Many associations come to mind with the Kentucky Derby. Horses, of course. Mint juleps too. But to be a true participant in the Derby spectacle, you need a real Derby hat.
The tradition of wearing eye-catching clothing at America’s most famous horse race began in the 1870s. Kentucky Derby founder Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. took inspiration from fashionable dress codes at events like Ascot in Great Britain and the Paris Grand Prix. Creating his own, he believed, would transform his racecourse from a place of ill repute to one reserved for wealthy upper class people.
On a sunny Monday in the spring of 1875, more than 10,000 spectators attended the first Kentucky Derby, and the New York Times reported on the fashion as well as the races, noting that “the grandstand was filled with a brilliant gathering of ladies and gentlemen.” men”. His plan worked, and this collective passion for horses, gambling and partying – even in sleek seersucker suits or a spectacular feathered fascinator – has remained a cornerstone of the Derby to this day.
This year marked the 150th running of the race at Churchill Downs and, as expected, no one held back on and off the track, wide-brimmed designs adorned with spring flowers and soft feathers paired with tasteful dresses from pastel colors to jockey helmets adorned with plastic stallions and straight horse heads. Hats off to this crowd.
