meticulous in the planning of his outfits for each event. ▪ File photo
There’s some big changes planned for Fashions on the Field (FOTF) at Cobar Miners Race Club’s upcoming race meeting.
With a change of date for Cobar’s main race meeting to June 1, it will move from being an autumn meeting to being classed as a winter one.
FOTF coordinator Nat Prisk said this year the FOTF judges will be working off a winter criteria list to find their winners.
“Felt, wool, leather and heavy lace are materials the judges will be looking for,” Nat said.
Rich jewel tones are a favourite in winter.
Expect to see navy, maroon, deep purple, copper, emerald green, mustard, orange and tan along with black, winter white and grey.
That’s not to say you can’t wear a bright colour—bright colours can still be acceptable for winter racing depending upon the fabric and structure of your garment.
Look for winter millinery made of felt, wool, leather and silks adorned with feathers, leather flowers, lace and veiling.
Wearing (or carrying) leather, suede or wool gloves is a chance to add in an extra colour and feature to your outfit (and will help to keep you warm if the weather is cold).
Coats, jackets and capes are another layer to add to your outfit.
Nat recommends aiming to have an element in your outfit that wows the judges.
It could be the dress you choose, it’s shape, the fabric, the print, or a bold colour, or it could be a stand-out millinery piece that you’ve paired with it.
It could be unexpected colours paired together, or a feature accessory that makes people say, “Wow that’s stunning”.
“Straw and inappropriate length dresses are out,” Nat warns.
There’s also going to be a few changes to this year’s categories.
“Teen categories are not going ahead this year due to very small numbers over the last four years,” Nat said.
Teens however haven’t been forgotten as the Master and Miss categories will now be extended to accept ages 0-14 years inclusive.
Two new categories have been added this year following requests from last year’s event.
They are a Family or Group and can include siblings, parents and children, cousins, friends, a sports group. There needs to be more than three people to qualify and there are no age restrictions.
The second new category is Couples. It’s restricted to two people and there are no restrictions on gender ie can be male/female, male/male or female/female. Again there are no age restrictions in this category.
“Due to the popularity of the Contemporary Lady category, prizes have increased in alignment with the Classic Lady category and this year will offer $500 cash plus gift certificates for the winner,” Nat said.
The Millinery and Best Dressed Gentlemen categories have been retained this year.
