Melbourne Cup day is often an awesome spectacle of bad wigs, ridiculous outfits and debauchery. But before the punters could lose their minds and their dignity, we snapped them looking their finest.
Streams of girls in all manner of frou frou lined up for a zhoush at the L'Oreal styling marquee, or queued to enter fashions on the field. Hats, as have come to be expected, were architecturally structured and no-one neared near the fashions on the field registrations sporting a tizzy fluff ball fascinator. The wind played havock flicking skirts and removing hats, as gusts disrupted the fine weather.
The gents queued next door at the L'Oreal "men expert" tent, set up specifically to make them feel assuredly masculine while enjoying a pampering. The cast of the Jersey Boys were on hand to show the rest exactly how to dress on race day, with three-piece suits, clever rouched trousers and polished, sharp shoes from
Little Brother in Auckland.
The Myer and Emirates marquees were booming with celebrities and media swarms. Emirates staff were dressed in a Bollywood theme, delivering sweet lime in loose pink pyjamas. VIP guests like champion show jumper Zara Phillips were showered with rose petals by women dressed in bright saris and gold bangles. In Myer, Chris Smith, rugger champ and Dannii Minogue's boyfriend also sported a sharp grey three-piece suit, while James Tobin worked the other side of the room. Minogue famously said "yes" to a date with Tobin on air, much to his surprise and delight.
Fashions on the field will be decided later in the day, and just may come down to the last girl able to stand in her vertiginous heels.
Photos Steve Lightfoot