Queenslander and tradie Carle Rutledge is fashionable in the field

A self-confessed tomboy who spends her days working on a construction site has spoken of the “unbelievable moment” she took home the coveted $115,000 prize pool in the Myers Fashions on the Field competition at Flemington.

HER day job may be about the dust and the dirt of a construction site, but when Queenslander Carle Rutledge enters Fashions on the Field, there’s not a high-vis vest to be seen.

And while the self-confessed tomboy says she loves the grit and the grime of the tradie life, even she can’t deny her flair for racing fashion.

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“My day job isn’t very glamorous,” she said.

“Being on site is all dust and no frills, but that’s what I love about it.

“It keeps me balanced and challenges me … it’s a demanding environment — you definitely need a thick skin.

“I’m a tomboy at heart. Growing up on a sheep and cattle station in Quilpie in outback Queensland, I rode motorbikes and horses.

“My mum could never get me in a dress. Well that’s certainly changed.”

Fashions of the field winner Carle Rutledge at Oaks Day at Flemington Racecourse. Picture: Aaron Francis

Earlier this month, the 38-year-old took out the national final in the Myer Fashions on the Field competition at Oaks Day, Flemington in a burgundy and yellow piece by Roksanda that stole the show.

She teamed the Queensland colour-inspired dress with a yellow bag, gloves and shoes, and a hat she made herself.

“Where else can you dress up elegantly, wear hats and gloves and put your personal flair on for all to see? [Racing fashion] is so much fun, and I love the creativity it provides.

“I love the contrast of my hobby in the racing fashion world to my everyday job … but I don’t tend to share too much about it on the work site.”

Carle Rutledge on the site of the Westgate Tunnel project. Picture: Tony Gough

Taking home the coveted $115,000 prize pool which includes a new Lexus and $6000 Myer gift card, Ms Rutledge describes the experience as an “unbelievable moment”.

“My car is dusty and scratched … this one is not going to the construction site.”

Originally published as Queenslander and tradie Carle Rutledge is fashionable in the field