CreditAlastair Grant/Associated Press
ASCOT, England — While Americans view the Kentucky Derby as the time and place to break out their best hats and go to the races, the overall finery on display pales in comparison to what one sees during the five-day Royal Ascot meet in England.
That is by design, as the course requires its patrons to adhere to strict dress codes.
“I think that is nice,” Kim Reeve, a 50-year-old racegoer from England, said of the dress code. “It sounds snobby, but it makes it different. You can go anywhere in jeans and T-shirts.