Rating last years Cheltenham Festival Outfits *ccl tells all*

Darlings! IT’S FESTIVAL WEEK 🐎🐎

If you’re a regular here, you’ll know I am a racing fanatic, and if you’re new here – welcome to a blog full of all things Country. I used to work at a racing yard, and I spent much of my university degrees studying both the jockey and the racehorse. I am not only obsessed with the experience of race days, but I am obsessed with both horse and jockey as athletes, for me, there is more to race days than champagne, nice outfits and shopping.

That being said…. do I OBSESS over race day style… YES, yes I do! Racing style is something I have always been passionate about, and I guess, it was through sharing these outfits that there first became some interest in my style through social media.

Living very very close to Cheltenham Racecourse, it has become a huge part of my life. I renew an annual membership yearly, and rarely miss a meet. There is something so special about Cheltenham, and it is my favourite course out of all the places I have visited. Cheltenham Festival is the biggest event held at Cheltenham, and one of the biggest National Hunt meets, known by many – not just those interested in horses!

Unlike some other big race meets, such as Royal Ascot, Cheltenham Festival has no set dress code. Bearing in mind that Cheltenham Festival is held in March, there is very little opportunity to wear your favourite dress and heels with no jacket, and no mud in sight!! You can pretty much guarantee at some point during the week you’ll be slip sliding across the car park, or trying to tame wind swept hair! Usually the ground is damp or muddy, the wind is harsh, and there is a dash of rain thrown in – classic English weather as we try to transition into Spring. Therefore, dressing appropriately HAS to be considered as part of your Cheltenham Festival style.

Having attended all meets held at Cheltenham year on year, I would consider myself to have a pretty good idea of appropriate clothing for all race meets. Style is something I am so passionate about, and Cheltenham outfits are just my favourite. With Cheltenham Festival behind closed doors this year, I feel like there is a huge part of me missing. Normally the excitement would be unbearable tonight as I prepped for a big week ahead. Whilst Cheltenham is behind closed doors, I still have content coming for you, and what better place to start, than with a review of last years outfits! Whilst I love style – I too can get it wrong, so I thought it would be fun to break down my outfits worn last year and see what I got right, and what I got very wrong!

So …. let’s get rating!!

🐎 Tuesday – Day One – Champions Day 🐎

Nothing beats the first day of Cheltenham. Stepping into the racecourse on day one is just the best feeling, and it is so exciting. There is something different about the Festival compared to the other race meets. There is SUCH a hype around it, it’s the event everyone has been waiting for, and building up to. Champions Day has a really lovely feeling, there is no formal dress code, so outfits tend to be a little more relaxed on this day.

Last year, I teamed up with Joules to create two of my race day looks. This first look was very much based around my classic style. I love wearing longer line jackets, and the bright, bold blue of the Walton Crombie Jacket really caught my eye. I find longer jackets can be really flattering, and with the weather, any bit of extra warm is normally a bonus. I teamed this with a simple outfit of white jeans and a camel jumper – staples which will last in the wardrobe all year round. The white Monroe jeans from Joules were new to me, and there is always a worry with trying white jeans for the first time, are they flattering, will they fit, are they see-through? The list goes on and on. These are true perfection, now my favourite pair of white jeans, they are a thicker material so not see-through, slightly higher rise so very flattering, and the quality feels amazing. A silk scarf completes any classic country look, and the Bloomfield Square Scarf perfectly added a touch of colour to my outfit. I finished off the look with all important accessories – a match tan bag, boots and sunglasses.

I honestly think I got this outfit bang on – I don’t want to praise myself too much here, but this outfit was so me, so Cheltenham and so practical, that it really couldn’t have gone any more perfectly together. This was 100% my favourite outfit of the meet.

