Kingfisher ultra Derby

It’s that time of the year again when all the fashionistas and the socialites donned their plumage and stepped out in style and elegance, for the kingfisher ultra Derby 2016 in bangalore. Past few years have seen a great leap in the fashion scene of bangalore. Derby, saw women, almost  in Byronic fashion, the long flowing gowns, the ubiquitous hat or the fascinators, and their characteristic prejudices; while men in their summer suits, linens, the gait of a Darcy. And as the races began the proud horses dashed in elan to conquer the heart of the audience who were unblinkingly glued to the race course.

We all know that fashion comes to its best when it is about derbies. The women seemed to cut a dash with their flamboyance which is so typical of a Derby. The high of meeting the stylistic challenges, of a sporting event which also happens to be a fashion event, in truly regal manner is no less than the cheer of the crowd for the winning ‘Seargent at arms‘. So there you go, here is the must-dos n must- haves n must- follows for this feisty event that can set the race pulsing for all of us as our main concern apart from ” what horse are you betting on” , is  “what are you wearing”, ( honestly for most of us).

The hat– Believe me, if you find wearing a hat funny or uncomfortable before you arrive there, I tell you, you would certainly feel out of place as soon as you step through the gates if you are not wearing a head gear. It almost feels like you have landed up in a wedding in your jeans, totally underdressed. Straw hats definitely make for a comfort wear but for a Derby the hat needs to be embellished, be it with flowers or feathers and it gets flashy as you go up the seating hierarchy. Kate Middleton has brought the fascinators in vogue which are more fussy cousins of hats, wherein the embellishments are on a head band or comb.

Be the poetry of Lord Byron– Dress up as if you are dressing up for an occasion and make it formal, yeah. The long dresses or the middies make it look great too. Though you can make a statement with the seperates or a polished suit too, pair it with a statement clutch and jewellery. Also carrying a tote for your necessaries is not a bad idea though as comfort can’t be overlooked.

Same goes for men, a suit, with bow ties or vibrant printed ties with a hat completes the look. My personal preference are the polo pants which have been in and are here to stay and the waist coat , or a linen jacket for this season in bangalore. Ties or bow ties with any whimsical print or in bright hues are where men can experiment. I like the scarves too to add to the style quotient.

The shoes-For men, keep it formal sticking to the dress code which is usually there for the Derby room, or the Turf club and the trophy room . You can go ahead with the rugged ankle highs if you are planning to go in-fields. The ostentatious looks will always be welcome in a Derby but comfort too goes a long way if you intend to walk that long.

Women,  stilettos are a big no for this kind of an event so let’s not go crazy-high. The chunky block heels or the wedges seem to be a good choice. Always remember the ‘wow’ look should not contribute to ‘ow’ factor for the reason of wrong heels. Similarly the mini skirts are a big no on a day of crowd and kingfisher.

I chose to wear the green dress for the pre Derby brunch  at Taj Westend which was exotic and delicious and came along with lots of spirits( pun intended) making the spirits high. I paired it with a pair of stilettos. And a white pant suit thereafter, with a cape jacket for the Derby. My partner who has love for horses was in his polos and shirt, paired with the waist coat. The love for horses took lucky to the stables too where the horses were getting all geared up for the show before the event. The pat on the back always works the best always and anytime and it can do wonders to these regal, beautiful and handsome people who we call horses.

 The fashionistas

 The fashionistas

Monochrome Outfit details: female

Fascinators- Marks and spencers 
Crop top – forever new
Cape- forever new
Pants- van heusen
Green dress- van heusen

Photography – Sandeep Kumar