QIPCO British Champions Day 2026 Dress Code

From the Merve Bayindir atelier, a guide to the richest day in British racing, the Ascot enclosure dress codes in autumn, and five hand-made pieces for October light.

Royal Ascot gets the attention, but Ascot in October asks a harder question of a wardrobe. QIPCO British Champions Day closes the flat turf season with the richest raceday in Britain, five championship contests and £4.35 million in prize money, and it does it in the middle of autumn. The straw and pastel that work in June are wrong by now, and the answer is not simply a heavier coat. This is a guide to dressing for the last great day of the season, written from the atelier.

The essentials: date, place and time

 

The day itself

British Champions Day is young by Ascot standards, created in 2011 to gather the season’s championship divisions into one afternoon rather than leaving them scattered across the autumn. It worked. The card now decides the year’s champions across distances, from sprinters to stayers, and carries the largest prize fund of any day’s racing in Britain. For anyone who has followed a horse through the summer, this is where the story ends, which gives the crowd a different energy to a midsummer meeting: fewer first-timers, more people who have been waiting for this since May.

The Ascot dress code in October

The Royal Meeting code does not apply outside Royal Ascot, and the difference is worth understanding. The King Edward VII Enclosure, Ascot’s premier public enclosure on non-royal racedays, carries the formal code: gentlemen must wear a jacket, collared shirt and tie, ladies dress for a smart occasion, and trainers are not allowed. Millinery is not compulsory there, but hats and headpieces are encouraged, and the enclosure is restricted to a small capacity on this day. The Queen Anne and Winning Post enclosures have no formal dress code at all during the flat season, though guests generally dress for a smart occasion and headwear is encouraged. Fancy dress, novelty clothing and sports attire are not permitted anywhere at Ascot. As with the race headwear worn in June, a considered piece is what marks the difference between attending and taking part.

Ascot in October is the same racecourse with a different brief: depth instead of brightness, felt instead of straw.

Dressing for October light

The middle of October gives you low, golden, short-lived light, and it flatters entirely different materials to June. Wool felt, velvet and heavier silk come into their own, while sinamay and straw start to look out of season. The palette follows: black, burgundy, deep blue, charcoal and camel, lifted by metallic or crystal detail rather than by pastel. Ascot is also exposed and the afternoon cools quickly once the sun drops behind the grandstand, so a proper coat is part of the outfit rather than an afterthought. Choose the hat and the coat together, not separately.

Five Merve Bayindir pieces for Champions Day

The five below are hand-made in our London atelier and drawn from our autumn and winter occasion line. Felt and wool rather than straw, which is the whole difference between June and October at Ascot. Prices include UK VAT.

Lune Wide Brim Boater Hat

£1,100

A deep black felt wide-brim boater, the crown detailed with a hand-stitched outline of a hand encircling a wire ornament that loops upward. It is the most complete piece here: a proper hat rather than a headpiece, and the right scale for a wide October coat. Wear it with black, charcoal or camel tailoring.

Fleur Wide Brim Boater Hat

£1,350

A wool felt wide-brim boater carrying multi-coloured satin embroidered flowers on the right side, with a long organza scarf falling from both sides. The scarf moves in the wind coming across the course and softens the brim, which makes it the warmest of the five in mood as well as material.

Lumi Felt Beret Hat

£900

A classic black felt beret with multi-coloured crystals wrapping from the front across to the side. The crystals give you the light that October takes away, and the beret is the most practical shape on a day that ends with a party rather than a car park. Pair it with black or deep burgundy.

Vesper Pillbox Fascinator

£1,150

A pillbox with an ombre finish shifting from deep midnight to violet as the light changes, dressed with handcrafted violet and fuchsia flowers that fall asymmetrically from the back to the right of the face. Fitted with a headband and elastic, so it holds in an exposed enclosure.

Nova Pillbox Fascinator

£750

A black wool felt pillbox overlaid with a hand-stitched web of silver thread and a formed rhinestone grid that breaks into loose strands at the edges. Architectural and restrained, it is the piece for someone who wants a strong head without a brim, and it sits neatly under a raised terrace roof.

At a glance

Styling notes for Ascot in autumn

Start with the enclosure, because the King Edward VII code is firm and the others are not. If you are there, plan around a jacket and tie for gentlemen and a smart occasion outfit for ladies, and leave the trainers at home. Choose the coat and the hat as a pair: a wide brim needs a coat with a clean shoulder line, while a beret or pillbox sits better under a fuller collar. In the grandstand and on the raised terraces, a brim can be awkward for those behind you, so consider where you will actually spend the afternoon. And remember the party starts immediately after the last race, so a piece you can wear comfortably into the evening earns its place. Both wide brim hats and button fascinators work here, but rarely for the same guest.

Ordering, and what to expect

Our occasion pieces are made to order in the London atelier, part of a deliberate, low-waste way of working, so with the meeting in the middle of October it is worth ordering with time in hand. When the date is close, our ready to ship pieces are dispatched within the next working day. Every order arrives in a custom box, with worldwide DHL Express shipping included.

Frequently asked questions

When is QIPCO British Champions Day 2026?

It takes place on Saturday 17 October 2026 at Ascot Racecourse, closing the British flat turf season.

What is the dress code for British Champions Day?

The King Edward VII Enclosure carries a formal code, with a jacket, collared shirt and tie required for gentlemen and smart occasion dress for ladies. The Queen Anne and Winning Post enclosures have no formal code, though guests generally dress smartly. Trainers, fancy dress and sports attire are not permitted.

Do you have to wear a hat at British Champions Day?

No. Unlike Royal Ascot, millinery is not compulsory in any enclosure, though hats and headpieces are encouraged throughout and most guests in the King Edward VII Enclosure wear one.

Is it the same dress code as Royal Ascot?

No. The Royal Meeting code applies only during Royal Ascot. In October the requirements are lighter, with the formal code limited to the King Edward VII Enclosure.

What should I wear in October rather than June?

Felt, wool and velvet rather than straw and sinamay, in deeper colours such as black, burgundy, navy and camel. Choose the hat and coat together, and expect the afternoon to cool quickly.

Find your Champions Day hat

Every piece above is designed and hand-made in our London atelier by Merve Bayindir, a member of the British Fashion Council with selections in the Royal Ascot Style Guide. Explore our wide brim hats, the full range of hats and fascinators for the shapes that suit Ascot in October.

Sources

QIPCO British Champions Day, official website:  britishchampionsday.com/

King Edward VII Enclosure, British Champions Day:  britishchampionsday.com/enclosures/king-edward-vii/

Queen Anne Enclosure, British Champions Day:  britishchampionsday.com/enclosures/queen-anne/