Let’s put away the scissors…

Racing fashion is an amazing sport. It brings together so many positive aspects including fashion, friendship, horse racing, camaraderie & a great day out. It allows people of all genders, shapes and sizes compete on an equal playing field. But more & more of late, I’ve witnessed negative and highly emotional comments within racing fashion forums that make me wonder if some of its competitors need to step back and think if they are competing with a positive spirit. 

We all know of the racing fashion ‘big names’. The ladies and gents who always look amazing and only seem to have to turn up to be handed a winners sash. The people with a huge social media presence, those with the seemingly endless style, budgets and stage presence. They are the first people that regular competitors seem to whisper about, not always out loud but behind closed doors or over McDonalds on car trips on the way home. They are easy targets because they always seem to win and we feel envious of that beautiful sash they are wearing. 

But have you stopped to think that the advantages you see them have might be the exact same thing that can also disadvantage them? Judges can pigeonhole these competitors as ‘winning too much’ or just turning up to ‘collect their sash’. Local entrants are often advantaged in small towns so city entrants who are visiting are often overlooked. Hosts often know these competitors by name and without even realizing, can disadvantage an entrant by being too familiar with them. These are all stories I’ve had told to me over and over again from real life entrants looking for advice on how to handle situations at the track. What others seem to forget is that these entrants have still driven hours, taken a flight, invested time, paid money for an outfit and supported that local race club to be there. Their love of racing fashion is equal to yours. They may have put in years of fashion failures and some ‘not so hot’ outfits in finding their own style, and if and when they win that coveted sash, they more than likely deserve it! 

‘Serial entrant’ and/or ‘professionals’ are terms that are bandied around by people at the track when they see a regular entrant turn up, and often is not used in a positive manner. Sometimes regular entrants are given this title based on the amount they win, but I’ve found more often than not that this title is bestowed upon them based on an illusion as they attend so many meets & have a large presence on social media. I’ve noticed of recent times that entrants who feel somehow slighted or beaten by regular entrants will try to bring them down by trying to enforce their opinions on changing rules to ban them from entering again or rewearing outfits. This to me seems to come from a place of jealousy and wanting to make the odds somewhat better for themselves. When I began my own FOTF journey many years ago, these FOTF regulars were the people who gave me inspiration. Inspiration to improve my look, inspiration to keep trying and most of all they were the ones who gave me kind words of encouragement. I have the utmost respect for those who have competed before me, with me and have begun to compete after me. 

When stripping FOTF back to the bones, it is ultimately a competition where the ‘best dressed’ should always win. This should be the case without prejudice or nepotism. Judging is based on rules, guidelines and personal taste and I can understand just as much as the next person how it can feel like a personal criticism if the judging doesn’t go in your favour. Blaming the judges or other entrants for an unsuccessful FOTF day is often a natural response for many, but I challenge anyone who is guilty of this to turn it around and look at all of the beautiful elements of a winning outfit instead. Who knows, it may even help your FOTF styling in the future. 

Encouraging more experienced, regular entrants to all types of FOTF events only increases the profile of the event. The standard of fashion is not only raised but then organisers are more likely to take the event a little more seriously, by upping the variety of categories, prizes and even quality of judges. Regular winners are now giving back to the FOTF community by helping to organize FOTF competitions and are often asked to judge at competitions near & far. I’ve had many FOTF enthusiasts from both Australia and overseas mention to me of the demise of FOTF at some tracks, which could be due to entrants from outside of the area not being made to feel welcome to attend (amongst a whole range of other issues, but that’s a whole separate can of worms).

In my simple way of thinking, let’s keep it positive and support all FOTF entrants, whether they have no sashes or dozens. If someone has won before, good on them, they are setting the bar high for their competitors & even more so for themselves to keep ‘bringing it’ to each race meet. For those who rewear outfits either in their entirety or elements of, good on you for wearing what you love and being sustainable. For those who travel far and wide, well done for showing dedication and passion for something you love. For those who have never won and keep trying, I applaud you for your persistence and endeavour at finding your own winning style. Let’s be mindful of the way we make comments in public forums, as you never know who could be reading what you have written and how it could be taken. Let’s keep encouraging and looking for the positives! 

Let’s keep FOTF a place that welcomes all people and embraces all, no matter their experience level! Introduce yourself to those ‘big wigs’ and chat to them about their experiences. You’ll probably discover  that they are just as anxious about competing and uncertain of their outfit as you are! 

‘Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine any brighter’. - unknown 

Author- Emma Scodellaro regular FOTF competitor & Administrator of ‘It’s All About The Sash’ March 2019