With Th e Festival at ino u r diaries asthis CheltenhamRaces Cheltenham Racecourse month s must-see event, Date for Your diarY: ' 3. It's once a veat, so lett run wholeheartedlf into the arms of sartorial opportuniq'and make some waves. As a rule, I think we just dont wear enough hats. People opt for fascinators for dress- ups for the simple reason that they don't know how to wearhats becausethev havent had enough prac tice. I reallv actuallv hate fascinat ors (there,I've said it). Thev u'ibble about, getting caught in the evelashes and the Jipgloss, offer no resistanceto weather of pfotection to hair all of which ends up the texture of damp lettuce. Ladies of a certain age, (my age), beware, we are better off n a proper hat or a glorious silk turban dlzlizTaylor- 4. Last year there was a hint of the naughn nautical, & amatic red and black, plenq'of block colour and not too many horribly short skirts. I opted for animal print, expecting to seeIots of it and didn't, but I drink it's a great direction fot this time of I'ear.It isn't too summery but neither is it too dark and wintry and it goes well with a bit of fi.r, 5. I totalll- get rweed, I love it, but be sure to wear flattering lines that have more of the NIiss Taylor and less of the N{iss NIarple. Ladies, ladies,ladies,'tis a joy to be simple but a crime to be plain.E here JackieLlewelyn-Bowen reveals he r to p tipsfo rdressing wellat this year's LadiesDay.,. The optimism of us Brits is best filed under'stupidlv brave'. Ladies Da1-on llarch 16dr is never going to be high sununer and scanningthe UK weather archir.es encourages on e to plan ahead and team a lovelv fascinator with salopettes. Instead, fat too man\'ladies turn up with purple legs in skimpv pastel florals on top of u'hich thel'\e had to resort to the bulk of emergencvknitwear,back of the u.ardrobe fur or something malodorous and probablv damp in prehistoricalll- v'axed cotton covered in spaniel hair. Or evefl worse, some sort of 'convenient' plastic cape best left to the elderl r'in mobilin'r'ehicles. And I'm not being ageist - mv mother has a charming one. The fact remainsd-rat unless vou embrace Cheitenhams icevzephvrsand takeyour outer garment as ).our starting point, the effect u.ill be ruined. 1. A Iight lareSpring coat, bright mac or fantasticallv coloured fur r','ill be a stalwart friend on the day and in realin'the one item of the assemblagemost people rvill see 1.ou in, If r.ou find somedring shower proof and patterned then colour block the restoF rour outflt into submission. allou.ing outeru'ear to steal the dar: 2. Go more t}an a Itrle Audrel with accessories... hat,eloves,bag, scarf an d shoes for sure but Holly Golighdy would also have gone lighdy with coordinating umbrella and probably matching gumboots. The sectet is to look as if vou're actuall,v enjoving 1'ourself. You're warm enough and drv enough to let dre firil impact of vour Lady's Day incarnation shine through. MARCH 011 COTSWOLDSryLE.29
