How to dress for Glorious Goodwood
Glorious Goodwood has become a firm fixture in the gentleman’s social calendar. One might even go so far as to suggest that it’s the thinking man’s Royal Ascot, an altogether more sophisticated affair, but no less significant in the English sporting season. Thanks to the efforts of its patron Lord March, the five-day long races are synonymous with British taste and style.
Morning dress isn’t necessary, but entry to each of the enclosures carries a dress code and an appreciation of good clothing is required for both ladies and gentlemen. Fortunately, as Goodwood’s official Style Partner, New & Lingwood is here to help steer you through the festival’s idiosyncrasies. Follow this advice and you’ll be the best dressed man at the show.
The Richmond Enclosure is the most formal at Goodwood and requires a jacket and tie, strictly no jeans. This is the space where it’ll pay the most to invest in a polished look. Our Yarmouth single and double-breasted navy blazers are the natural choice. They are cut in a crisp, lightweight wool hopsack and half-canvassed and fully lined. In other words, these are timeless British classics you’ll enjoy wearing again and again once the races are over.
A light blue linen button-down shirt complements a navy blazer and offers an easy foundation for a tie. Don’t forget the pocket square either. Try one of our signature skull and crossbones foulard designs – a classic choice with just a touch of quirkiness. Please don’t agonise over how a pocket square sits in your pocket either, Italians fuss over the perfect pocket hanky, Englishmen should not.
The various teams at Goodwood all sport colourful kit, which has set a precedent for traditional sporting stripes. A bold striped blazer with grosgrain lapel tapes is perfect in this environment and has long been a welcome sight at the races. Try the Newton striped boating blazer in navy, crimson and white, or our Heather Isle Tartan jacket in purple and olive green. Either will have you standing out from the crowd in fine style.
The key to pulling these jackets off is to keep everything else simple. Stick with a plain linen button-down shirt (see our Anderton shirt, available in pink, turquoise and white), navy chinos and dark tie. Plain knitted silk or the Tapton silk jacquard design would both work well.
If sporting stripes are a step too far, this season’s cream linen Morcott separates make for an elegant alternative; wear as a two-piece suit or mix the jacket and trousers in with other pieces; they’re a quintessential choice to wear in warm temperatures.
One final tip, it pays to be prepared for English summer – even in July – so packing a raincoat is a wise move. New & Lingwood’s reversible Runcorn single-breasted Macs are well suited to Goodwood and you can swap between each coat’s sensible and striking side.
Occasions to celebrate British style are few and far between, so there really is no excuse not to make the most of the week. Edward VII put it best when he hailed Glorious Goodwood as ‘a garden party with some racing tacked on’, so make sure you’re dressed right royally well for it.