I hope you all had a good bank holiday weekend. We had a family day out crabbing at Littlehampton beach with a spot of lunch at East Beach Cafe. I'm putting my feet up for the rest of the half term so will be back blogging from next Monday. 

Enjoy the half term and thanks for stopping by.

I was in London on Tuesday, hence the absence of my daily post, and popped into Fenwick of Bond Street for a fleeting visit. The windows were all geared up for Royal Ascot and to mark the stores 125th anniversary they had a Decades of Drama exhibition, showcasing the best creations from modern day milliners.

See image below and click on the link for Fenwick of Bond Street's online feature.

Fenwick of Bond Street are also hosting a charity auction, instore and online, where you can bid for one of the thirteen exclusive creations, see Jane Taylor's gorgeous 'Gabrielle (1950)' design below, with all proceeds going to Brain Tumour Research. 

It was so inspiring and made me hanker for a decade past where an occasion hat was a necessary accessory rather than the rarity they have now become; a formal wedding or Ladies Day Race meet seem to be the only occasions where they are deemed acceptable.

However after my visit to Fenwicks it seemed hats were the order of the day as on my way to Victoria many headwear confections were seen around the perimeter of Buckingham palace as guests waited to be allowed entrance to the Queens Garden party, where the Duchess of Cambridge donned a Jane Taylor pillbox and netted hat along with the Alexander McQueen outfit she wore at Prince George's christening.
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When I started researching for this post I got so 'Pinterested' by Occasion Hat and Race day outfits that I had to abandon any hopes of finishing it until today if I wanted to get my sleep quota in! A great source I found was Vogue Australia where the Melbourne Cup, Derby Day and other events in the racing calendar down under had more than their fair share of elegant inspiration.

I even came across this image of Jean Shrimpton at Derby Day, Melbourne 1965, who even without an occasion hat, epitomises understated chic. See more of my favourite Race day ensembles below. 

Jean Shrimpton ,Derby Day, Melbourne 1965

For more affordable Occasion hats quills and netting details are strong for this season, see my picks above, but if it's designer head gear for you I would definitely recommend a trip to Fenwicks Bond Street otherwise click here to see Harrods top 5 picks whilst Net-A-Porter have Philip Treacy. 

Hopefully you too will have been inspired for whichever Racing meet you're off to this season, and if it's not the Royal enclosure or Ladies day may even don this beautiful, overlooked accessory, the occasion hat. 

​Click on the links for information or to shop and thanks for stopping by.

This Saturday was the 'Non hen-hen do' for my sister at the fittingly named Weddingmates.co.uk Grand cup fixture, York Racecourse. Maybe I should have placed bets on it being a wet one but that's what a great group of friends, brollies and Prosseco are for, so it didn't dampen our spirits!

No winners for me on the day but the real winner is of course my sister, who has finally found 'the one' and is deliriously happy. I could stick with the racing analogy and talk about the non runners, stallions and donkeys that she's previously bet on but she's definitely picked a thoroughbred this time and I know for sure this one will stay the distance.  

Back to the outfit and, unlike the majority of hardy racegoers on the day, I'd read the weather forecast and dressed appropriately; maybe I'm getting old....but a fake tan disaster in the rain wasn't my top priority! 

I opted for a monochrome colour palette; old French Connection black silk tank top, Betty Barclay culottes, Issa knit jacket, Tory Burch block heel sandals, all the actual items shown in my outfit builder below, old Zara structured trench coat and Lulu Guinness 'Tiny' brolly from the outlet store at Gunwharf Quays. Not only did it fit in my bag but also added a much needed 'pop' of colour to my look. 

My Mulberry bag, just seen, is actually from their SS13 collection and is the Flower mini bag, left, when Emma Hill still resided as Creative Director.
She has subsequently launched her own eponymous label, Hill & Friends , with Georgia Fendley, also previously at Mulberry. To see the range click here.

However if you want something similar at a more affordable price then this Saffiano leather shoulder bag , see outfit builder, should fit the bill from Coccinelle's new SS range.  

Zara water repellent trench coat £59.99
Coccinelle Shoulder bag £199
Tory Burch Marbella leather sandals £142.50 at The Outnet
H&M Premium silk blouse £29.99
Betty Barclay tailored culottes £80 online exclusive at John Lewis
Issa Millie scalloped stretch knit jacket £129.80 at The Outnet
Lulu Guinness Tiny Pink lips grid umbrella £28.00
Essie Muchi Muchi pink nail polish £7.99
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Shop my outfit builder for a similar look, just click on the links, or visit the below features for more Race day outfit inspiration and thanks for stopping by.

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Stylish race day outfits ( pics from Daily Mail )
Race Day outfits John Lewis