#EVENT: The 154th L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate 2015

Cape Town, Kenilworth Racecourse, Saturday, 10 January 2015 sees the 154^th L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate hit the ground running; running 12 races with the country’s top thoroughbreds hammer the turf in pursuit of the R1 million purse. Some of this year’s sponsors include the delicious Skyy Vodka brand and luxury automobile brand, BMW.

While others will attend to play their cards right and own a share of the winnings, some will be there to soak up some of the hottest fashion and style the event visitors will have to showcase. As superficial as it may sound, L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (LQP) is one of the most prestigious horseracing events in the country and attendees take their dress code very seriously – so do we.

Expect to find the teams from Skyy Vodka and Peroni Nastro Azzurro in the Stud Club section of the LQP Hospitality area. Stud Club is officially the marquee to be seen in. It’s young, vibrant, and all about the style and class of its temporary inhabitants. We too hope to rub shoulders once more with the who’s who in Stud Club.

The beauty of the LQP’s theme is in its simplicity: Blue & White. Guys, you only have one thing to do – dress in blue and white. You can’t possibly fail at this. It also prevents moments such as those from J&B Met and sometimes Durban July, where people get too carried away with the theme and start looking more Star Trek than anything else.

To help you gents out just a little, we’ve put together some content to give you ideas of which direction to head in.

COLOUR

Blue & White: it’s that simple. Here are some trending Pantone colours within that bracket for you to work with as a start. The below palette is put together to inspire and guide you with regards to the different tones and hues of blue you can buy into and the variants of white (in other words – gray) you can pair with the blues.

A small recommendation is to stick to two colours – blue with an offsetting white or cream. In some instances pairing a lighter blue with a darker one can create a very elegant combination. Try to avoid hosting too many colours on your body; it could look trivial.

STYLE

The general feel is for gents to put on their blazers, some pants, a great crisp shirt and some comfy complementary loafers of some sort. Denims are appropriate, especially for those going for a smart casual look. Formal attire guys are likely to be best in their two- or three-piece suits with shirt and tie or bowtie and pocket-square.

Although one can get nippy about their hemline getting dirty, it does look better when the lighter colour is your pair of pants and the darker colour your blazer. However, that is not set in stone. Chinos are great in a pure blue or navy, paired with a striped or checked shirt and navy blazer. That can also be accessorised with a pocket-square and a panama hat.

Tickets for the 154^th L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate 2015 are available via www.computicket.com.