our favorite, “All dressed up and nowhere to go but my kitchen to grab the wine!” We put together a list of tips on how to dress for the races at home so you can continue to celebrate in style!
1.Go big or go home…well just go big - you are already at home! Wear that hat! Own that dress! Put on every piece of jewelry you own! This is the time to experiment, try something a little different maybe something out of your normal fashion comfort zone. And with no crowds around, you don’t have to worry about blocking someone’s view!
2.Encourage your friends to dress up with you. Host a virtual viewing part via FaceTime, skype or other video chatting platform. Send each other as many crazy pictures as you can. Challenge each other to create over the top outfits. Pick each other’s outfits. Create your own virtual fashion contest. At a time when we are instructed to keep our distance, connection through technology can be a great tool to keep the celebration going.
3.Encourage your family to dress up with you. I’m sure some of us remember clomping around in our mom’s way too big for us heels, with all her accessories (hopefully a hat or two) and a face full of makeup that mom really didn’t want anyway. Lets bring that back! Sometimes a big race day at the tracks can be a lot for little ones, and getting them to keep that bow tie on or that headband in place can be a struggle. Take this time to get them involved in racing fashion, from the comfort of your home! What guy doesn’t like the opportunity to lounge on the couch and watch a race? Just trade out the ball cap for a fedora, and bam! Instant race look!
4.Heels, or no heels? This is probably our favorite part of dressing up at home, no shoes! Of course its up to you, but at least there are no cobblestones to tread cautiously over! Take this time to try different heels out, see what works for you. Trust us. Those cobblestones will get you.
5.Change your outfit…as many times as you want! Ever get to the track, and then think, “Oh man, I should have worn that instead!” Or bought the perfect hat, that goes with EVERYTHING you own, and cant decide what to wear? Thanks, that means we did our job! Take this opportunity to wear it with as many looks as possible. Make it a goal to see how many different outfits you can style for one hat. You may find something you were never thinking, and then when your favorite race does come around you can debut your new finds!
6.Change your hat, as many times as you want! Can’t quite settle on which hat to wear? Now you don’t have to since most tracks have bag restrictions that limit what you can bring in, so taking 5 or 6 hats (we hope you have this many, if not we can help with that) with you is not realistic. But hey, your house doesn’t have restrictions! Wear a different hat for each race of the day!
7.With being at home you control the weather! Racing takes place outside, and while a lot of tracks do have trackside coverage and overhangs, most of us are going to be outside in the open at some point in sun, rain, 95 degree weather, even 40 degree weather! Now you can strut your stuff and not worry about your hat being rained on or sweating through that suit.
Remember, whatever you chose to do or wear, make sure you make it entirely yours. Just because we can’t go out and celebrate at the tracks right now, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the unique and exciting look that is American racing fashion. Whether you follow all our tips, or just one or two, remember to have fun with it! We are blessed and thankful to know that our events will still be there when we can get to them, and the safety and well being of everyone connected to the racing community is of the utmost concern. This is about making the best of a situation, and bringing as much joy to your household as possible. We hope you are taking this time with your families to teach and to learn, to foster new ideas and ultimately build a stronger family and stronger community. See you at the races soon!