Degrading race day act we need to stop
Media outlets continue to shame women's fashion choices at the Melbourne Cup Carnival while men escape the same scrutiny.
COMMENT
The Melbourne Cup Carnival is nearly over, celebrating Australia’s biggest horse racing event along with the buzzing fashion and social scene that comes with it.
But for years now, from Derby Day to Melbourne Cup, Oaks Day and Stakes Day, media coverage has pit women who attend against each other and compared and rated their outfits.
This year, publications jumped on the tired trend, eager to say the women were “battling it out” on the fashion front.
One headline read: “Some soared to fashion glory while others left onlookers wondering … what were they thinking?”
Predictably, the same formula of “best” and “worst dressed” lists returned – as they often do for red carpets and award nights – complete with a subheading teasing “those who missed the mark”.
Words like “misstep” were thrown around, with some outfits compared to “Halloween costumes” while one ensemble was criticised for its “unflattering shape”.
Yet another woman was called out for “needing to sack their stylist after a fashion faux pas”.
Sure, social media chatter will always exist around people’s looks, but for major publications to publish such demeaning opinions is deeply problematic.
In particular, one savage recap was titled, “Frills, frumpy frocks, and frightening carnival corsets,” which reminds me of a bad tabloid headline from the 2000s.
But sadly, this is still happening in 2025.
Words like “shocker” and “awkward” also filled the piece, reinforcing the idea that women ought to feel embarrassed about their appearances if they “fall short” of expectations.
Psychologist Carly Dober told news.com.au that this is a gendered issue.
“Are the men also evaluated in this way?” she asked.
The answer is no.
Or at least, not nearly to the same degree that women are.
On one worst-dressed list, just one man was featured, and he was on that list solely because his outfit didn’t match his wife’s, not because of anything to do with his appearance.
These articles are “unhelpful and rarely done in good faith,” Dober added.
And of course, they invite similarly vile comments from readers, which are often dismissed as lighthearted fashion advice.
But the internet rarely holds back.
“Hideous,” one person wrote under an article, as another added, “They all look terrible”.
Someone even suggested that a celebrity might be pregnant just because her dress was designed to jut out at the waist.
“Mutton dressed as lamb” was also a popular comment on anyone over 40, and one particular influencer’s appearance was likened to a horse.
Various other derogatory comments were posted, including about their sexual attributes, which we have chosen not to repeat.
When publications publish and platform such vitriol, it’s little wonder people feel it’s okay to also share their thoughts – sometimes, directly to the women themselves.
Earlier this week, reality star Jules Robinson revealed that she was brutally trolled about her body in her inbox after attending the Melbourne Cup.
One person messaged her insisting she needed to “spread her fat” as she was “squeezing into” her dress.
This culture of policing women’s fashion and appearances has real mental health impacts.
Research shows that public shaming over appearance contributes to increased anxiety, lower self-esteem, and can foster social anxiety.
Professor Ivanka Prichard, a body image expert, told news.com.au, “Body commentary and remarks about appearance naturally draw attention to the body and highlight the importance of its appearance.
“These comments reinforce the internalised appearance ideals (like being thin) that we have in society and lead to body image concerns for those who don’t meet these ideals.”
She said comments like the above serve “no purpose” other than to make people feel bad about themselves.
“It can heighten how self-conscious we feel and increase the number of appearance-based comparisons we make to others,” Prof Prichard explained.
“Coming up short in these comparisons can also lead to body image concerns.”
And it’s not only harmful for the person receiving the commentary, but there are also broader societal effects of these comments.
“It normalises shaming the body for its appearance. Instead, shouldn’t we be focusing on what might lift people up?” Prof Prichard pointed out.
Frankly, I’m so sick of this misogynistic trend being recycled year after year.
And before you rush to the comments to tell me this isn’t misogyny – just remember who is exempt from this scrutiny.
It’s a huge double standard, and it’s time we put an end to it.
Continue the conversation: @el_katelaris
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