It’s officially day three of Royal Ascot, and despite England being plunged into a heatwave, racegoers have still turned out in droves for Ladies’ Day.
The term for the third day of the races dates back to 1823, when an anonymous poet described Thursday at Ascot as “Ladies’ Day... when the women, like angels, look sweetly divine”.
While Ascot no longer refers to Thursday as Ladies’ Day, and there are no fashion competitions held on the day, it’s a term still used colloquially by racegoers, who have this year donned their boldest and brightest wares for the occasion.
Instead, the description of the day on the Royal Ascot website reads: “With thousands turning out to see the coveted Gold Cup prize contested, fashion and glamour reach their zenith and designer creations and millinery masterpieces take centre stage.”
The Queen, who is usually an Ascot staple, has yet to make an appearance at the races this year.
Instead, other royals like the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, and Princess Beatrice have attended the race days so far.
Here are the best outfits from Royal Ascot’s 2022 Ladies’ Day.
Zara Tindall
The Queen’s granddaughter wore a cream shirt dress accessorised with a pink and green hat and pink heels.
Bright stripes
One racegoer matched her fuschia pink dress to her vibrant headwear, which saw feathered rainbow-coloured stripes sit atop a wide-brimmed hat.
Charlotte Hawkins
Presenter Charlotte Hawkins opted for a sweet baby blue dress with a matching hat and shoes.
Red and blue
These two racegoers, who looked beautiful in their red and blue outfits, sported the most necessary accessory of the day: water.
Pretty in pastel
When in doubt, go for pastel hues. These Ascot visitors looked sunshine-y in their pastel yellow and violet dresses.
Wear your flag on your head
Not sure which nation you’re in? One racegoer will be reminding fellow Ascot attendees with her flag-covered headwear.
Freddy Cousin-Brown
Influencer and colour pink aficianado Freddy Cousin-Brown stayed true to her favourite hue with this blush ensemble.
Prints and Midis
A midi dress is a staple of the races - and these attendees look stunning in their pastel blue, pink and patterned get-ups.
Purple power
Headgear is the main fashion focus of Ascot, and this floral headpiece is a show-stopper.
Ana Pribylova
Milliner Ana Pribylova struck gold with thie bright-hued outfit.
Matchy-matchy
We love a same-hue look, and the pink looks stunning on this racegoer. The red and blue dress has a fun bird theme, including an avian-style hat and a bird cage.
Blossom or ice cream?
While we love the cherry blossom headgear from this racegoer, we’re quietly obsessed with the ice cream-shaped hat in the back, paired perfectly with ice cream-printed trousers.
Grant in green
Milliner Victoria Grant looked striking in her vivid green ensemble. Grand is known for her bold hat designs.
