2012 Races

There's no denying that the Melbourne Cup is one of the most hotly anticipated events on the social calendar, and with thanks to international guests such as Mischa Barton, Ashley Madekwe and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, today's celebrations look to be bigger and better than ever. Judging from years gone by, we can expect to see a lot of colour amongst the VIP guests, but thanks to social media we don't have to wait too long before the fashions on the field pics trickle in. So far we've spied Rebecca Judd sporting a Kerrie Stanley head-piece, Mischa Barton in bordeux Ellery and Kate Waterhouse looking lovely in lilac Gucci. Want in on the action before the action begins? Step right this way...

Did Melbourne Cup Day creep up on you? Not to worry! We'll get you race-ready in the mere click of a mouse. Whether you're heading down to the track, are partaking in a celebratory lunch or watching the race that stops the nation from the confort of your desk — you'll still need to look the part. According to racing royalty and David Jones racing ambassador Emma Freedman, the Melbourne Cup Day calls for a festive look; think bright! Think bold! Think colour! We've rounded up ten fabulously fast in-store buys to top-off that outfit in style. Better put a lunch-break dash on today's to-do list!

Forget about Halloween for a second — because there's another day with a fancy dress code that we're a little more interested in at Fab HQ... Derby Day! Come Saturday the crowds will be frocked up in their black and white best, and subsequently the Sugar eds are knee deep in outfit preparations. Whether you're on the hunt for the perfect monochrome frock, or are just in need of little head candy, the fruits of our office online searches might just come in handy. Click through to see what we'll be wearing to celebrate the Spring Carnival's chicest race day . . .

A day at the races is a truly fabulous reason to frock up, but along with the hat, heel and horse-related choices there are some rather important dress codes to contend with. To set the record straight on everything from this season's biggest racing trends to what sort-of-hat to wear with what-sort-of-dress, we enlisted the expertise of Westfield's head stylist Ken Thompson. Combined with some of our favourite celebrity looks from the Spring Carnival's biggest race days so far, consider this the only form guide you'll be needing. Ready, set? Go!

What are your hard and fast rules for getting it right at the races?

• Think Spring! It's all about sorbet colours.

• To-the-knee outfits and straw or light-weight head-pieces are de rigueur.

• This is the season of tailoring — a beautifully fitted jacket will be one of the strongest looks this season.

• Know how to dress for your body shape. To get it right, use the Westfield Body Shape Calculator.

Yes, you read that heading right — we've got twenty hand-picked, carefully chosen black and white dresses, perfect for Saturday's Derby Day, ready and waiting for your perusal. If you don't already have your 'fit sorted, we thought you may need a super-sized shopping gallery to ensure you find (and buy) something in time for the the weekend. From snappy stripes to modern graphics, pretty polkadots to minimalist colour-blocking, we've covered all your monochrome bases. Now all you need is something chic for your head, a clutch and the perfect pointy toed pump. Luckily for you we've done our homework on those fronts, too!

How's your Spring racing prep going? We don't mean to alarm you, but Derby Day is less than a month away — which means you have just shy of four weeks to get your trackside outfit sorted. Put your pretty pastels and bold brights aside, because Saturday the 3rd of November demands a strict monochrome dress code. The easiest way to follow the fashion form guide for Derby Day is to pick a two-tone dress. Simple, but so effective! We've scoured this season's best to present you with five of the most fab black and white frocks. Accessorise accordingly, and you're off and racing!

Sydney put on a beautiful sunny day for Doncaster Day at Royal Randwick on Saturday, and didn't the stylish celebrity attendees soak up that sunshine! The WAG Nation girls were out in force, joined by BMW Sydney Carnival ambassadors Jesinta Campbell and Kelly Smythe. So what did they wear? Ladylike dresses prevailed, although the WN ladies did prefer their frocks body-con. We zoomed in on the hats, fascinators, gloves and bags on show so you can get a good look at the little extras that made these ensembles races-ready. After, accessories maketh the outfit!

When you think dress race day dress codes, Derby Day is the most striking, and the most important to adhere to. Interesting fact: did you know that the black and white theme stems from the fact that every race on Derby Day has a big-money prize, which racing enthusiasts call a "black day"? Emma Freedman told us. True story! To pay tribute to the tradition, a monochrome frock is mandatory. We've rounded up twenty killer frocks (and few in-theme jackets, too) that will get you on-trend and in-theme with a lunch-break shopping dash. Don't say we don't look after you! On your maks, get set, shop!