Aussie men can’t seem to give up race day ‘uniform’
A surprising new fashion trend has emerged at the races as men ditch modern suits for an unexpected throwback style – but not everyone is a fan.
Men have a brand new uniform when it comes to racing season and it will surprise absolutely nobody.
Race day fashion has evolved over the years, with dress code changes such as allowing midriffs, cut outs and exposed backs, and men opting for suit jackets and chinos at The Everest, signifying a more casual shift.
Men also raised eyebrows with their love for loafers — and making the world question whether or not their feet were appropriately covered in socks or soaking in their own sweat.
However a new uniform for male racegoers have emerged and some might argue it is elevating the sartorial stakes once again.
Stand-up comedian Sam Zito pointed out the trend that a lot of men were dressing up like they had stepped out of an episode of Peaky Blinders — a show about post World War I gangsters in Birmingham.
The show features characters such as Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, wearing three-piece suits and a newsboy cap.
It’s not an unfair description of the new race day uniform. One racegoer was seen entering Flemington racecourse in green tartan trousers, a matching green waist coat and a blue suit jacket.
He wore a tartan newsboy cap and had a brown cane that matched his brown leather lace-up shoes.
The extremely dapper gentleman was far from the only bloke to take inspiration from the hit television shoe that made 1920s fashion cool again.
At Derby Day another man entered Fashions on the Field with his striking black and white look, which was the fashion theme of the day.
The gent wore a black and white stripe jacket with two gold horse pins on either side, a black waist coat that featured a chain attachment and white pants.
He paired it with a cane and black tie — both featuring horse-related imagery — and a checkered newsboy cap.
“Everyone has the right to dress up but I just don’t feel like it’s accurate. Thomas Shelby didn’t have a dad who owned a car dealership in Toorak,” Zito joked on social media about racegoers mirroring the Peaky Blinders look.
“No 1820s gangster vaped and drank Hard Solos.”
Fellow social media users echoed the sentiment.
“Nailed it,” one said.
Another said: “I was not expecting that. But I totally get it.”
Another Fashions on the Field contestant wore a two-tone suit — also featuring chains that have become synonymous with Peaky Blinders. However he put his own twist on it, ditching the newsboy cap for a brimmed hat.
Zito called it “corporate role play”.
“Can’t wear a three-piece with a hat these days,” one weighed in.
Zito is far from the first person to point out that men have a penchant for trying to look like they stepped out of 1920s Birmingham.
In 2019 GQ Australia published an article called How To Bring Peaky Blinders Style To Spring Racing (Without Looking Like A Massive Try-Hard).
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The article points out that the show kicked off a new era in men’s fashion — and that thousands rushed to get an undercut.
The Betoota Advocate, known for its frankly cutting tongue-in-cheek observations of society, also made a similar joke.
“Bloke Rocking 3-Piece Tweed Suit At Ipswich Races Been Watching Too Much Peaky Blinders,” the article’s headline read.
