Off to cheer on your favourites? Turn to chic celebrity-endorsed race day looks for winning sartorial inspiration. From the Royal Ascot to the Kentucky Derby, the stars have put their most stylish hooves forwards.
Over the years, the likes of Helen Mirren and Holly Willoughby have shown that you can have plenty of fun with everything from print to colour when spending a day out at the races. Further still, accessories are where you can make a real statement – particularly when it comes to your headwear.
Whether you’re a racecourse regular and want to mix up your look, or are attending for the first time, there are plenty of lessons to learn from the A-list.
Our favourite celebrity race day looks
Helen Mirren
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Helen Mirren wowed in a chic coat and matching dress ensemble at the Epsom Derby in 2018. The actress opted for a monochrome polka dot print, which she paired with a black feathery hat, handbag and heels.
Gemma Chan
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Gemma Chan exuded elegance at Derby Day at the Epsom Racecourse in 2013. The actress watched the action in a cream and black dress, which she paired with a matching fascinator and metallic heels.
Kirstie Gallacher
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The weather at the races can sometimes leave a lot to be desired, and Kirsty Gallacher showed how to layer up in style at the Cheltenham Festival in 2014. The star wore a black tailored over a cream shift dress, which she paired with nude heels.
Carol Vorderman
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Carol Vorderman opted for country chic at the the Cheltenham Festival in 2023. The star wore grey coat jacket with furry collar and belted at the waist, with chocolate brown leather trousers tucked into knee-high tan suede boots and finishing off her look with a wide-brimmed olive green fedora hat.
Pippa Middleton
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Jenna Lyons
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Jenna Lyons brought her brand of cool to the Kentucky Derby in 2023. The star wore a white shirt dress beneath a black and white blazer jacket, which she complemented with a striking fascinator and classic slip-on brogues and socks – all in the same chic monochrome colourway.
Nicky Hilton
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The races are an ideal opportunity to experiment with colour, and Nicky Hilton looked sweet in lemon yellow at the Melbourne Cup in 2024. The star paired her off-shoulder look—which featured a pleated skirt—with a matching pillbox hat as well as blue and white printed heels.
Meghan Markle
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Meghan Markle turned heads at Royal Ascot in 2018. The future Duchess of Sussex stepped out in a white shirt dress, cinched-in with a slim black belt, and accessorised with a statement monochrome hat as well as a black clutch bag and heels.
Charlotte Tilbury
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If pastels aren’t your bag, then make like Charlotte Tilbury in rust-red at the Ladies Day of the Derby Festival at the Epsom Racecourse in 2017. The businesswoman paired her long-sleeved midi dress with a green fascinator and burgundy peep-toe heels.
Sabrina Elba
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Sabrina Elba stunned in head-to-toe white at Royal Ascot in 2023. The wife of Idris Elba teamed a belted jacket with a matching midi skirt—featuring a subtle side split—and accessorised with a simple hat as well as classic heels.
Kate Middleton
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You can’t go wrong with polka dots for the races, as Kate Middleton showed at the Royal Ascot in 2022. The Princess of Wales wore the print as part of a long-sleeved monochrome midi dress, adding a tan brown clutch and heels as well as a tilted wide-brimmed hat with flower detailing.
Sarah Ferguson
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Sarah Ferguson made a colourful statement at Royal Ascot in 2019. The Duchess of York brightened up proceeding in a yellow dress, tied at the waist, which she accessorised with a green feathered hat, green clutch bag and purple heels.
Mary Berry
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All eyes were on Mary Berry at Royal Ascot in 2013. The star opted for a pastel blue shift dress, which she wore with an eye-catching hat in a matching shade, and accessorised with a string of pearls around her neck.
Princess Anne
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Princess Anne added a pop of colour to Ladies Day at Cheltenham in 2012. The late Queen’s daughter wore a bright red tailored coat, which elevated her black leather boots and handbag.
Queen Camilla
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There was no missing Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot in 2024. King Charles’s wife wowed in a cobalt blue coat dress, which she paired with a matching wide-brimmed tilted hat and a white clutch bag.
