Why We Wear Fascinators To The Races

Spring racing season is here again—which means dresses, shoes, bags, accessories—and fascinators. But why the fascinator? Our friends at Huffington Post Australia have done some digging.

Kate Waterhouse explains, “Wearing headwear on a race day is a really important tradition. The races is a unique occasion and there are not many other places where you get to wear a hat. It doesn't mean that you have to wear a massive big hat if you don't feel comfortable, there's lots of different alternatives—but we need to honour a tradition that dates back years and years ago to when they wore top hats and tails.”

So there you have it! It’s all about tradition—and with so little traditions being upheld these days, it’s nice to pop on a hat and feel fancy for a day. Lucky for us, 2015 comes with so many options for what you can wear—if a classic style isn’t for you, you can get a little more creative with headbands, crowns and some mixed materials.

Keep scrolling for our favourite race-day appropriate headwear.

Head over to Huffington Post to read more expert advice and then let us know in the comments below if you like the reason why we wear fascinators.