Royal Ascot - what to wear video advice from Oliver Brown

Royal Ascot is between 16th and 20thg June this year. As ever, there are questions about what to wear and Oliver Brown, the Chelsea-based menswear shop that supplies formal wear for all occasions, has good advice on the topic, as can be seen in this video.

Kristian Robson, Oliver Brown's Creative Director, gave me some good additional advice in relation to waistcoats, hats and coats, as follows:

“I think people will go bright this year with their waistcoats, people seem to be getting more adventurous” 

“With a view to top hats I would say always go for black as opposed to grey” 

“I personally prefer a black morning coat to a grey morning suit and this is most certainly our most popular style in the store however we are seeing grey becoming more popular”

See Oliver Brown for more information, or to buy or rent formalwear.

See Royal Ascot 2015 for information about racedays and events.

Good Day Sunshine shirts: Made in London for the winter sun

For those lucky enough to be chasing the sunshine this winter, there is an interesting range of luxury cotton shirts available from Good Day Sunshine shirts.

They are designed and made in London, England from 100% American Supima® cotton, which is woven into a cool, lightweight pique fabric in Switzerland. The extra-long yarns of Supima® cotton result in a more luxurious, softer and yet durable fabric. 

They are nicely-cut, with a tailored fit. The long-sleeved version features a two-button cuff; useful for wearers of larger watches. The lightly-lined shirt-style collar looks good under a jacket, without appearing too stiff or formal. The hem is longer at the back and the side vents and slimmer fit help the shirt fit comfortably and neatly. 

Also available with a short sleeve, this is a versatile and very wearable shirt, ideal for the beach, the poolside, or equally fitting around a dinner table. It goes well under a lightweight jacket, suit or blazer and is designed to stay smart even after a long flight or journey. Minimalist in look, it can even be worn with a tie.

I don't think that this is a shirt for warmer climes only. I've been wearing mine very comfortably in the chill of a London winter. The detail of the shirt is remarkable; it's good to come across something into which so much care, thought and skill has gone; giving a true mix of polo and formal shirt. This is a shirt that deserves to be noticed.

If James Bond was after a shirt for his foreign adventures, surely it would be this one. Available in several colours, see Good Day Sunshine for more information or to buy.

Royal Ascot - what to wear? Formal and morning wear

Royal Ascot (17th to 21st June) is one of the highlights of the British season. Being British, we sometimes feel anxious about dress codes at such events. One person to go to for help and advice is Kristian Robson, Owner and Creative Director of Oliver Brown, who supply formal and country tailoring. Kristian gives a few tips below for selecting morning wear and top hats for such events.

Oliver Brown has been a popular destination for sartorially-aware gentleman for over thirty years, specialising in formal and traditional menswear, it is also the oldest independent top hat retailer in London. 

Their Royal Ascot Collection comprises of plain black barathea wool and black herringbone morning coats, grey morning suits, traditional striped and houndstooth morning trousers, and a huge selection of single and double-breasted waistcoats. They also have a wonderful collection of new and vintage silk top hats at their shop in Lower Sloane Street, Chelsea, London. 

Made-to-measure and fully bespoke tailoring is available at Oliver Brown as well as the Ready-to-wear collection and a full hire service.

Kristian Robson gave me a few tips for about top hats and morning wear for Royal Ascot - 

TOP HATS

“Antique silk black top hats are considered the height of beauty and elegance because of their impressive shine, shape and lightness.” 

“It’s so important that your top hat sits correctly, it should rest comfortably one inch above the ears, sitting completely straight - it’s not like wearing a cowboy hat!” 

“The shape and height of antique silk top hats evolved somewhat over the years, with the crowns gradually becoming taller in height and the brims narrower. The most common shape of antique silk top hats is the ‘bell-shape’ which has slightly curved sides, but there are also examples such as the ‘stove-pipe’ which has straight sides and is particularly tall.” 

“The shape you opt for is a personal choice, for example if you have a smaller head you may want to opt for a crown lower in height that could suit you better.” 

“Antique silk top hats are largely found in black, but can also be brown or grey (which is often referred to as ‘white’ even though they are in fact grey in colour), and although extremely rare from time to time we have these colours available at Oliver Brown.” 

“Black is sometimes thought of as more formal, though any colour can worn to finish a morning suit or tails, and worn to all occasions.” 

MORNING WEAR

“The full three piece grey morning suit is back in fashion. I think that this worn with a black silk top hat will be a very popular look this year.” 

“When it comes to waistcoats, the ‘old school’ black morning waistcoats with white slips are the most traditional – all the royals wear these.” 

“Plain coloured waistcoats in pale blue, pale yellow, grey and buff in plain wool or linen are very easy to wear and are the most popular.” 

“Some now choose to go wild so we’ve designed a St. George inspired single-breasted waistcoat so even the most sartorially-aware gentleman can support the World Cup during Royal Ascot!” 

“Remember that if you are wearing a single-breasted waistcoat to leave the bottom button undone. This tradition comes from the time when the future Edward VII was Prince of Wales and he became so fat he was unable to do up the bottom button of his waistcoat. They say that the court followed suit to make him feel better about his body image.”

More about Royal Ascot can be found on Oliver Brown's website here.