Our fav trends to ensure you're the cream of the fashion crop this winter

Pukekohe Park’s Ladies’ Day is just around the corner and as this plays host to ATR’s only winter fashion competition, you may be wondering what trends could help you stand out amongst the rest to secure top honours.

Well, we’ve done some of the hard work for you and pulled together our favourite fashion trends for this winter season to help get those creative juices flowing. Just make sure you’ve secured your tickets to our ever-popular Lindauer Ladies’ Lunch because it’s sure to (once again) be a sell-out.

Let’s get into the trends…

Leather

This fabric sits firmly in the autumn/winter racing camp and although we typically see this confined to millinery, it can most definitely be a stand-out piece when executed well.

Often sidelined for being too ‘westie’ on our fair shores, leather can bring in that added texture and interest a winter outfit often needs and a major plus is that it will keep you nice and toasty on a cool winter’s raceday.

Nicola May’s grand finalist outfit in the 2020 edition of The Ned Prix de Fashion was a masterclass in how to do leather right, looking effortlessly cool in her all-black ensemble.

Remember too, leather comes in many different hues so if you love colour and you’re not sure if black leather is for you, why not branch out if you’d like to dabble in this hot trend.

Leopard Print

We’re going to stay with the ‘westie’ vibes for a few more minutes to let you know that leopard print is also making quite the comeback this winter. Much like its leather cousin, when going for a leopard print look, make it the part of your outfit that you want to stand out and be the show-piece (and block out Shania Twain’s head-to-toe ensemble of the 90’s, cause that won’t impress us much).

ATR’s Soraya Gurney did just that when she was named runner-up on Boxing Day 2021, wearing leopard with a twist, in this trans-seasonal piece.

Fur (faux of course)

Maybe leave the boots with ‘da fur’ at home but otherwise, why not look into adding a touch of texture and detail to a raceday look with fur? Collars, cuffs, shawls and coats are all ways to pull fur into an outfit. We’ve seen a lot of feather over the last few seasons adorn dresses, suits and accessories and over winter we love seeing its heftier relative grace the mainstage.

See how some of the Ladies’ from our Lindauer Ladies’ Lunch have added a touch of fur to their outfits in the past.

Statement Necklaces

One of the things we love most about winter raceday outfit planning is that we get to play around with accessories, gloves, stockings, shawls, coats and more…..there are SO many options. And we’d be lying if we said we hadn’t been waiting a decade or so for this trend to FINALLY make a come back, but the time is nigh…the statement necklace is back! Not only for winter but we think we’ll be seeing a move away from the mainstay chunky earring to finally see those napes adorned once more. And with that, we can hear Blair and Serena circa 2010 squealing from the sidelines with excitement.

Burgundy

If you have a keen eye for fashion trends you may have noticed that many leading designers including Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta showcased an array of burgundy looks on this season’s runways. This lush colour is named after Burgundy wine from the Burgundy region in France and we agree that much like its namesake, it’s a warm and elegant choice making it a perfect option to add a pop of colour to any all black ensemble.

Now, hopefully you are sufficiently inspired to put together your next winter raceday look. See you trackside at Pukekohe Park on Ladies’ Day!