Truesdale continued, ‘We believe people enjoy themselves best when they feel relaxed. A major part of that is wearing clothing which you are comfortable in. When we reviewed this area of the race day experience, it has been clear to us that enforcing a dress code seems rather outdated in the 21st century in the eyes of many of our racegoers.’
The decision to remove the dress code has split opinion. Former director at Lingfield Park, Nick Boyd commented to the Telegraph that it represented a ‘relentless drive to mediocrity’ describing it as ‘madness’. He continued, ‘What we’ve done is say, “You don’t need to make an effort”. Going racing should be treated as a special occasion.’
And they’re off: all the best dressed attendees at Royal Ascot this year
By Chandler Tregaskes
Racegoers who are saddened by this news will be pleased to hear that Royal Ascot’s dress code remains as smart as ever, with a spokesperson for Ascot saying to the Telegraph that dressing up was a ‘fundamental and much-loved part of attending for many.’
However, others view this as progress, with one opinion piece in the Times commenting that ‘Traditionalists may bemoan a decline in standards, yet the move represents a sensible adaptation to modern mores… the idea that civilisation will collapse because a T-shirt does not have a collar, or if a doorman is no longer allowed to designate certain footwear unacceptable and bar the wearer entry, is plainly silly.’
