What to Wear to the Dublin Horse Show: A London Milliner’s Guide

From the Merve Bayindir atelier, a guide to the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, the Best Dressed competition on the Band Lawn, and five hand-made pieces for the RDS.

Ireland has few social fixtures with the pull of the Dublin Horse Show. Held at the RDS in Ballsbridge and hosted there since 1864, it brings together world-class showjumping and one of the most closely watched fashion days in the country. The Gallagher Dublin Horse Show runs from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August 2026, and the 2026 edition carries real weight: the 100th anniversary of the Nations’ Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy, a Rolex Grand Prix worth one million euro, and the opening of the new Laya Arena. Around the sport sits a five-day social calendar, more than 350 exhibitors, and the day most guests plan their wardrobe around. This is a guide to that day, written from the atelier.

A show that began as a rescue mission

The Dublin Horse Show was not founded as a social occasion. It was founded to save a bloodline. The Crimean War had drained Ireland of horses, and the first show in 1864 was staged to rebuild the breed, with early thoroughbred stallion prizes awarded on the condition that the winning owner put the horse to stud in Ireland within the year. That first show ran on the lawns of Leinster House, and its water jump stood roughly where the steps of the National Library are now. The show moved to Ballsbridge in 1881 and has been there ever since. Today around 1,600 horses arrive at the RDS each August, which is a long way from a field of 366 entries competing for a prize fund of £520.

The international competition came later, and by accident. In 1925 a Swiss officer suggested that Ireland stage an international jumping contest at Ballsbridge as a way of showing Irish horses to the world. The Aga Khan heard of the idea and offered a trophy. The first Nations’ Cup ran in 1926 with six countries, and the Swiss won it riding Irish-bred horses, which was either a triumph or an embarrassment depending on where you were standing. The trophy has been won outright five times, and the one contested in 2026 is the sixth in the series. One detail is worth holding on to on a fashion day: until 1949 every rider in the Nations’ Cup had to be a serving military officer, and women were not admitted to the teams until 1954. That change began at Ballsbridge and is now an international rule.

Best Dressed, and what the judges are looking for

The competition once known as Ladies’ Day now runs as Best Dressed, and in 2026 it falls on Thursday 6 August on the Band Lawn. It has grown into one of the most anticipated style events in the Irish calendar, drawing hundreds of entrants each year with a prize fund of ten thousand euro. What separates it from a straightforward glamour contest is the brief. The judges, among them designer Aoife McNamara and style journalist Bairbre Power, look for individuality, creativity and craftsmanship, with a stated respect for Irish design and for sustainability. A new category for 2026, Best Classic Elegance, rewards restraint rather than spectacle. Entrants register online in advance, and most have sourced their millinery long before they arrive. In other words, a considered hat is not an accessory here. It is the argument.

What to wear at the RDS

There is no compulsory dress code for spectators, which is precisely why the standard runs so high. The prevailing look is polished summer occasion dress: a tailored dress or smart separates, a light coat or blazer for the Dublin weather, and headwear that finishes the line of the outfit rather than fighting it. August at the RDS can turn from bright to grey in an afternoon, so a layer is sensible and so is a shoe that copes with lawn. Denim, trainers and anything that reads as festival dressing sit outside the spirit of the day.

The Band Lawn rewards a piece that has been thought about, not simply bought.

Colour is where Dublin distinguishes itself. Where the English race meetings lean into pastel, the RDS crowd is unafraid of green, and it reads as a nod to the setting rather than a costume. Emerald, moss and bottle green all work, lifted with a single contrasting note. The rest follows the logic of any race headwear decision: match the scale of the piece to the scale of the outfit, and let one element lead.

There is one more thing that sets the RDS apart from a British race meeting, and it is worth understanding before you choose a piece. Ireland has a living millinery culture rather than a nostalgic one. Irish milliners are named, followed and worn with a kind of civic pride, and entrants at the RDS frequently arrive in headwear they can attribute and talk about. That is why the judging brief leans on craftsmanship and individuality rather than expense. A piece that has been hand-blocked, hand-wired and finished by a person will always be more interesting on the Band Lawn than one that is simply large.

Five Merve Bayindir pieces for the Dublin Horse Show

The five below are hand-made in our London atelier and drawn from our summer occasion line. Three lead with green, in keeping with the RDS mood, and two offer a cooler alternative for anyone who would rather not. Prices include UK VAT.

Stevie  ·  £1,350

A medium emerald green saucer hat carrying a bouquet of six flowers across the back, shaded from soft peach through to yellow. The green base does the anchoring and the bouquet supplies the warmth, which makes it a strong Best Dressed piece: colour, craft and a clear point of view, without shouting. Wear it with ivory, camel or a deeper green.

Revel  ·  £950

A green fascinator crossed by a pink jinsin swirl, with a hot pink rose set at the centre where the swirls meet. It sits to the front right of the head and reads as confident and a little playful. This is the piece for someone who wants the green story with a note of contrast, worn with cream, blush or a clean white dress.

Verdel  ·  £800

An emerald green headband fascinator, its satin-covered base ringed by a sheer structured halo and set with small white butterfly appliqués. The most wearable of the group and the easiest to carry through a long day at the RDS, it suits a guest who wants headwear that stays comfortable from the first class to the last.

Roan  ·  £1,000

An asymmetric navy saucer worked with white and navy buntal swirls and finished with multi-coloured crystal beads. The height gained on the left gives it real presence in profile, which is where photographs on the Band Lawn are usually taken. A cooler answer to the day, at home with navy, ivory or dove grey.

Sol  ·  £1,700

A deep blue disk-style wide brim hat set with blue sunflower-shaped blooms edged in orange, with a single orange ostrich quill lifting away from the crown. The most sculptural piece here and the one most likely to be stopped for a photograph. It asks for a calm, well-cut dress and very little else.

At a glance

Styling notes for the RDS

Decide first whether the headpiece or the dress is leading, then keep the other quiet. If you are entering Best Dressed, the brief rewards craft you can point to, so a piece with hand-worked flowers, swirls or beading gives the judges something to look at closely. Position matters as much as the piece itself: a saucer or fascinators worn slightly forward and to one side frames the face better than one set flat on the crown. Underfoot you are on grass and gravel, so a block heel is wiser than a stiletto, and a light coat is worth carrying. Keep jewellery restrained, particularly with a beaded or crystal piece.

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 show in early August it is worth ordering with time in hand. If your plans are 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, and Dublin is a short DHL run from London.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Dublin Horse Show 2026?

The Gallagher Dublin Horse Show runs from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August 2026 at the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

When is Best Dressed at the Dublin Horse Show?

Best Dressed, formerly known as Ladies’ Day, takes place on Thursday 6 August 2026 on the Band Lawn at the RDS. Entrants register online in advance.

Is there a dress code at the Dublin Horse Show?

There is no compulsory dress code for spectators. Most guests wear polished summer occasion dress, and the Best Dressed competition sets the standard for the week.

Do you have to wear a hat?

No, but headwear is central to the day, and anyone entering Best Dressed will almost certainly wear a hat or fascinator. The judges reward individuality and craftsmanship, so a considered piece counts for a great deal.

What colours work best?

Green reads beautifully at the RDS and is worn with confidence there. Ivory, navy, blush and camel all sit well, and a single contrasting note is usually more effective than a busy print.

Find your Dublin 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 the full range of hats, hatinators and derby headwear, or begin with our Summer Occasion Headwear for the shapes that suit a day at the RDS.

Sources

Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, official website

Best Dressed, Dublin Horse Show