Dubai World Cup: Hats on the brain

Dubai World Cup: Hats on the brain

We take our hats off to the Dubai World Cup for being one of the few times when people can put a loofah on their head and be called posh for it.

March 27, 2012 3:36 by kippreport

Ah, the Dubai World Cup. It’s all about the purebred horses, the world’s most expensive racing purse and, of course, the hats and fascinators. Some lovely, others eyebrow-raising, the ladies’ headpieces at the Dubai World Cup are just as much in the spotlight as the racing quadrupeds at the centre of it all.

So important is this tradition that this is probably the only time modern-day milliners feel how it might have been like for their counterparts from yesteryears, when hats where very much a staple of any respectable ensemble.

But it’s not just the designers that look forward to this day for weird and wonderful hairpieces. Brands and retailers are cashing in on this event, with some hats averaging to about even 5-figures.

Burjuman, for example, is running a contest throughout its International Millinery Exhibition. Meanwhile, Jaguar is the title sponsor for the Style Stakes competition on race day. The Jaguar Style Stakes awards best-dressed men and women, as well as the Best Hat. It has also included Most Creative Hat and Most Elegant Lady as new categories.

Here’s the last year’s winner, being interviewed by an Ahlan reporter:

We would suppose that the criteria for winning would include level of creativity, elegance, sophistication. Although sometimes it’s just about standing out, much like one of the runners up to one of the ‘hat competitions’ a few years ago. Kipp recalls that the third runner up for the ‘Best Hat’ was a lady, who glued a 5AED-loofah (that’s less than $2) to her headband. To our recollection, the second runner up and the winner had hats that were more than 1,000AED (over $300) Ain’t that something?

So we’re curious. Are you going to the World Cup? And if so, will you be donning a fascinator? An expensive hat? If you’re looking for something that will make you stand out, might we suggest one that either has an iPhone or if you’re feeling really brave, an iPad which continually displays photos of designer hats you couldn’t afford.

Princess Beatrice image from http://princessbeatriceandherhat.tumblr.com/