Rated on…	Rating	Insights
Classic CCL Look?	1,000,000 / 100	This is my classic look through and through. Not only would I wear this to the races, but this is the sort of outfit that I would wear anywhere and everywhere. I had the best fun picking this out because it was so easy, I saw the items and immediately knew!
Practicality	100 / 100	This was really practical. My F&F boots are always comfortable enough to wear all day, and they don’t tend to hurt my feet, even when stood up all day. The Coat was warm which is crucial as it is always cold at Cheltenham. I had carefully pinned my scarf to my coat, which meant even though it was windy, it remained in place.
Suited to Cheltenham?	100 / 100	This outfit was perfectly suited to Cheltenham Festival, it is classic country style in my opinion.
Ease of recreating this look?	90 / 100	Such an easy look to recreate, and consists of staple pieces that could be found in any wardrobe. Unfortunately a year on, the Welton Crombie and Halton Jumper are no longer available, but very similar items are available on the website so this look could be recreated with similar products.
Overall outfit rating	1,739,857 / 100	This was the perfect Cheltenham outfit (if I do say so myself). It fit Champions Day perfectly, it fit my own style perfectly, and I couldn’t have been happier with the look!

Get my Tuesday look:
Walton Crombie Coat in Navy
Halton Luxe Turtle Neck Jumper in Camel
Monroe High Rise Stretch Skinny Jean in White
Bloomfield Square Scarf in Cream Spot
Ashdown Sunglasses in Tortoiseshell
Langton Mini Heritage Leather Everyday Bag
All from Joules
Boots – Fairfax and Favor – The Heeled Amira in Tan (Friends of Joules)

Watch my Cheltenham Festival day one video here.

💃🏻 Wednesday – Day Two – Ladies Day 💃🏻

Ladies Day at Cheltenham is brilliant because it doesn’t have a set dress code, allowing ladies to dress as they please, in what they feel comfortable in. This means if a huge hat and heels aren’t quite your thing – it doesn’t matter! Not forgetting that Cheltenham is in March, it is very unlikely that you are able to don your very best dress, with no jacket or multiple layers keeping that rain and wind off you. Also not forgetting the mud – if you thought you were sinking at Royal Ascot, just think of that March ground at Cheltenham!

Whilst I love the excitement of a Dress and hat on Ladies Day, I still wouldn’t consider myself one to go above and beyond on the dress department. Hats… well that’s another story, but when it comes to Ladies Day at Cheltenham, I am quite happy to dress appropriately and use layers to my advantage. Cheltenham Festival run a ‘Colour Me March’ competition during Ladies Day, encouraging colour to be worn to be in with a chance of winning some great prizes!

Once again, for day two I teamed up with Joules to create my Ladies Day look. I was adamant that I wanted to go for an elegant outfit, pairing together some items that you could consider slightly out of my comfort zone. I had been immediately drawn to the Genevieve Dress, I whilst I rarely ever wear a long dress, what better day than Ladies Day for me to try an ultra sophisticated and elegant dress. I paired this with classic black ankle boots from Fairfax and Favor, and one of the exclusive Joules Cheltenham hats. This hat was INCREDIBLE. With my hats I am very much of the idea, the bigger the better. Joules launch exclusive Cheltenham hats which I was so excited to be able to style, and it perfectly matched this outfit. I then used the Poppy coloured combie coat to add bright colour and complete the look.

Whilst this outfit wasn’t typical of my style, I did think it was beautiful. I actually really love experimenting outside of my comfort zone with clothing. I am very happy to try thinks which aren’t to my usual style, and to try and create a look which I maybe wouldn’t typically go for. I have to be honest, I fell in love with the Genevieve dress, so much so that I then received another similar style dress, I definitely found a new found sophistication in that longer length of dress – something which I have so keenly avoided previously.

I am exposing myself here, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of wearing ankle boots with the longer length dress. Now, I have worn ankle boots with something other than trousers before, and I will continue to do this many more times in the future, in fact, I even do it for another one of my Cheltenham outfits, however, I don’t think it creates the most seamless look. Now I did everything I should have to make this streamlined, and I wore the same colour tights which should have helped, but I can’t help but feel like the boots look a little clumpy at the end of the outfit, I’d love to know your thoughts? This is nothing to do with the boots, the Kensington’s are actually one of my favourite pair of boots, but more how I feel I styled them in this look.

