By Paula Joye
The fashion industry has bet on the nags - and it's paying off.
With several well-known designers creating race-specific collections, department store David Jones is on track to sell more than 200,000 frocks this race season.
Dressy: Marc Freeman and Camilla Freeman-Topper (wearing black) with their track trends.Credit: James Brickwood
"Australian women are very engaged in the romance of racing and the fun of getting really dressed up," Donna Player, the group executive of merchandise at David Jones, said. "Whether they're at Flemington or going out to a special lunch, it's an increasingly important category."
Brother and sister design duo Camilla and Marc have capitalised on increased demand, creating a seven-piece dress collection specifically for the Spring Carnival.
"We know our customer wants dresses for the races," Camilla Freeman-Topper said, adding that a typical customer bought two or three outfits to wear across the Caulfield Cup, Derby Day and Melbourne Cup days.
Myer predicts it will sell about 21,000 dresses a week during the nine official race weeks, and more than 25,000 fascinators.
Accessories label Mimco, stocked at David Jones, has designed an aggressively priced diffusion line in headwear - from sparkly hairclips to embellished crown. "It's absolutely a fascinator season," Ms Player said. "Bejewelled headbands, which sit in the hair or across the forehead, are proving to be a very popular option and a sweet alternative to an over-the-top hat."
As to what not to wear to the track, both retailers hope to see less skin. "Nothing looks less chic than a barefoot woman holding a pair of impossibly high heels in her hand,'' Ms Freeman-Topper said.
Paula's top racing trends
- MONOCHROME Make it interesting with mesh inserts, asymmetric cuts, lace and punctured leather.
- FEMININE Think oversized floral and exaggerated animal prints.
- SOFT COLOUR Repeat after me: Thou shall not wear neon. Stick to a softer, more ladylike colour palette for the races such as pastel pink , lavender and mint.
- MAN-STYLE Sharp pant-suits with silk blouses or palazzo trousers teamed with a fitted bodice. Finish the look with a large straw fedora.