When Hastings Racecourse hosts the Deighton Cup this weekend, all eyes will be on the horses sprinting around the track. Between races, however, all eyes will be on the stylish spectators flaunting their finest race-day attire on the concourse.
Presented by The Social Concierge and DroskiTurner, the eighth annual derby event on Saturday, July 16, invites ticket-holders to bet on ponies, nibble on catered food, and sip on bourbon cocktails. It’s also one of the few outdoor affairs in Vancouver where attendees can dress to the nines and not feel out of place.
For the ladies, cocktail dresses, high heels and elaborate hats or fascinators are commonplace. And for the gents, it’s all about seersucker suits, silk bow ties and fedoras.
Perhaps just as important as Saturday’s equestrian performances will be the outcome of the Style Stakes Best Dressed Awards. The annual fashion competition gives a $500 cash prize to the most fashionable male (the Gallant Sartorial) and female (the Belle Du Jour) in the crowd.
The two winners will be decided by a panel of celebrity fashion-industry judges, which includes Lions Bay resident Liz Bell, a former model who now owns and operates Lizbell Agency, representing models such as Rachel Roberts, Kate Bock, Janice Alida, Elizabeth Davison, Tyg Davison and Scott Walhovd. Bell is no stranger to Style Stakes, having served as a judge once before in 2014.
“People have so much fun with it,” she says.
This year, she’s expecting to see a lot of summery florals on the women and pastel hues on the men. For those still scrambling to assemble the perfect outfit, her advice is: “Dress for your body and push the envelope.”
“You don’t want to be squeezed into a dress that you’re oozing out of,” she notes. That said, she also encourages people to remain lighthearted about the whole event. “I don’t think anybody takes it so seriously that they’re being self-conscious about anything.”
When it comes to footwear, Bell says guests should keep the venue in mind. Stiletto heels have a tendency to get stuck in the grass, so a pair of thick wedges might be a better bet.
“Everybody’s standing all the time pretty much, so wear a shoe that is comfortable, but also glamorous at the same time.”
For men, Bell loves the effortlessly chic Euro-inspired look of crumpled linen.
“A Riviera look of a guy in white linen pants and a blue linen jacket is super sexy.”
In general, Bell is drawn to classic race-day ensembles inspired by England’s famous Royal Ascot, but with a Vancouver edge (the Ascot enforces a strict dress code, the Deighton Cup does not). She’s planning to wear basic black on Saturday and, as of earlier this week, had yet to source the perfect hat. Although fancy sun hats and fascinators are certainly popular among the Deighton Cup crowd, Bell says they aren’t necessary to win Style Stakes in her books.
“If you’re going to have a simple dress, then to dress it up with a hat or fascinator makes a huge difference,” she says. But an extravagant dress doesn’t necessarily call for a matching headpiece “or else you’re going to look like a Christmas tree.”
So what sets a well-dressed finalists apart from a best-dressed winner? For Bell, it’s all about confidence.
“They have to carry it. No matter what they do, they have to be able to carry it,” she says. “There’s nothing worse than seeing somebody wearing an incredible outfit and they’re just so uncomfortable or are not able to pull it off.”
When she’s not judging the Style Stakes competition, she’s excited to take in the equestrian action. Originally from South Africa, Bell grew up around horses and took in a few polo matches when she was recently back in her home country visiting her father.
“Watch the horses, enjoy it, and have fun with it,” she sums up.
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The eighth annual Deighton Cup takes place Saturday, July 16, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Hastings Racecourse, 188 N. Renfrew St., Vancouver. The first of eight horse races begins promptly at 1:20 p.m. Tickets: $75, available at deightoncup.com. Partial proceeds benefit Variety – The Children’s Charity.
