Quintessentially British Fashion at the Races

This is my absolute favourite in the horse racing calendar, not only is it on my doorstep (living just a stones throw from Chichester) in my opinion, it is certainly the most glamorous of all the race festivals.

We are having the most amazing summer so far with scorching temperatures and long sunny evenings, I do hope the sunshine carries on until the 1st of August when the Qatar Goodwood Festival starts. Lovingly known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’ this event is the largest race meeting in the world with an amazing mix of sporting and social highlights.

The social and fashion element of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is also very unique, the quintessentially English ‘Goodwood’ style is certainly a theme that runs throughout, its smart but never stuffy, a wonderful excuse to dress up and express yourself through fashion.

Here is your guide to the Goodwood Racing Festival dress code, remember the Qatar Goodwood Festival is one of the most photographed events of the season!

Richmond Enclosure

Ladies: an effortless dress that feels fun but chic would be perfect for this enclosure, vibrant prints will be sure to make you stand out. This is the perfect place to wear a bespoke hat from Clare Louise Millinery, stand out with your own handmade one off piece.

Gentlemen: A jacket and tie is required for the Richmond Enclosure, dressing for Goodwood should be relaxed and elegant, the kind of outfit that has timeless appeal but a smartness to make sure you fit in wherever you go.

Gordon & Lennox Enclosure

Gordon Enclosure: More informal than the Richmond Enclosure but no less elegant. Jackets and ties are not compulsory, but still dress to impress.

Lennox Enclosure has no formal dress code.

We only have 19 days left until the festival starts, so if you haven’t yet sorted your outfit or your hat, contact me to book in for a consultation to start creating your bespoke handmade hat or visit our new shop for inspiration

Royal Ascot Overview 2017

As Royal Ascot 2017 comes to a close, I’ve found it fascinating as a milliner to see what crazy as well as chic styles there has been! From fashion fails to sheer perfection Ascot has definitely seen everything (good and bad) this year!

One great thing that has come from Royal Ascot 2017 is the jumpsuit which has made it onto the new dress code list, and I do think the classic jumpsuit is here to stay!

The Queen, dressed in beautiful bold colours such as lime green and pink, looked stunning even at 91 with the Duchess of Cambridge looking beautifully chic in her Alexander Mcqueen lacy number.

Big bold florals and pinks seemed to steal the show. There were so many beautiful hats, I couldn’t possibly choose a favourite feathers and butterflies certainly had a place this season, mind you, I would say that sometimes bigger isn’t better!

Temperatures reached a soaring 33 degrees, so the lovely ladies wearing a thick layer of self tan certainly found that in the heat… you can melt! The streaky patchy look was certainly noticed throughout. I do love checking out the latest fashion faux pas!

The best part of Ascot for me was having our lovely ladies send me photos of their day, our wonderful competition winner Andrea Mills and one of our other customers Lara Goldsmith, looking very ‘race chic’ It makes me so proud to see the hats I’ve made showcased at such a prestigious event.

Next on the list is the ‘glorious’ Qatar Goodwood Festival, working day and night at the moment with the orders coming in for the August Racing Festival. So if you haven’t got your hat sorted yet for Goodwood, contact me and we can get you organised, you never know, you may be ‘papped’ wearing one of the Clare Louise Millinery Bespoke hats!

Our Glorious Winner of a Beautiful Bespoke Hat

We had such amazing response to our latest competition at Clare Louise Millinery, there are so many people out there who deserve a hat for their event, whether that’s for a wedding or for Royal Ascot, so thank you to everyone who engaged with us on facebook.

But there can be only one winner… drum roll please… that was the lovely Andrea Mills from Littlehampton, West Sussex, who I have to add, has never won anything in a competition before! Andrea was incredibly surprised.

Andrea is an avid fan of the Qatar Goodwood Festival and heads up to the racecourse at least 3 times during the festival week, she will also be showcasing her beautiful hat at Royal Ascot this year! And also had an added bonus of a second hat for hire for a wedding in Spain.

In an interview while she was having her bespoke hat designed, Andrea told me ‘I am always a hat wearer, and any occasion I will find an excuse to wear one. After losing 2 stone with slimming world, my confidence has grown more and more with finding outfits and hats to compliment’

Andreas friend summed it up in a message after saying… “OMG !!! That couldn’t have happened to a more deserving, hat loving, hat needing, gorgeous girl! Fabulous! you look beautiful in both xxx”

For more information on how to get your hands on a stunning bespoke hat, please contact me via our website or call me on 07901 717900

Hats Fit for a Queen

There is something really special about us ladies getting organised for a day out at the races, or figuring out the perfect outfit for the role of Mother of the Bride or Groom at the wedding of the year. The thing that ties these two fabulous events together is Hats!

I have always had a great passion for hats, it’s amazing how you can be so creative and expressive with different headpieces or fascinators. Many years ago, after lots of research and purchasing some materials I started having a go at creating my own designs.

I was inspired at a very early age by my grandmother who was a first class seamstress, but wanted to learn the art of traditional Millinery and I was lucky to find the perfect person!

Rose Cory, who had been the Milliner to the late Queen Mother, she took me under her wing and taught me how to create bespoke handmade hats for all different occasions such as weddings, proms, and horse racing. Being local to Goodwood Racecourse and Fontwell Park, I get the chance help so many ladies with their total look.

I believe people have become interested in Hats again, I think they enjoy the glamour and elegance that a hat brings to an outfit and the way it can be used to express your personality, a hat is so much more than just a hat!

Every piece I create is made by hand, all hand sewn, every flower created and placed by hand, every piece of detail carefully thought out, which gives us the point of difference. Who knows, with the link to Royalty, you may see the lovely Kate Middleton wearing one of my hats sometime in the future!

For more information on hiring or buying hats contact Clare on 07901 717900