It was a sighting of a denim jacket in the invite-only Bar Bambi marquee – a clear transgression of members’ dress requirements – that finally confirmed when it comes to Caulfield, a good time precedes observance of fashion conventions. Envelope-pushing is what makes Caulfield more fun than Flemington – think of it as the naughtier cousin of the Victorian racetracks, like the Grammys red carpet is to the Oscars’ – and fashion served any way you like it was the dominant mood. Still, there were some fashion through-lines, including white and stiff peaks – like a good meringue.
And when it came to headwear, bows outranked hats by a factor of five to one. Lace pants, floor-length dresses, lurex separates and cutouts were among the “is this racewear?” looks spotted inside Bar Bambi, sometimes all on the one guest. But even while they were bending and breaking traditions, they looked like they were having fun.
Caulfield Cup’s best dressed Holly John, journalist French dressing ...
Holly John. Credit: Justin McManus Don’t you just hate it when someone is wearing something impossibly chic, and when you ask where it’s from they coo, “Oh, I got it overseas”. No shade to Sky News presenter – and newlywed – Holly John (née Stearnes), who is sweet as pie and picked up her hat, which she wore over a headscarf, on a trip to Paris.
John, who is committed to the hat cause on race days, is used to stopping traffic with her headwear. On Derby Day last year, she.