THERE may well be plenty of fashionistas in the field but Gentleman of the Day Tom Langford only has eyes for one, his girlfriend Miranda Clarke.
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As it happened, it was the object of his affection who won the coveted title of Albury Gold Cup Lady of the Day, presumably making them the best-looking couple in Albury yesterday.
It was the first time at the cup for the style-conscious Melburnians, who travelled up especially for fashions on the field.
Miss Clarke, a flight attendant, had just landed from a red-eye flight when they hit the road at 7am, in what could be considered a labour of love.
Dressed in white Zimmermann culottes with a white Heather McDowall headpiece, Miss Clarke was a picture of cool, simple elegance.
“We only decided to come three days ago, so I pulled everything together from what I had at home,” the 28-year-old confessed.
For his part, Mr Langford, 28, worked his navy suit and blue shirt combination on the catwalk.
Despite the couple’s success and keen eyes for fashion, this was one of the few such events they’d ever taken part in.
Michael McAlpine, however, is an old-hand; for the third year in a row, he was named runner-up for Gentleman of the Day.
“Always the groomsman, never the groom,” he sighed.
While navy was “bang on trend” for the blokes, according to judge Myer ambassador Kris Smith, it was all about an autumn palette for the ladies.
Albury’s Rachel Alexander made a very last-minute change to her look this week; she canned her spring-hued dress and started making a brand new outfit on Wednesday night, finishing only at 11.30am yesterday.
For others, vintage remained a key inspiration.
Kate Schlig, from Brocklesby, looked like she’d stepped right out of Mad Men, in a floral shift with red cape and dainty red hat she picked up for a bargain from a New York flea market.
And Charleroi’s Ellen Cook, 19, borrowed her yellow and white dress with matching hat from a friend who’d had much success in fashions on the field in the past.
Sadly that luck didn’t extend to Miss Cook, though she caught the eye of Mr Smith from across the racecourse before the competition began.
“That’s a great autumn look,” he declared.
“The calibre here is really incredible.
“Hats off to all you girls and guys — pun intended.”
ALBURY GOLD CUP COVERAGE
PHOTOS
NEWS REPORTS
FASHION
RACING