Tea at Trianon: 2012 Royal Ascot Dress Code Announced

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, January 28, 2012

2012 Royal Ascot Dress Code Announced

The Lady on what to wear in the Royal Enclosure:

Ladies: “Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer.” This replaces the less clear instruction that miniskirts are considered unsuitable.

“Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat.” So, absolutely no fascinators are now permitted in the Royal Enclosure.

Gentlemen: “Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear either black or grey morning dress which must include a waistcoat and tie (no cravats), a black or grey top hat and black shoes.”

So no cravats chaps and black shoes MUST be worn with morning dress. (Read entire article.)

Stephanie A. Mann said...: Thank you for providing this essential information in so timely a fashion! Good to know somebody still has standards.; January 28, 2012 at 7:55:00 AM EST
elena maria vidal said...: Yes, this blog is all about standards.; January 28, 2012 at 10:11:00 AM EST
The North Coast said...: It's nice to have a few places left in the world where a person can dress up without feeling ridiculously overdressed just wearing a moderately dressy frock. These days, I see people in cutoffs and tee shirts dining in the finest restaurants in the city. Why a place with the reputation of Gibson's, for example, permits this, I'll never understand. You think, the beautifully dressed couple at the next table must surely be affronted.

Some folks assert that requiring formal attire is "elitist", but if you can afford to shell out $300 per person for a meal, before the cost of wine, you ought to be able to afford nice dress or suit & tie at least. If you like your jeans so much, eat at MickieD's.; January 28, 2012 at 2:50:00 PM EST
julygirl said...: When I was in high school we had a dress code and it was a public high school at that! But any sense of grace and good taste in dress, manners and inter-personal interaction is unknown.; January 28, 2012 at 10:55:00 PM EST