Australian racing runs year-round, and the hat you choose should reflect the season. The materials, colours, and styles that work brilliantly in October heat would feel completely wrong at a June meeting in Melbourne. Here is your seasonal guide.
"I think of my hat collection like a wardrobe. Straw and sinamay are my summer clothes. Felt and velvet are my winter coats. Each season has its own beauty and its own millinery language."
— Kathryn Lee
Summer Racing (October to March)
This is the big season: Melbourne Cup, The Everest, Cairns Amateurs, Magic Millions. The weather is warm to hot, and your materials need to work in the heat.
- Best materials: Straw, parisisal, sinamay, crinoline, lightweight jinsin.
- Best colours: Bold and bright. Red, emerald, coral, ivory, gold.
- Best styles: Wide-brims for sun protection, sculptural headpieces, open-weave designs that breathe.
- Avoid: Heavy felt, velvet, and dark tones that absorb heat.
Winter Racing (April to September)
The Brisbane Winter Carnival, Adelaide Cup, and cool-weather meetings in Melbourne and Sydney call for warmer, richer millinery.
- Best materials: Fur felt, wool felt, velvet, heavy silk, leather.
- Best colours: Jewel tones. Burgundy, navy, forest green, plum, deep teal.
- Best styles: Perchers, fedoras, berets, pillboxes, and structured hats with cosy textures.
- Avoid: Lightweight straws that look too summery for the setting.
The In-Between
Autumn and early spring can be tricky. Sinamay works year-round and bridges the gap beautifully. A sinamay headpiece in a jewel tone (emerald, burgundy, cobalt) handles transitional weather perfectly.
