Horse Racing Tips
Glorious Goodwood Dress Code: Fashion & Style Tips For Each Enclosure
Glorious Goodwood (officially the Goodwood Festival) is known for its relaxed and refined summer dress code – famously much more on the casual but smart side and very different to Royal Ascot.
Here’s a breakdown of the dress code for each Goodwood Racecourse enclosure:
Richmond Enclosure (Members and their guests)
Men: Suit jacket, long-sleeved collared shirt with a tie, and smart trousers. No jeans, shorts, or trainers. (Jackets and ties are encouraged rather than being mandatory, but most men choose to wear them.)
Women: Elegant dresses, jumpsuits, or smart separates like tailored trousers with a stylish top.
From Goodwood’s own website, here is their guidance to this smart and exclusive enclosure:
“The smartest of the enclosures, where the sense of occasion makes for undeniably chic style statements. Linen suits, softly structured dresses, smart separates, tailored trousers with an artful top, and sleek jumpsuits are de rigueur. Lean into fluid silhouettes, delicate details and an air of quiet luxury.
There is one small caveat: we do ask that all gentlemen aged 16 and over wear a suit jacket, long sleeved collared shirt and a tie in the Richmond Enclosure, along with full-length trousers. Boys aged 7-15 years are asked to wear a long sleeved collared button-down shirt.
No further diktats here, except when it comes to fancy dress and sportswear, neither of which are acceptable attire.”
Gordon Enclosure (This area embraces a relaxed, stylish garden-party feel)
Men: A shirt and blazer are the standard. A tie is optional, and collared polo shirts are generally accepted. Men are discouraged from wearing shorts or sleeveless tops.
Women: Summer dresses, jumpsuits, or coordinated separates are ideal. Fascinators are optional.
Lennox Enclosures (the most relaxed, family-friendly space)
There is no formal dress code, but racegoers are encouraged to dress in a smart and elegant manner suited to a stylish day at the races.
Glorious Goodwood and the Panama Hat
When you think of Glorious Goodwood, the Panama hat springs to mind too as it has always been synonymous with the look and the vibe of the racecourse during this particular racing week.
Panama hats began their association with Glorious Goodwood when King Edward VII broke formal dress tradition in 1906 by swapping his heavy morning suit and top hat for a lightweight linen suit and a straw Panama hat.
His fashion choice instantly caught on became the summer dress code at Goodwood, simply down to a need for cool attire which would also give off a garden-party aesthetic.
Goodwood 2026
This year’s Goodwood Festival (Glorious Goodwood) takes place from: Tuesday 28 July – Saturday 1 August.
