How to Win Most Stylish Man at Chester Races

Mr Green Ladies & Gents evening kicks off on 13th July at Chester Races and now is the time to start planning the outfit if you want to be in contention for the best dressed male. Gates open at 4.30pm offering the perfect excuse for an early dart from work. Take advantage of their ticket offer before the expiry date and make this Friday the 13th a lucky one.

Before I throw my hat in the winner’s circle with style tips, let’s take a look at the dress code pulled from the website.  

*It's worthy to note that different stands will have different codes. The Open Course has no dress code although they advise you to dress for the conditions. The more exclusive the enclosure the stricter the code. Below is the code for the Winning Post. 

Dress Code: Gentlemen are required to wear a well-tailored suit or a blazer/sports jacket with smart trousers, together with a shirt, collar and tie. Ladies are required to wear smart dress. No denim jeans of any colour, no trainers, no sportswear and no fancy dress will be permitted.

Notice the words 'well-tailored'. This doesn't mean we need to get a bespoke suit fast tracked for the price of a king’s ransom. But we do need to have a think about when was the last time you wore that event day suit. 

How do I win best dressed male at Chester Races? 

We can start by looking at last year’s winner Mr Stewong on Instagram. He is dressed in a light blue double breasted 2 piece from Gieves & Hawkes. 

The material is possibly flannel which is boiled wool, that gives it a textured look which will definitely help you stand out. In my opinion this is a great look, a cracking suit, but not tailored to my style. 

The jacket is suppressed at the waist so follow the lines of his body well. But the jacket is too short for my liking, it has a rather feminine look to it. I would have liked to have seen the jacket come an inch past his wrist. 

Notice also on the leg how tight the fit is around his thigh and crotch, yet the calves have plenty of fabric. It's an uneven look on the leg and it has a jarring effect. The cuff of the trouser falls neatly on the break which tells me this has been tailored. 

Don't be so mean on the guy Carl! 

You're right, and this is only my opinion. I actually like the suit and think the light blue colour and the accoutrements are brilliant. The Navy Silk Pocket square contrasts perfectly with the light blue. The loafers keep the look youthful and overall, it's the details such as the tie pin, the sunglasses etc that has distinguished Mr Stewong from the competition. 

If you'd like to follow in Mr Stewong's footsteps I've picked out some other blazers from the Gieves & Hawkes online store that are currently in the sale. 

 

Should I wear Tweed to the Races? 

It's a free world baby. Tweed and horse racing go together like Ike and Tina, before Ike got a bit hands on. One thing to bear in mind with tweed is that whilst it looks amazing, it is a dense fabric and won't circulate your body heat. But tweed has been made more accessible with the likes of Dashing Tweeds in West London introducing lighter 'city tweeds' for the urban man. 

I'd say there's nothing like a girl in tweed so I prefer to see it on women than I do men. That said if you break up the tweed look with a pair of white chinos that will certainly get you noticed. When it comes to ties and pocket squares match the colour with one of the over checks in the blazer. Notice the gentleman on the right pairing his green and purple over check 3 piece suit with a magenta tie and pocket square. 

That's about it from me. Above all make sure you enjoy the day and drink like a gentleman, not like a hooligan. Try and wear something that will turn a few heads but without being overly-peacocky. Below is a gallery from Chester Races to give you an idea of what race-goers have worn in the past. 

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