Royal Ascot has a habit of arriving rather quickly. One moment the invitations are sitting quietly on the mantelpiece, the next the garment bag is being retrieved from the wardrobe and the top hat carefully removed from its box.
At Favourbrook, preparations for the Royal Meeting begin long before the first carriage procession enters the course. Throughout the season, we speak to gentlemen and ladies attending one day, several days and, in some cases, every day of the meeting itself. The same themes arise repeatedly: preparation, attention to detail and avoiding unnecessary panic the evening before.
Morning coats stored since last summer are always worth inspecting properly ahead of time. Moths are rarely respectful of formal tailoring, and minor repairs or pressing are considerably easier to arrange with a little notice. The same applies to morning trousers, particularly if slight alterations or adjustments to the fit are required after a season unworn.
Ladies’ occasionwear also benefits from revisiting ahead of Ascot week itself. Occasion coats and dresses removed from storage often require light steaming or pressing, while hemlines and proportions are always worth checking alongside the exact shoes intended for the day.
Royal Ascot lawns, meanwhile, are notoriously unforgiving on unsuitable heels, which is precisely why many seasoned attendees quietly pack heel protectors well in advance of the meeting itself.
The top hat, naturally, tends to receive attention rather later than it deserves. Checking the fit, condition and storage of the hat well ahead of time generally makes Ascot week itself a calmer experience for all involved.
For many attendees, the most enjoyable part of Royal Ascot dressing lies in revisiting the finishing touches. A fresh waistcoat in linen or cotton-silk, a new tie and pocket square combination or a subtle shift in colour palette can completely refresh an existing morning suit without requiring wholesale reinvention.
Travelling in occasionwear also requires slightly more planning than one first imagines. Proper garment bags are invaluable, particularly for those travelling into London by train, while top hats and overhead luggage racks continue to maintain a complicated relationship.
And, naturally, British weather remains entirely indifferent to Royal Ascot dress codes.
Like most things connected to tailoring and occasion dressing, Royal Ascot tends to feel considerably more enjoyable when nothing is left until the final moment.
