The race doesn’t start till 3pm, but the hats, the hats have been going for hours.
Happy days, hat-watchers. At this year’s Mebourne Cup there’s no dip-dyed feathers or tacky netting to be seen. Here are our top picks for the headcases of the Melbourne Cup. Helpful for ordinary humans who might need a hat of their own — like for a wedding or an ordinary-person racewear.
Spiky flowers
It’s hardcore femme at it’s very best — sharp, edgy, and oh-so-on-trend. This year’s floral headpiece has been given a modern makeover with stiff shards of leather sprinkled with jewels for a look that any evil Disney queen would be proud of.
Jen Hawkins:
Rachel Finch:
Kate Peck:
Metallics
The crowning glory for this year’s racing royalty are shimmering metallics in gold and bronze. Some have opted for an understated shine, whilst trackside Queens like Leona Edmiston have trumped them all with a studded crown.
Kate Waterhouse
Georgie Gardner
Leona Edmiston
Jewels
Making the feathered fascinators of yesteryear look like birds’ nests, this year it’s all about just sticking some sparklers on your head. Bejewelled headbands are glistening in red and bronze, with others opting for a brighter sparkle, like Bec Judd’s fuschia burst.
Emma Freedman
Bec Judd
Bright and Abstract
Like little pieces of modern art perched atop perfectly coiffed dos, this year is seeing its fair share of brightly and mildly outrageous headpieces. Hey, when else can you get away with this kind of silliness?
Edwina Bartholomew
Johanna Griggs