2.27.2010

Style Me Saturday - Kentucky Derby

A reader recently submitted the following question...

"I am going to the Kentucky Derby on May 1. What do you suggest I wear? I need options because 1) it could be cold or not. 2) I NEED a hat, obviously! 3) it could be rainy/wet 4) it will be grassy, not pavement."

I came up with a few different options, depending on how dressed up you want to get. I added cardigans to most of the looks, which you could throw on to keep you warmer if it's chilly that day (hopefully by May 1st it will have warmed up!). To deal with the grassy situation, I felt wedge sandals would give you the most amount of support (no one wants to be sinking into the grass in their heels).

This first look is my personal favorite, and is pretty budget friendly. Spring + The Kentucky Derby always make me think of floral prints, so I included a sweet flowered dress (which ties in the back, adorable!!), some nude colored wedges, a cardigan, and of course a hat! The hat is pretty plain so I also threw in a chiffon flower pin that you could use to give your hat a little personality. Click on any photo for more information/to purchase.


The second look isn't quite as budget friendly (mainly due to the dress) but I LOVE this dress so much I wanted to include it in one of the looks. I didn't include a cardigan in this look, but you could do black, grey, or red if you wanted to add one to the outfit. Again, I would suggest adding a flower clip to the basic black hat to give it a little something extra. (Click on any photo to purchase.)


The final outfit is probably the dressiest, but is also budget friendly. I love polka dots and they are big for spring (see post here), so I when I saw this dress I thought it would be both fashionable and appropriate. I would pair it with a red patent belt, some black wedges, a cardigan, and of course you can't forget the hat! (You could also add a flower or a ribbon to the hat on this look, but I didn't include it in the widget below).

I also found some other dress/shoe options:

4 comments:

Violeta said...

I wore nude color wedges to the Derby last year! I highly recommend wedges but definitely ones that you wouldn't mind getting dirty.

It was a bit chilly last year so a cardigan would come in handy. My biggest problem is trying to balance high fashion pieces and the more traditional nature of Kentucky! Oh and I'm from Louisville ha

don't forget your outfit depends a lot on where you will be siting..infield vs. box seats etc.

Have fun!

J @ The Look 4 Less said...

Thanks for all the insight Violeta! I'm sure the reader will appreciate hearing from someone who has been to the Derby before - thanks for commenting!!

Lindsey Brodsky said...

As a Louisvillian, as well, my biggest recommendation is to bring flip flops to walk to and from your car (unless you are taking a limo and getting dropped at the door) and in case it rains. You can stow them in your purse while at the main event! Also, poncho! The cheap 99 cent ones are perfect to slip into your purse just in case! And, definitely plan your outfit with a cardigan ... it could be 50 or 90 degrees! I'll be doing a "How to Dress for Derby" post on my blog in the next month or so!

J @ The Look 4 Less said...

Lindsey - Thanks so much for your input! Can't wait to see the feature on your blog, I'm sure it will be very helpful!