Musselburgh Racecourse Ladies Day: Winning in the style stakes

Dressing to impress is a must at Ladies Day. Picture: Scott Taylor

IT’S an event which sees not just the horses groomed to within an inch of glossy perfection, but the spectators as well.

Ladies Day at Musselburgh Racecourse is fast becoming a place where some of Scotland’s most stylish women don their finest outfits to have a flutter. However, picking the perfect outfit which will see race-goers transformed into thoroughbreds on June 11 can be a stressful experience.

Now icons of Scotland’s style scene have joined forces with one of the country’s leading racecourses to offer the very best advice to fashion-conscious women

Stylist Laura Russell. Picture: Jon Savage

From this year’s hottest summer trends to avoiding a headwear mishap, the stylists want to ensure that attendees have a stress-free experience when getting ready, so that they can focus on enjoying the day in their most stylish attire at Musselburgh. Cathy Owen, project manager at Edinburgh Fashion Week, advises guests to take full advantage of the unique opportunity to get fully dolled up that the Stobo Castle-sponsored Ladies Day offers.

She says: “I have a personal mantra that it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Most people only get the opportunity to really dress up for the occasional wedding or festive party, so I would encourage everyone attending to make the most of it.

“Long dresses can be a little awkward at the races. Navigating heels, hats and grass is enough to contend with, never mind having to grasp the hem of your dress all day, so I would recommend trying a new silhouette, such as a tea-length style or a Bardot neckline, which is great for highlighting shoulders and clavicles.

“With June not so far away, some great summer styles are already dropping into high street stores, so I would suggest planning an outfit early by browsing these styles, tearing pages from magazines or starting a Pinterest page in advance, so as to have a clear idea of how fabulous you want to look.”

Laura Russell, personal stylist and shopper and blogger at Satisfashion, hosted a variety of sessions as part of the recent Edinburgh Fashion Week, two of which were dedicated to ‘occasion wear’ and Ladies Day.

Laura says: “I’d definitely say anyone attending should start to think about their look now. Go for an inspirational shop and try on some different styles to get fresh ideas – it’s never too early to find the perfect outfit. Ladies Day is typically all about the dresses, but some great alternatives are jumpsuits and skirt co-ord sets.

“The trouser suit has made a massive comeback this season so I’d love to see some ladies sporting this trend at the races.

“It can be particularly challenging to last the whole day in heels, so I would recommend a good platform or a thicker heel or wedge for stability.

“For shoes with straps, Vaseline and gel pads work wonders.”

As well as being just a few miles from Edinburgh, the East Lothian course is a five-star venues, and has recently opened some new facilities.

That, combined with the thrill of a high-quality race card, has turned the June event into one of the highlights of Scotland’s social and racing calendars.

Aisling Johnston, marketing manager at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “We are thrilled to have teamed up with Cathy and Laura to provide expert style tips for those attending Scotland’s premier racing and fashion day.

“Although general admission tickets have now been snapped up in record time, we have two appealing packages still available, including the Picnic Pavillion package with which offers first-class views, guaranteed rain cover and the opportunity to bring your own picnic.”