A Day At The Epsom Derby - What I Wore In The Queen Elizabeth II Stand

Earlier on in the year when my boyfriend asked me if I wanted to go to the races with him, I wasn't sure. I instantly worried about the dress code, what I would wear and how I would adhere to the rules put in place. He invited me to The Epsom Derby in the Queen Elizabeth II stand. 

The Queen Elizabeth II stand at The Epsom Derby on Derby Day has a dress code of women donning a formal day dress and a fascinator or hat, with the latter completely out of my comfort zone. I had never worn a fascinator before June 7, and before accepting an invitation to the Derby, I had no intention of ever wearing one. But I am now a complete convert.

After accepting my boyfriend's invitation to the Derby, I purchased my dress the very next day. Yes, really. Walking past Abercrombie and Fitch and then heading inside saw me become completely besotted with a cream and green polka dot number, that I just couldn't stop thinking about. Leaving the shop saw my mum and I head for a coffee, and I spoke about the dress for the duration of our drinks before making a beeline back to the shop to try it on and then hand over £100 for the drop waist Emerson style frock. 

I then bought a cream bag from Coach (my favourite shop for handbags and accessories), as well as a pair of black sunglasses. I purchased my sage green fascinator just weeks later, and then embarked on a mission of finding the perfect sandals. See, I am quite picky with footwear - I'm not into heels and shoes generally rub my feet and cause blisters - but I found some low block heel sandals from New Look that were ideal. I then bought some fold up After Party Pumps from Amazon just in case they rubbed. 

The night before Derby Day, I used setting lotion in my hair before using heatless curlers overnight, which worked a treat... until the rain. 

On the morning of The Epsom Derby, I got ready at home, doing my makeup and hair as I usually would before slipping into my dress, adding my heels and topping it all off with my fascinator. I was slightly nervous that I wouldn't look as glamorous as all of the other racegoers, but I felt confident in my outfit, so was content. 

I then got an Uber to my boyfriend's apartment to help him finish getting ready by folding his pocket square and fastening his cuffs. He wore a rather dapper morning suit complete with a top hat, which we collected from the fancy suit shop earlier on in the week leading up to Derby Day. He wore grey pinstripe trousers, with extremely smart shoes, a crisp white shirt, a grey waistcoat, and a black morning jacket. He completed the look with a black top hat, a blue paisley tie and matching pocket square. He looked extremely handsome and suave all dressed up, and I felt like a million dollars walking beside him arm-in-arm. 

Derby Day itself was fun and jam-packed. We got to the Epsom Downs Racecourse at around 10:30am and headed into the venue at 11am when the gates opened. We bought our race cards and mulled over what bets we wanted to put on before heading to the bar. We started on the Pimm's and lager before midday and then grabbed a hog roast roll before the first race started. Putting our bets on with the bookmakers on the course, it was a fun and exciting experience that I can't wait to experience again soon. 

We watched each race from a different spot within the Queen Elizabeth II stand, which was a super stylish and comfortable enclosure. We stood right by the finishing line for one race, by the winner's circle for another, and on the grass for another. We even made it onto the television when we were spotted in the background of ITV racing's coverage. 

When we watched Lambourn win the Derby, which we sadly did not bet on (we had different horses that didn't even place), we saw the horse and jockey make their way into the winners circle to be congratulated. This was such a special and unique moment.

But then the rain began to fall. We had been keeping tabs on the weather all week, hoping the Met Office had gotten the rain they predicted wrong, but by around 4pm, it rained and rained and rained. Sloshing through the wet grass, we watched one race on the TV screen in the bar before making our way to outside of the jockey's weighing room. We then headed to the Nyetimber terrace bar where they gave out complimentary coffee while we sheltered from the rain. 

Overall, I had an amazing time at The Epsom Derby 2025. It really was an extremely special day, and I made memories with my boyfriend that I will treasure forever.