The Melbourne Cup Carnival has again filled our week with fun, fashion and racing. It is a week that has given us something to look forward to, something to inspire us for months beforehand. For some, the planning of their outfits started at the end of the last Melbourne Cup Carnival! These true fashionistas are the ones who make the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on The Field event the best in the world.
There was no Lexus (or any other car) on offer as the main prize. Not that this deterred anyone from entering! Those who won the car would normally sell it off anyhow – so this saves them the effort! There were plenty of well-dressed entrants! This year, the winner walked away with a large cash prize, along with plenty of other goodies. The prize pool is still the biggest one worldwide! Speaking of worldwide, Flemington VRC announced that they were opening up the competition to international entrants for the first time! One lucky winner from each of the categories was flown over to join the Australian finalists on Oaks Day for the grand final.
Tips to win the Fashions on the Field in 2024
I’ve been enjoying the Melbourne Cup Carnival FOTF competition for a very long time now and I have these invaluable tips to share with you:
- No matter how good you think you look, your look might not appeal to the judges on the day.
- You wear an outfit to another competition, bomb out, then wear it to the Melbourne Cup Carnival FOTF and win! Yep, this has been the case in the past. I know someone who got nowhere in an outfit at the Melbourne Cup Carnival and wore it again to win $20k cash somewhere else!
- Wearing the official colour of the race day doesn’t mean a thing to the judges. Racegoers were encouraged to wear purple in support of a charity. The third-place getter in the best-suited competition was the only contestant who got anywhere. He shone bright in his purple traditional Scottish ensemble, kilt and all!
- Men, don’t be afraid to get into a dress and enter the Best Dressed competition! One beautiful man did this year and he looked amazing! If you want to enter the Best-Suited competition, don’t be afraid to tap into your feminine side. Last year, Sherlon Garbo won his second Lexus wearing a skirt suit! This year, a Scotsman came third in his purple kilt! First place went to Jay Martinez, who wore a self-designed hat with a large flower to accessorise his suit. It was Jay’s first time in the Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Field! Talk about beginners’ luck!
- It’s nearly time for a female to win the Best Suited competition, so ladies – it’s best to enter that competition! A lovely lady came close and got runner-up last year. There were some strong female contenders in this year’s Best Suited competition. I picked Stacey, wearing a pastel yellow and pink ensemble as my favourite. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the top three.
- Wear what makes you happy! I’ve been repeating this for a very long time! By wearing what you love, you’re a winner whether or not the judges like your outfit! You love it and that’s all that matters! Wearing what you love will have you smiling all day!
- Smile on the catwalk! Try and enjoy yourself up there! Your attitude will make or break your outfit! Walk that catwalk with a smile that says ‘I’m looking and feeling great!”
- Some contestants have been trying for decades to win this huge competition without luck. Even if you have the perfect outfit, it’s down to pure luck. It may take you decades of trying before you win. You may never win. Just enjoy participating! This is the biggest FOTF competition in the world! It’s not an easy one to win.
- If the late Princess Diana’s nieces are on the judging panel, dress like Princess Diana would! Eleanor Campbell (from New Zealand) did just that! She took out the Best Dressed title wearing a white dress and a traditional, large hat! Eleanor doubted that she would win as there has only been one other winner (that I know of) winning on Derby Day, who has gone on to win this competition – Brodie Worrell in 2015. The two royal nieces turned up to judge the grand final wearing all white. You knew who they’d choose as their favourite.
I hope you find these tips either useful or just entertaining.! The Melbourne Cup FOTF competition is so much fun to watch or take part in. Start thinking about your outfit ahead of time! Put your best fashion foot forward at the next Melbourne Cup Carnival!
I’ve asked the winners of the Best-Dressed and the Best-Suited competitions to tell us a little about their winning outfits. Read what they had to say. You may find some inspiration.
Eleanor Campbell – Fashion on the Field Winner
I got into FOTF after going to watch my mum compete. I won my first sash at the age of fourteen, but I wasn’t allowed to go to the finals because of my age so it was a long wait till I turned 18 and I could start competing.
I like classic clean looks so this dress was definitely my style. The panels down the side added interest and movement too. My mum found it online and we knew we would have to shorten it as it was a full-length gown or possibly a wedding dress. We also knew it needed a better neckline so we asked the alterations lady to make the cut-off hem into a neck sash. This made the style even better we think!
We have had the dress for a few months with Derby Day in mind but didn’t take it to be altered till a couple of weeks before the day. The hat was also done in the last few weeks once I had found an inspo style that I wanted. So we didn’t get a full look at the whole look till the day before we left for Melbourne. And we changed the shoes from white to black at the last minute to balance out the touch of black.
I have had some amazing placings in FOTF but I think my biggest wins would have to be best dressed at the Dubai World Cup, and last year winning the NZ Prix de Fashion title. I got to go to the Melbourne Cup carnival last year as part of that prize. I was in the top 3 on Melbourne Cup Day last year. That gave me the confidence to come back this year and have another go.
The amazing amount I have won will clear my fashion spending debt and give me a lovely savings account! I am treating myself to one designer bag – maybe a Chanel!
Dress – Solace London
Millinery – Monika Neuhauser
Clutch – old fav Olgaberg
Heels – old fav Siren
Earrings – Friday Candy vintage Givenchy
Pearl bracelet – from our jewellery collection
Domingo Martinez – Fashions on the Field Winner
“I started going to the races three years ago. I was invited to The Everest at Royal Randwick. This is the time when the competition went digital because of Covid. Even though I didn’t prepare for it, I was judged as the runner-up. In my back burner, I was thinking that I could win with some preparation.
True enough, I have won the Longines Prize for Elegance two years in a row (2022 and 2023) which is sponsored by the Australian Turf Club. After this, I won the Hawkesbury Fashions on the Field which was part digital and part on-course.
I was extremely happy with my wins but felt that something was still missing. Instead of entering the digital competitions, I decided to enter the Melbourne Cup Fashions on The Field in person for the very first time. I was able to give life to my suit and I won the coveted Best Suited Competition.
My look was about being elegant with a twist of bold millinery. And more than that, it is a representation of my Filipino ethnic heritage.
My original ensemble is a pink double-breasted suit with a brown fedora hat. It is a playful ensemble, but I cannot get it to life as I have been suffering from a subconjunctival haemorrhage for a couple of days. So I decided to wear my old caramel suit which exudes elegance. The new look is about who I am and how I am feeling that day.
The millinery is a bold statement in my ensemble. I have bought part of it from Sonlia and redesigned it to complement my suit. I also redesigned the suit with an ethnic fabric that matches my bag made of palm fibre. My bowtie is made of wood. More than an accessory, I have worn the ring that was passed from my brother to my mother and to myself. I would say it is magical because it makes me feel good every time I wear it.”