It seems like just yesterday I was handing out tips for how to dress at your Holiday Party, but now here we are right in the middle of spring. In Baltimore, spring means it’s Preakness season! At this event, fashion plays just as important of a role as the races themselves. Dressing for the races can seem daunting for many, but calm your nerves because I am here to help you out with a few tips.
In general, you will want to dress to the nines with a suit and all of the right accessories for the Preakness. You should look polished, but also a tad bit (dare I say it) outrageous, too. The Preakness happens right in the middle of spring so you can achieve just the right amount of outrageousness by adding pops of bright color to your ensemble. Still not sure what to wear? Here are my top four Preakness fashion tips:
- Pay attentions to seasonal trends. You want to look polished so try to steer away from wearing the same suit you wore last year or two years ago. Nobody wants to see that plaid blazer you already wore so go for something new and exciting. This season, double-breasted suits are incredibly on trend.
- It’s all in the details. Obviously, your whole outfit should look good, but your brand new custom suit won’t matter if your shoes don’t match your watch or the last time your belt was cool was five years ago. Get the details right. (Wanna know what shoes are best for your outfit? Check out two of my recent posts about shoes.)
- Do something unexpected by choosing a bow tie! Fashion at the Preakness is about having a little bit of fun so change it up with this funky yet classic choice. Bow Ties aren’t just for Orville Redenbacher. You, too, can rock this style. If you’re nervous about it, you can just go with a solid color or a classic stripe. Looking to be a little more show-stopping? Try bowtie with a bright pattern!
- Hats are optional. For women, hats can be the single most important piece worn to the races. However, men, don’t get your panties in a bunch because they don’t play quite so crucial of a role in your race-day ensemble. If you want to wear a hat, go for it! It can be nice touch with the right outfit, but if you’re not really a hat person and you’re getting the nervous sweats just thinking about trying to figure out the right hat choice, you can opt out. Focus on having a bangin ensemble sans hat and everything will be just fine.
That’ll do it! Follow these tips and your Preakness look will be getting you lots of compliments. One final piece of advice: Have fun with it!