Glamorous racegoers have put their best fashion foot forward as they arrived at Royal Ascot in the sunshine today to kick off Ladies Day.
Floral summer dresses, vibrant frocks and eye-catching headpieces were all on display as thousands of revellers descended on the Berkshire racecourse this morning.
Showstopping headwear appeared to be the order of the day, with radiant racegoers showcasing an array of fabulous fascinators and quirky hats.
One guest decided to stand out from the crowd with a balloon-themed headpiece, while another opted for a firework-themed creation.
Royal Ascot, the jewel in the crown of the UK racing calendar, started on Tuesday with the Queen Anne Stakes and will run until Saturday.
Party on! Guests danced the night away as they celebrated their bets coming in
Yellow yellow! One guests looked delighted as she danced with a drink in hand
Quids in! Another guest sipped on Pimms as she celebrated a win
The royal couple during presentations for the Gold Cup trophies
Come on! Very sharply dressed guests celebrated winning
Turning heads: These racegoers made sure all eyes were on them in their stylish ensembles
Caped crusader! This racegoer was the epitome of chic in a white and black cape
Not everyone appeared to be a fan of a summery dress, with these racegoers instead opting for mini frocks
Creative: Novelty hats appeared to be the biggest trend of the day, with one person turning up with a burger inspired hat and another showing off a chessboard fascinator
An explosion of colour! This remarkable hat featured various vibrant elements popping out from a navy base
Radiant guests turned the racecourse into a sea of colourful ensembles as they stepped out for the prestigious occasion.
Those trying to command attention amongst the crowd of thousands opted for unique headwear – including a unicorn-themed creation and even an owl design.
Novelty hats appeared to be the biggest trend of the day, with one person turning up with a burger inspired hat and another showing off a chessboard fascinator.
The wacky, gravity-defying style of hats are permitted in most of the areas at Ascot, except from the Royal Enclosure.
‘A hat or headpiece with a solid base of four inches in diameter is mandatory in the Royal Enclosure,’ explained the Royal Ascot website.
‘Fascinators are not permitted. Novelty hats (i.e. ones which are excessively oversized, or are promoting or marketing any product or brand) are not permitted.’
This year’s meeting will have an overall prize-money pot of £10million. This is a record amount for Royal Ascot. The minimum winnings for all eight Group 1 races will be £650,000.
It was founded by Queen Anne in 1711 after she declared Ascot ideal for ‘horses to gallop at full stretch’ and has today become a major social event as well as a sporting attraction.
Hats off to the ladies! These radiant guests opted for huge floral hats for today’s event
As colourful as a rainbow! Revellers wow in their very bright outfits at Royal Ascot
Hedwig, is that you? One racegoer set out to stand out from the crowd by wearing an owl-themed hat
It’s all about the hats: These radiant racegoers opted for statement headwear to elevate their looks
Taking the garden with you: A colourful butterfly detailing adorned this person’s hat
Radiant in ruby: A racegoer showcases a stylish red dress and matching accessories
Making an entrance! A woman showcases her billowing dress as she steps out at Ladies Day
Perfect polka dots: Glamorous racegoers (including TV presenter Louise Roe, pictured left), showcase their patterned dresses
Looking good: Three ladies in mini dresses show off their sensational ensembles
These stunning racegoers decided to wear eye-catching hats with their elegant ensembles for their day out at Royal Ascot
Monochrome magic: This elegant lady appeared stylish in a long sleeved gown with bow detailing
Racegoer Fiona Andrew opted for a suit and tie for Ladies Day, teamed with a top hat
Thrice as nice! These elegant ladies dressed to impress for the third day of Royal Ascot
Bringing the sunshine! A racegoer stuns in a yellow floral and polka dot dress and matching hat
Bucking the trend: Rather than an on-trend floral frock or feathered hat, this stunning racegoer opted for a suit with a glamorous blue handbag
Pretty in pink! Beaming racegoers opt for vibrant midi dresses as they step out at the prestigious event
Bright and bold: A beaming racegoer commands attention in an orange V-neck dress
The bigger, the better when it comes to these hats! These women commanded attention with their over-the-top headwear
Getting off to a flying start! A woman showcases her elegant billowing dress at Royal Ascot
Gorgeous in green! A racegoer showcases her unicorn-themed hat and matching dress
Red hot! This woman’s enormous hat ensured she stood out from the crowd at Royal Ascot
Famous faces: Charlotte Hawkins (pictured left) and Lady Victoria Hervey (pictured right) attend day three of Royal Ascot
For the first time in its 313-year history, Ascot Racecourse announced this year the appointment of a creative director.
British fashion designer Daniel Fletcher was responsible for the creation of the annual Lookbook and Millinery Collective in 2024, which set the style tone for the year and often inspire racegoers’ outfits.
He’s known for his classically tailored silhouettes and modern gender-fluid clothes; his Spring/Summer 2023 collection included corset designs for both men and women.
The Cheshire-born designer, whose first customer was the eccentric Harry Styles, told GQ in 2023: ‘The idea of an item of clothing being for a specific gender is such a funny one.
‘I understand that something like a bra is designed for function, but when it comes to a shirt, why would we apply gender to something like that? And for me, the same applies to the corset.’
Former One Direction member Harry whose style has included jumpsuits, feather boas, skirts and dresses, became Daniel’s first customer after buying all the boxy short-sleeved shirts from the designer’s graduate collection in 2015.
‘Harry had a huge impact on my career,’ Daniel admitted to GQ in 2020. ‘At 24 years old I couldn’t believe what was happening.’
Since then, the designer’s career has gone from strength to strength, with A-listers including James McAvoy, Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Corrin and Emerald Fennell wearing his looks.
Blooming lovely! A racegoer showcases her floral hat and quirky sunglasses for the event
Working it in neon: These revellers went for bold colours when picking out their outfits
Elegant: This radiant racegoer put on a sophisticated display while soaking up the sun
Vibrant: Racegoers opted for bold and bright coloured ensembles for day three of the event
Matching! These friends decided to opt for coordinating hats when attending the prestigious event
Glamorous guest arrive for Ladies Day at the Berkshire racecourse
Hat’s how you do Ladies Day! Racegoers show off their finest frocks as they attend the event at Royal Ascot
Photographers take pictures of Louise Roe as she attends day three of Royal Ascot 2024
Police are pictured at Royal Ascot as racegoers arrive for Ladies Day at the Berkshire racecourse
The Central Saint Martins graduate has also designed for some of the world’s most prestigious houses including Louis Vuitton, Lanvin and JW Anderson and held the role of Artistic Director for Italian label Fiorucci between 2019 and 2023.
He was nominated for the LVMH prize in 2017, was a winner of the European Semi- Final of the International Woolmark Prize and named Breakthrough Designer of The Year in the 2020 GQ Men of The Year Awards.
After many successful seasons showing his collections on the London Fashion Week schedule, Daniel took part in Netflix’s ‘Next In Fashion’ series which saw him make it to the final.
Of his latest appointment, Daniel said: ‘I’m thrilled to be appointed as Ascot’s first Creative Director and have thrown myself into the new role.
‘I’m keen to encapsulate the rich heritage of the racecourse while embracing the unique dress codes, adding a contemporary twist to bring a flair that Ascot hasn’t seen before.
‘For 2024, I want to inspire racegoers to push the boundaries with their own unique style and immerse themselves in the opportunity to embrace their own creativity – and what better occasion than Royal Ascot!
‘I’m super excited to reveal the next evolution of style direction for the world- renowned brand and can’t wait for the vision to become a reality.’