What To Wear To The Cheltenham Festival

Even non-racing fans are at least passingly familiar with the annual Cheltenham Festival. It’s one of the biggest national events of the entire racing season, with prize money that are only second to the grand national. Over the course of the next four days, dizzying crowds are set to gather to witness a series of breath-taking races in a vast arena in the middle of the Gloucestershire countryside.

But the question for many is: what should you wear to the Cheltenham Festival? As you might imagine for such a huge event, it has a culture almost all of its own, and so it’s important to be clued in before you turn up. Don’t worry though – that’s where Acorn has you covered!

The General Dress Code For Cheltenham

If you’ve ever attended a similar event – say for instance, the Royal Ascot – you’ll be glad to hear that the dress code for Cheltenham is far more lenient. In fact, technically, there isn’t one. In practice, there are some limits to this, of course. For example, fancy dress is permitted, but the rules stipulate that it can’t be offensive – for example, Native American costumes and other national stereotypes are unlikely to be permitted.

While there’s no explicit dress code, an unspoken agreement for many is to dress to impress, and that’s a philosophy we can wholly get behind here at Acorn Fabrics! That means relaxed formalwear is often your best bet, making use of country check fabrics, striped fabrics or even – if you’re feeling brave – tartan fabrics. These are particularly favoured partially because practicality is always a key concern for racegoers, given that the races are held in winter. Unless your attire is reasonably heavy duty, you may quickly find yourself soaked to the bone and shivering, which is an ideal scenario for no one. As for style, earthier tones are generally well-suited to the event – much as they are for the Glorious Twelfth, for example.

Our Recommendations At Acorn Fabrics

Heavier cotton shirting fabrics should be top of your list of choices, and it’s a great idea to consider layering in your outfit. As for what we’ve got in stock right here at Acorn, we tend to find that our Fife 20 Brown Check Fabric or our Fife 50 Green are always solid options. In fact, almost any of our Fife fabrics are going to be good choices to consider first. Many of them fit the “earthy” style that’s a favourite of many Cheltenham racegoers, and what’s more, they’re heavy and thick enough to be practical in the chilly British weather. Trust us, with the biting wind and occasional shower in the offing, you’ll be glad you went for a quality shirting fabric over a Fred Flintstone novelty costume!

As a side note, if you’re looking for an alternative colour palette that’s different enough to be noticeable but not too garish to be out of place, it’s an excellent plan to look at cotton shirting fabrics in navy or grey. Don’t forget, if you want to place an order, or you need any help or advice, we’re only a phone call away on 01282 698 662. Otherwise, enjoy the races!