Ready, Set, Go - Shoe lover's guide to a day at the races

With the spring racing carnival in full swing, check out my list of 'things' to ensure you have a great day at the races.

There are high stakes at every high profile race meet throughout the carnival, and I don't just mean for the horses! Last year the winner of the Myer Fashions on The Field took home a $90k lexus amongst other things, check out my post here from last year. The competition is very serious, and you need to register weeks in advance to compete, so don't feel like you can just rock up to the races in spring carnival and be asked to walk for Myer Fashions on the Field. Now that you know this, you may as well just wear trackies and thongs? hehehe


My preference for race wear is always comfort, and this does not mean heinous hospital worker shoes (sorry nurses' I do love you xoxox) or hessian sack dresses. There are classy shoes with adequate height available for long days of standing in the grass and numerous dresses out there that tick all my boxes.

I wore the fluro pink wedges in the below pic to my last day of standing at the races, it was at NSW's Derby Day (which is traditionally black and white) to see Black Caviar. They are a modest heel so still gave me twoish inches without taking the comfort away. Check out the dress I wore here.

Below is my survival list for the races;

1. 1. Wear the shoes you are able to stand in the best, before you down 6 plastic cups of house champagne and hopefully you can stand in them afterwards the champas as well.
2. 2. If you know your feet will hurt, take some flats to kick around in after you have had enough (which you know you inevitably will). If you do not bring your own, you could be lucky and have these available for sale, but do not count on it! 
3. 3. Don't be a skank and wear a super short dress, keep this for a night out on the town. If you want to sit down later in the day a longer dress that isn't tight is recommended.
4. 4. If your fascinator is not a sombrero, remember sunscreen ladies, you do not want to risk prematurely aging your skin for an entire day especially on your face, if you don't want the lingering smell of sunscreen all day, at least opt for a foundation or moisturiser that has a sunscreen element like Napoleon Perdis' BBB Cream (link here).
5. 5. Take a poncho, not just for rain, but if you turn up and there are no seats or tables left, an emergency poncho split down the side can be used as a makeshift picnic rug, your friends will be eternally grateful.
6. 6. If you are braving stilettos instead of a wedge or flat, be sure to look up Starlettos http://au.starlettos.com/ they will stop your heel sinking in the grass.
7. 7. Don't bother studying the form (this is the statistics of the previous races and horses) there are people that pretty much devote their life to this, and if they can't get it right, your guess is as good as their's. I created a way to pick the winners, I base my decision on the colour of the horse and the colour of the jockey's silks.
8. 8. Find a bag that is easy to carry but most importantly easy to close with all the items you want to take, no point worrying about it bursting open every time you handle it.
9. 9. Finally, take an emergency purse for the essentials which should include;
• Paracetamol - for the long day in the sun drinking champas.
• Bobby pins - in case you want to strategically pull your hair off your face or to schettttle down the rogue pieces.
• Party feet - see previous blog post here.
• PaPaw cream - for the lips and potential ant bites.
• Anti histamine - in case you get a grass allergy.
• Safety Pins - in case of a wardrobe emergency.
• BandAids - for the blisters if you haven't had a chance to wear your shoes in.

10. HAVE FUN! Just take everything that happens on the day in your stride, ie skirt blowing up at the drink counter, losing more money than you wanted to or meeting the man of your dreams and realising he is is better dressed than you haha.

What did I forget on my list? What is in your races survival plan?

Grace xoxox