Saratoga is an amazing Race Track with so much history and traditions that accompany it. From the red and white painted wood all throughout the grandstand to the
carousel out front and the “FoxTrot Bands”…you can’t help but love the surroundings. However, even though I would easily drive fourteen hours for a weekend in Saratoga, I didn’t expect to be impressed by its racing fashion. I did expect the bar to be a bit raised on Traver’s Saturday but I wasn’t expecting the turn out that I received!
Fascinators were a plenty, some women wore some crazy hats, and even many of the men jumped on the Fashion at the Races train and wore some fabulous pants or stuck to a more safe fedora. Regardless we found plenty of people to photograph and all were very willing to flash their big smiles on such a great day.
This year the FATR team took a different approach to the race day. As we stress so much throughout our website, the Horse Races are a place to have fun with your friends and enjoy the surroundings, fashion and of course the great Thoroughbreds. In our other “working” race days, we seem to swamp ourselves with taking photographs throughout the day as well as trying to enjoy the day. It never really works out perfectly one way or the other. So this round we chose something different. We arrived at the track early, did 4 hard hours of photographing, networking and shmoozing 🙂 and then we went back to the car, dropped off the work gear and got ready to relax and have a good time! We had friends up from NYC in the picnic area where we found ourselves enjoying the last few races of the day. And thats what it is all about! 🙂
Back to the Fashion though! There are three ladies that stuck out in my mind for the Race Fashionista’s of the day. Two friends were up in the clubhouse grandstand and both had great printed dresses on with the perfect complement of fascinators. The third lady I had to chase down outside the Grandstand (which is hard in heels, let me tell ya!) was wearing a brown and nude colored outfit and had a small hat that perfectly tied it all together. She had her hair in a nice bun which kept it out of her face and also helped to keep her cool for the day. Although this picture doesn’t do much justice, she gets the Race Fashionista of Traver’s Day Award with the other two ladies not far behind. WELL DONE!!
Advice to for next year? If your going the comfort route, wedges are the way to go at Saratoga (hurts me to say it). With all the concrete out front, tents to shop around in, dirt in the picnic area, heels are a tough sell. However, if you are heading straight up to seats in the clubhouse, heels will not be a problem. As always, the accessories are what set you apart from other well dressed ladies: shoes, jewelry, and of course headwear. Save the large hat for the Kentucky Derby and stick to something smaller, either a small hat (as our Race Fashionista did) or just a great fascinator. Need help finding one? Stay with us! We will be directing you to some great milliners, and can help you when you are on a tight budget…as I always seem to be! 😉
Bye Bye Saratoga! See you next year!! xoxo