Another reason I personally feel this outfit wasn’t possibly best suited to me was the amount of black I went for. I actually think the outfit as a whole was really sophisticated, and would I wear it again? Actually yes I would – I by no means didn’t like it. BUT I am also more of a navy than black wardrobe, I find black can be a little harsh as I have a very pale skin tone, so I generally opt for navy which appears a little softer. Overall, I think this was a beautiful outfit, did I pull it off as well as it could have been though? No, I don’t think so.

Rated on…	Rating	Insights
Classic CCL Look?	40 / 100	Whilst not my classic style, I do really love the look. Did this suit me the best it could have? I personally don’t think so, but I loved playing around with something different, and would I wear again, actually yes!
Practicality	90 / 100	This was a practical outfit – my hat kept the wind swept hair at bay, I was actually able to layer up under my dress due to its style, and I wore fleecy tights and a substantial coat – ticked all the boxes for practicality.
Suited to Cheltenham?	90 / 100	Definitely suited to Cheltenham, particularly Ladies Day. Such a super elegant, pretty dress, paired with the most beautiful hat. The bright colour of the coat perfectly tied into the Colour Me March theming.
Ease of recreating this look?	90 / 100	This look is really easily recreated. Pairing a longer length dress with a long line jacket and boots is super simple and could be recreated with most wardrobes. Whilst a couple of the items are no longer available, very similar styles are.
Overall outfit rating	70 / 100	This outfit is not my typical style, however, I did really love putting it together and playing around with something different.

Get my Wednesday look:
Walton Crombie Coat in Poppy
Genevieve V Neck Button Through Dress in Black Spot
Laura Short V Neck Cardigan in Oat
Ashdown Sunglasses in Tortoiseshell
Langton Mini Heritage Leather Everyday Bag
Hat – Exclusively for Cheltenham Races
All from Joules
Boots – Fairfax and Favor – The Kensington in Black (Friends of Joules)

Watch my Cheltenham Festival day two video here.

🍀 Thursday – Day Three – St Patrick’s Thursday 🍀

Ahhhhh Paddy’s Day! Probably my favourite day of the whole Festival. It’s lively, it’s fun and it’s wild! I always try to dress a little practically on St Patrick’s Day, because I usually end up with a Guinness or two splashed over some part of my outfit. If you want to have an incredible race day experience, I can’t reccoment the Thursday enough, and you just have to check out The Guinness Village – it is a different level on this day!

With this being one of my favourite days of the Festival, and with such a social feel to it, I love picking out an outfit which is suited to the vibe of the day. The look I went for was quite typical of my style, with a jacket, skirt and boot combination. I teamed one of Welligogs brand new Jackets at the time with an array of additional navy clothing and accessories. The jacket pulled through perfect spring colours of coral, blue and navy. I finished off the look by teaming with a classic fedora, bold stalemate hat pin and over the knee boots.

This outfit is very typical of something I would normally wear. Minus the hat, this is the sort of outfit I would easily pull out of my wardrobe and team together. Being overly critical looking back, was it my favourite outfit once out together, maybe not, but the elements of the jacket were certainly very much to my style.

When I look back on the outfit, I just don’t think it looks as 100% seamless as I originally had thought. However, the outfit was super practical, and each individual item that created the look are some of my very favourite pieces. The skirt I wore is without a doubt one of my go to pieces, it is so beautifully designed, and my chunky roll neck from Holland Cooper was one of the best purchases I have made – it has certainly earned its keep in my wardrobe. This hatpin is one of my favourite pieces from High Bird Designs, so beautifully designed for Cheltenham, and the size – just wow, statement piece through and through. I also loved my Welligogs jacket, the longer line style is super flattering, and the colours throughout make it just the perfect transitional piece.

Rated on…	Rating	Insights
Classic CCL Look?	90 / 100	100% one of my classic looks. Teaming a roll neck, skirt and jacket together with over the knee boots would be a very typical style of mine.
Practicality	90 / 100	This was a really practical outfit for Cheltenham, the chunky roll neck was so warm and cosy, with thermals underneath too, and the hat kept my hair tame whilst creating a statement.
Suited to Cheltenham?	90 / 100	This outfit was definitely suited to Cheltenham, it seamlessly fit into the look you would classically see across the course.
Ease of recreating this look?	90 / 100	This is an easy look to recreate. All items are currently still available to purchase too, except the Holland Cooper roll neck, which has just been re-releasd in a slightly different style.
Overall outfit rating	80 / 100	I really liked this outfit, and each individual part to the outfit are some of my favourite pieces. As an outfit all together, I think something is missing, but I may be being overly critical there!