Denise Lewis
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Denise Lewis looked chic in an elegant cream ensemble at Royal Ascot in 2015. The former sportswoman accessorised her shift dress and jacket with a brown hat – featuring flower detailing – as well as bronze-hued heels and a clutch bag.
Demi Moore
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It’s often all in the accessories, as Demi Moore proved at Royal Ascot in 2019. The actress elevated her teal green midi dress with a unique black and pink hat, along with an elegant black bag and sling-back heels.
Elizabeth Hurley
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If there was one person who could pull off adventurous headwear, it was Elizabeth Hurley at Royal Ascot in 2024. The star paired an eye-catching white fascinator with a white lacy midi-dress, featuring floral detailing, and nude heels.
Carole Middleton
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Carole Middleton brought a summery feel to Royal Ascot in 2024. The mother of the Princess of Wales wore a sky blue pleated midi dress with a floral pattern, which she paired with a matching hat bearing ruffled detailing.
Princess Beatrice
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The races are a great opportunity to let your headwear do the talking – as Princess Beatrice proved at Royal Ascot in 2023. The late Queen’s granddaughter stepped out in a statement bright pink headband, which she teamed with a cream printed midi dress, cream handbag and two-tone pumps.
Elle Macpherson
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Elle Macpherson was a vision in white at Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in 2018. The model wore a top with a long ruffled train over a pair of tailored trousers, and finished off her look with a wide-brimmed hat, silver clutch bag and metallic heels.
Zara Tindall
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For a festive trip to Cheltenham Racecourse in 2024, Zara Tindall wrapped up warm in a brown suede belted trench coat, which she paired with a black headband, black cross-body bag and black gloves.
Katherine Jenkins
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Katherine Jenkins wowed at Royal Ascot in 2009 in a fuchsia pink ensemble. The opera singer wore a form-fitting sleeveless shift dress with a matching statement hat—bearing a floral motif—as well as a cream clutch bag and nude peep-toe heels.
Lisa Snowdon
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Tonal dressing was the order of the day for Lisa Snowdon who stood out in postbox red at Royal Ascot in 2024. The star paired a short-sleeved midi dress with a simple clutch bag and striking hat, and offset her look with a pair of white heels.
Victoria Pendleton
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Victoria Pendleton was chic in navy at Royal Ascot in 2016. The star paired a polka dot patterned shift dress with a netted fascinator bearing a floral motif and a multicoloured cross-body bag.
Mary Portas
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Forget a dress, Mary Portas proved that a jumpsuit looks just as appropriate at Royal Ascot in 2015. The fashionista paired the navy and white look with a striking blue hat and peep-toe heels.
Kate Silverton
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Kate Silverton looked pretty in baby pink Royal Ascot in 2009. The star opted for a peplum-sleeved jacket over a matching dress, which she paired with a wide-brimmed white hat – finished off with flower detailing.
Holly Willoughby
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All eyes were on Holly Willoughby as she attended Royal Ascot in 2022. The star wowed in a bright pink midi-dress which she paired with a simple clutch bag, as well as a baby pink hat – bearing a floral motif – and a pair of nude heels.
Maya Jama
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Maya Jama stunned in pink at Royal Ascot in 2022. The star opted for a long-sleeved printed ruffled midi-dress, which she paired with a striking floral pink fascinator and a pair of strappy metallic heels.
Laura Whitmore
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You can’t overdo floral at the races, as Laura Whitmore demonstrated at Royal Ascot in 2017. The star wowed in a cream lacy off-shoulder dress -featuring flower embroidery – which she paired with an eye-catching fascinator and a metallic clutch bag.
Charlotte Hawkins
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Charlotte Hawkins wowed in head-to-toe blue at Royal Ascot in 2023. The star wore a short-sleeved midi-dress—with a keyhole neckline—along with a striking bow-inspired hat and heels.
Eleanor Tomlinson
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There was no missing Eleanor Tomlinson at Royal Ascot in 2017. The actress stunned in a ruffled cream sleeveless midi-dress, which she paired with disc-shaped hat, a metallic grey clutch bag and strappy silver heels.
