I usually wrap up each day of the races by inviting readers to share the non-royal hats that stood out to you. This year, however, having attended the races, I thought I’d share some reflections and yes, my hats!

The motto of Royal Ascot is “Like Nowhere Else” and it’s an accurate one. My first impression was how unique it is- the impressive facility, the atmosphere, the pace of the day, the impeccable service, the crowd. It’s simply a world-class experience. I found myself a bit overwhelmed by it all the first day and realized it was because I’m used to being the only person at a wedding or Easter Sunday service wearing a hat. I’ve simply never attended an event where everyone was in one AND admiring those worn by everyone else!. There’s something indescribably special about being one of several thousand people dressed up for the day, the look topped by a lovely hat.

On a slight downside, I was struck by how the hats we see covered by the media are an extremely tiny representation of the hats at the event. Watching the press pool (they congregate around one corner of the Parade Ring), it was clear that PR influence was strongly impacting which hats were photographed. The hats that stood out to me most, both in terms of design and quality, were worn by racegoers who were never captured by the press. It made me wary of Ascot press coverage but also very mindful of how special it is to attend Royal Ascot in person.

Now for my hat…. the logistics of travel put some difficult restrictions on my hat choices. I look best in wide brimmed designs and while I considered hiring hats, it was important to me, as a professional flower maker, to wear hats trimmed with my handmade flowers. Since hire hats can not be altered, this complicated things. My plans were further complicated with a last minute acceptance to attend a third day of racing, and the need for a third hat!

As part of my trip, I had planned in-person study with my flower tutor, Svetlana Faulkner. With with her help, I created a silk hand-dyed peony. On a trip to Luton (the historical hat making center of England) with my colleague Katie (the same Katie who shared her trip to Ascot with us a few years ago!), I found a ready-made tan sinamay beret percher hat with jinsin trim that worked well to showcase the peony (and could be used to showcase future flowers as well!). Paired with a fair-trade cotton dress by Zuri (it was very important to me to choose dresses that were comfortable and be easily integrated into my real-life wardrobe), the look for my first day at the races was complete.

There were numerous hats worn on the first day of the races that stood out- please share your favourites in the comments!