What to wear: Last-minute fashion tips for Wagga Gold Cup Day

Back for his second year, fashion editor Damien Woolnough is one of three Fashions on the Field judges at the 2024 Wagga Gold Cup.

Fashion guru Jessica Knox is one of the Faces of the Carnival, a title she applied for out of her love for the Gold Cup.

Both are fine dressers with their finger on the fashion pulse, and have offered some tips for attendees needing some last-minute advice.

Comfort looks good on you

Mr Woolnough's number one tip for any attendee is to wear something you feel comfortable in.

"The big no-no of what to wear on the day is something that you are uncomfortable in or something that is completely inappropriate for the weather conditions," Mr Woolnough said.

"There's nothing worse than seeing someone freezing, or the opposite."

"You have to be really flexible to change."

As a judge, Mr Woolnough said the winners of Fashions on the Field will be those who are comfortable in what they're wearing.

The weather forecast is showing a high of 21 degrees on Friday, with light cloud cover.

Bring sexy back

Mr Woolnough believes 2024 is "time to bring sexiness back to race wear".

He said sexiness does not mean showing a lot of skin or "dressing as though you've come from Married at First Sight", rather it can be about wearing tailored pieces.

"I think nothing's sexier than a well cut blazer on top of the dress, for a woman," he said.

"It's probably more Cate Blanchett than Kim Kardashian sexy."

He expects to see a shift away from flowy dresses and oversized suits to outfits with "a touch more sophistication" and structure.

Don't sleep on socks, ties and animal print

Accessorising can be a challenge for men and women, however, Mr Woolnough said getting your add-ons right is key to a successful look.

For the men, he said to think beyond the white shirt and blue tie, and to have fun.

He recommends finding a tie with racing motifs, horses, or saddles, or play around with stripe combinations and colour.

When it comes to socks, matching the colour with a handkerchief or tie can be the icing on the cake, according to Mr Woolnough.

To top it all off he is looking forward to seeing Akubras worn well.

"I think they [Akubra hats] look fantastic in the context, fortunately this race day there are people who actually know how to wear them and look comfortable," he said.

Mr Woolnough said people can also accessorise with animal patterns which are making a return in the fashion world.

"You don't have to go the full leopard print or tiger print straight from the safari," Mr Woolnough said.

"But you could incorporate that through accessories and really look as though you've been watching what's happening in Paris."

Embrace autumn

Autumn weather means attendees should stay away from their sundresses and shorter dresses, according to Ms Knox.

"You want to be going for more of those winter and autumnal materials whether that be tweed velvet blazers," Ms Knox said.

As the co-owner of Wagga-based dress hiring company Social Queen Hiring, Ms Knox said she's seeing many women opt for "the power suit".

"I think there's going to be lots of black and white with pops of colour," she said.

Bags are for matching

The Face of the Carnival said she personally likes to match her bag with her shoes.

However, she said the trends are swinging the other way, with many looks choosing to contrast shoes with bags.

"In terms of accessories, you're wanting to go with whatever matches your outfit correctly," she said.

Ms Knox is a long time Gold Cup attendee and said it's her favourite time of each year.

"You're bound to have a beautiful day rain or shine," she said.

When it comes to choosing an outfit, she said it's all about putting your own spin and personality into the look.

"I've been working with [milliner] Di Barbour for my headpiece, so it matches amazingly," she said.

"I definitely love putting a bit of funky spin on tradition."

Fashions on the Field, the details

The Fashions on the Field has a prize pool of $17,000 made up of donations from the Wagga community.

Mr Woolnough is joined by past winner Viera Macikova and fashions on the field enthusiast Crystal Kimber-Peters on the judging panel.

Category winners are announced throughout the raceday schedule for the Stylish Couple, Man of the Day, Millinery Award, Contemporary Award and the Lady of the Day.

The Murrumbidgee Turf Club gates will open at 11am on Town Cup Day and Gold Cup Day.