The four ladies of royal ascot!

For me, Royal Ascot is one of the most exciting times of the year and yes you guessed it - it is back for 2008! Where the ladies go crazy for those oh-so-gorgeous hats and we see the most chic and elegant outfits of the season...and somehow we completely forget the purpose of the event! But in the name of fashion and haute couture women everywhere the outfits and pictures and ladies grazing hats in the name of Phillip Treacy just over rides the uh... horse racing! Since recently seeing Sarah Jessica Parker parade her Phillip Treacy garden-like-green hat (featured three posts below this one) gorgeously at her London premier of Sex And The City:The Movie I think everyone everywhere is dieing to see what other creations he has on show at Ascot - especially seeing as how the master milliner himself helped launch the show!
The designer created this amazingly bold image (left in black and white) featuring one of his most iconic hats to start off the action!


Along side its world-class racing, for the second year Royal Ascot will be hosting the Royal Ascot Fashion Show in the Bessborough Restaurant which will be bringing together designers from around the world; Vivienne Westwood has already confirmed - to showcase the very latest male and female couture on the catwalk. (How exciting!! aah!) (expect a post on that one too!)

This woman (picture found on vogue) I believe is the epitome of 'Lady of Ascot number one'. Browsing through hundreds of pictures every year of royal ascot i think that there are four distinctly different types of 'ascot ladies'. This woman is wearing :

Dress: Vintage

Hat: Phillip Treacy (who else!?)

shoes: Christian Louboutin

Her overtly-chic almost reflecting Parisian chic image is what i'd call - Modern romantic. Clean cut black mixed with the sheer fabric above the neckline and the interesting puff-ball-like sleeves create modern romantic with a twist. She cleverly has balanced her shapes too perfection with the tight pencil skirt complimenting the more loose top half and the 'twist' brings in the hot pink Treacy creation which appears slightly reminiscent of Chanel's contrasting stripe and star combination.

The second type of 'ascot lady' is number two - Colourful romantic. This woman has once again stuck to the 'romantic' theme we seem to have found by adding a beautiful cream net hat to her crazily coloured (but accepted) outfit. She is taking the opportunity to wear vivid colours such as these, because she can, and because of the appropriate feeling behind them. Personally i think this style of ascot dressing is empowering, confident and most of all dead brave. What other event can you think of where a woman can match beautiful bride meets clashing neon rainbow shades? Because i cant! This modern look has worked well for her and is another beautifully classic style of dressing that crops up each year! Be sure to see several more of these to come!

Style number four - the-outrageous-licence-to-dress-outrageously -creative! such as this woman on the left with what appears to be a cigarette in an ash tray on her head! I think she looks fabulous and maybe she's trying to convey a message at the same time; stop smoking? hmm. I think these outfits are bold enough to be ambiguous to the viewer, either way she has pulled off look number three stupendously! The colours are creative enough for ascot and her neckline has been put into great proportion by teaming the low cut V with the small black tie which i think may be what is holding the hat to her head!? Very creative.

The last style of 'ascot lady' i believe is the vintage dreamer romantic. This woman here is the prime example of this style - the cream coloured graceful parasol says it all. Her Scarlett Johanson haircut is poignant, elegant and matches this group perfectly. The parasol here (absolutely to die for!) is my favourite accessory seen at royal ascot so far because of its dreamy and very from the 1800's feeling gives an elegant and beautifully vintage sense. She has matched this with her cream-salmon hat which appears to be in the exactly correct position to compliment the parasol well. Elements such as: ruffles, silk, lace and golden hues perfect this image to a T. Personally i think she looks like a character out of Pride and Prejudice and she belongs in a castle like setting - yet also she has concocted this outfit so perfectly that she definitely belongs at Royal Ascot!