At The Everest, Gen Z racegoers to ditch Melbourne Cup-style dress codes

Traditional racewear is a late scratching from the spring carnival, as the Gen Z fashion pack prioritise bubble skirts and slinky gowns over floral dresses and fascinators.

“It’s no longer about what’s happening on the track,” says Kellie Hush, creative director of the dress-sharing platform The Volte. “We’ve gone from more conservative dressing to party pieces that are a little bit frivolous.”

Models at Royal Randwick Racecourse display a more relaxed take on racewear for The Peacock Lounge in the Winx Stand at The Everest.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Data from The Volte shows a spike of more than 15,000 orders during the racing season, with black, pink and printed outfits outranking traditional florals. Floor-length dresses account for 40 per cent of rentals, 35 per cent are midi dresses and minis comprise 25 per cent. Sensible pantsuits barely rate a mention.

“It’s less about tradition and more about pushing fashion boundaries,” Hush says.

While the Melbourne Cup carnival is sticking to a traditional approach with its long-running Fashions on the Field competition, where rules around colour, cutouts, fabric and headpieces come into play for those aiming to win part of the $370,000 prize pool, The Everest in Sydney is tapping the trend by dropping formalities.

Entrants in the best dressed competitions at Sydney’s premier racing event on Saturday can tag themselves on social media for the chance to appear on the big screen at Royal Randwick Racecourse and win small prizes, such as a bottle of wine.

“It’s about more prizes, rather than a big prize for the same people who enter every year,” says Donna Forbes, head of commercial at the Australian Turf Club.

“Racewear competitions can be like a cult, where the same people enter every year.”

Viera Macikova, winner of Fashions on The Front Lawn in the COVID-affected Melbourne Cup carnival in 2021 and Launceston Cup Lady of the Day in 2019, says that dropping trackside presentations and last year’s $2500 prizes for best dressed at The Everest is a challenge to racewear’s future.

“While this format should appeal to the younger crowd, it may not appeal to the older and more traditional audience,” says Macikova. “It doesn’t allow us to showcase racewear fashion the way it used to be done. There is now a sense of the fashion community being slightly lost.”

The Volte founder Kellie Hush says when it comes to fashion, this year’s Everest is less about tradition and more about pushing boundaries.Credit: Cole Bennetts

Women in wide-brim hats and formal floral dresses might feel out of place in some of The Everest’s new entertainment areas, where the DJ line-up is just as important as the starting gate selection.

“We have created areas for general admission ticket holders, like the Peacock Lounge, where fascinators are not required and women won’t feel left out if they don’t have a designer dress,” Forbes says.

The strategy is working, with tickets for The Everest sold out for the first time. On the first day of ticket sales, 60 per cent of customers were female. Forbes credits the success of group sales of more than 10 tickets – which comprise a quarter of sales – to young people.

“In this economy it’s important for young people to know that they can borrow an outfit or wear sneakers and still be welcome,” Forbes says.

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.