AUSSIE CELEBS:
Jen Hawkins looking flawless in a fitted white dress with black and white trimmings - perfection!
Could Buck Palmer and girlfriend Ashley Hart be Australia's answer to Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag? We certainly hope not! Hart's camel-neck dress says "Winter" whilst her beachy two-toned wedges suggest "Summer"... I know Melbourne is known for it's four-seasons-in-one-day weather but dressing for all four is a sure-fire forecast for fashion disaster.
Carrie Bickmore looks a little Bick-boring in this lacey ensemble - no major fashion faux-pas here just a lot of very safe and predictable choices. Still, she looks nice and the pencil skirt is one of this season's most coveted styles and fits her like a glove!
Emma Freedman definitely improved from her Caulfield Cup blue and green blunder, yet again we're seeing too much of the one colour. A flash of white or a metallic belt would've worked wonders to break up her black-on-black-on-black ensemble and a pretty clutch would've added a touch of glamour to the look instead of this bulky, wannabe-Berkin. All in all, she looks fresh and dainty, despite balancing a giant black egg on her head!
Esther Anderson looks sleek and streamline in this LBD with contrasting white hat. The shapes and lines of the outfit cast a very organic and undulating silhouette.
Samara Weaving could definitely have done better with this outfit it is more of a 'Saturday night cocktails with the girls' dress as the zip down the front looks tacky and too casual for a Spring Racing Carnival VIP guest.
Laura Dundovic and Laura Csortan look like ying and yang in these contrasting black and white outfits! I love the intricate neckline on Csortan's dress but can't get enough of the feathered sleeves on Dundovic's frcok! Both fascinators are not overdone and compliment the outfits perfectly. Well done girls, a winning combination! Place a bottle of Verve between you two and we'd have ourselves a trifector!
AFL WAGS:
Kasia Z goes for simple and elegant in this fitted white dress. The pop of colour in her emerald green clutch adds contrast and diversity to her otherwise traditional Derby Day look. I would've love to see her incorporate the green elsewhere in her outfit - perhaps some emerald earrings or a flash of green on that dinner plate she's wearing on her head.
Lauren Philips rocks NF by Niccola Finetti at Derby Day just as she did at the 2011 AFL Brownlow Medal. I love that she's chosen a print over mere colour-blocking but the dress is missing a belt or something to break up the pattern and highlight her figure. She could've taken a bigger risk with some statement jewellery and cherry red lips! All in all, she looks like she's wearing a grey potato sack!
Whilst I had the privilege of previewing Nadia Coppolino's dress before race day - I sold her her Derby Day shoes the night before (Peeptoe "Miss Salsa" in Tan), seeing the dress on her is another matter entirely! This sleek, black and white number exemplifies an Audrey Hepburn level of classic glamour and conjures up elements of Julia Roberts' 2008 Oscar dress. Nadia always dresses impeccably from head to toe even on her days off and is extremely humble and personable! So jealous of her Hawaiian sun-kissed skin, nothing beats a natural tan without the can!
Rebecca Twigley is without a doubt my other favourite WAG. She always looks incredible and Derby Day was no exception! I love her fascinator although I would've loved to see a bit more in the way of jewellery and accessories! Very classy, Twiggly has got 'understated elegance' down pat!
Tania Buckley has come along way since her diamente-encrusted g-strong wearing days... She has married both black and white in this grey, 50's style frock. She looks Summery and conservative, which is a big step for her!
Pia Miller may be the WAG on everyone's lips but this outfit is a little too Spanish Seniorita for my liking! She looks as though she could be ready to run with the bulls, rather than frolic trackside with the horses. The colour pop under the hat deserves a tick for having her foot in the right direction, however the overall execution makes her look like she's theme dressing. I highly doubt they serve Sangria in the Birdcage...
INTERNATIONAL CELEBS:
Dita Von Teese is the quintessential exemplification of a little style trick I like to call "peacocking" - and not because she looks like she has a giant red-feathered bird nesting on her head! Peacocking is a term I use to describe people who not only take risks in fashion, but deliberately do everything in their power to stand out from the crowd and wear something so bold and individual that the general public can't help but notice them. As we all know, traditional Derby Day colours are, and have always been, black and white. So how does one "peacock" themselves in a crowd of penguins? Well, dressing in head to toe red would be a good start... With this being said, call me a prude but I really am a traditionalist but I think it is far more classy and respectful to stick to black and white on Derby Day. Ivorys, greys and hints of other colours are all acceptable, but head-to-tow red? Really? It's a bit much Dita Von Tacky you attention-von-seeker!
Daughter of Keith, Alexandra Richards looks like she's either seen a ghost or has been raiding Morticia Adams' closet! Trick or treat time is tomorrow Alex!
Rachel Taylor... needs a tailor! This ivory smock dress nearly swallows her whole! And those puffy, meringue sleeves make her look like a sitting duck that's ready to take off at any moment!
+ EVERYONE ELSE:
Angela Menz channels Oscar de la Renta in this voluminous, ruffled one-shoulder dress! Dainty and feminine, although the light mushroom clutch and white rose corsage look obscurely out of place.
Anita Marinello pairs capped sleeves, plaid and mesh together - wrap it all up with a big black bow and voila! One dowdy Derby day dress - giftwrapped, free of charge!
Caroline Heaney does DIY fashion by wrapping herself in a David Jones bag!
Emma Vosti, first of all, this is a very unfeminine and unflattering pose. Second of all, I love your shoes. Third of all your dress looks like my nana's table cloth and your hat looks like an inside out umbrella! Well, they were predicting showers on Saturday...
Forget the plain Jane outfit for a moment and let's focus our attention on Felicity Schrader's hat. Are my eyes deceiving me or is she actually wearing a black and white leather cap? A cap? To the races?? The poor dear looks like a sporting umpire!
I can't tell weather Jess Coad is preparing to enter the Myer Fashions on The Field or The Colosseum in ancient Rome to battle it out with the gladiators and lions? But seriously...
A bold print and a bold choice by Lia hoang but somehow it works. The shape of the dress has a certain Jackie O feel about it and her choice of accessories are simple yet impacting. I wouldn't wear this myself but I do think she looks rather good!
Rosa Wax's dress is so stiff looking it almost seems as though she herself has been dipped in wax! And what is that black crown doing on her head? Australia only has room for one Queen and she left the country a few days ago!