Get my Thursday look:
Hat/Pin – High Bird Designs
Jacket – Welligogs
Jumper – Holland Cooper Clothing
Belt – Holland Cooper Clothing
Skirt – Teddy Edward Clothing
Boots – Fairfax and Favor
Watch – Morris Richardson
Clutch – Salthouse Englan

Watch my Cheltenham Festival day three video here.

🏆 Friday – Day Four – Gold Cup Day 🏆

The highlight of the week is day four, which hosts the Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious races on the calendar, consisting of 22 fences over a 3mile, two and a half furlong distance. There is still a full race card of seven races on Gold Cup Day, with the Gold Cup itself being held at 3.30pm.The thrills and spills of Gold Cup day are absolutely worth the experience, even if you aren’t horsey!

Gold Cup day always calls for a special outfit, and last year I pieced together a timeless black outfit, with a statement jacket and hat, to create the ultimate race day outfit. I loved this outfit, I think it pieced together really well for the ultimate classy look. I opted for a really simplistic black roll neck dress from Holland Cooper, with black tights and boots. I finished off this all back outfit with a statement jacket and hat, which certainly stole the show for the outfit. The Harris Tweed jacket was a brand new piece from Eton Taylor. It had a beautiful fitted style to the top, with a kick out hem which created the most beautiful fit and flair shape – so flattering but also offering that ‘swish’ when you walk which somehow always feels so good!

Once again, I think the boots possibly looked a little chunky at the bottom of this outfit, but maybe less so that my Ladies Day outfit. This is also another predominantly black outfit, which again, maybe not quite to my classic taste. I genuinely did adore this outfit and I would wear it again.

Rated on…	Rating	Insights
Classic CCL Look?	90 / 100	This outfit was certainly more my style than the Ladies day look, but there are still elements which are not classically me. The statement hat, boots and tweed however pull this towards a ‘me’ outfit.
Practicality	90 / 100	This was a perfect Gold Cup day outfit, my boots were so comfortable, a hat to cover my hair, and once again due to the design of the dress, I could fully layer up underneath – this is key!!
Suited to Cheltenham?	90 / 100	I think this was perfectly suited to Cheltenham, I loved the effortless sophistication of this outfit and it did feel a little bit special, which is what you want on Gold Cup Day!
Ease of recreating this look?	90 / 100	The is a super easy outfit to recreate, essentially this is just a roll neck jumper, a tweed jacket and a fedora hat! This is very easy to recreate, and I would recommend this look if attending the races yourself!
Overall outfit rating	90 / 100	I love this outfit, I really did. I think the black worked better with this outfit than it did on Ladies Day, and I think it was very well suited to Cheltenham, including that extra special feeling it gave me!

Get my Friday look:
Hat – Joules (exclusive to Cheltenham)
Dress – Holland Cooper Clothing
Cardigan – Joules
Belt – Mackenzie and George
Jacket – Eton Taylor (coming soon online)
Boots – Fairfax and Favor
Bag – Grays 1922
Necklaces – Hiho Silver
Sunglasses – Joules

Watch my Cheltenham Festival day four video here.

If you love following my CCL journey, check out my socials:

So…. which was your favourite look?

I hope this gave you a little bit of an insight into last years outfits, and how I feel about them looking at them a year on.

I am going to miss the Festival terribly this year, I can’t believe I won’t be there, but I will be watching on from home, still enjoying all of the action, I hope you will be too. You can check out the outfit I could have been wearing in my Instagram reel here.

Whilst that is all for this blog, I am very very excited about my next blog! I am going to be sharing with you exactly how I build my Country wardrobe in a tell all blog – you are NOT going to want to miss that one!

Lots of love, Lucinda xo