The Virginia Gold Cup: A Day at the Races

The Virginia Gold Cup is one of those annual traditions that many Washingtonians look forward to attending. While some go to bet on the horses, others are there to check out what everyone is wearing. While the first week of May can be iffy weather-wise, this year proved to be an ideal spring day and people dressed accordingly.

Normally, I’m double booked this time of year and haven’t been able to partake in the Virginia Gold Cup festivities however this year when the opportunity came, I jumped at the chance to be a part of Member’s Hill. My major concern was to find something to wear befitting the day and warrant an invitation back in the future.

I opted for floral slacks by Tom Ford in shades of lavender, purple and blue. They’re pretty bold and flashy but I loved the coloring and liked the idea of wearing flowers for the beginning of May. To kind of soften the attention grabbing pants, I found a lavender linen blazer by Peter Millar. It’s soft constructed and perfect for spring and summer. My dress shirt in an almost shade lighter lavender was by Thomas Pink.

While a lot of guys opted for a bow tie, I chose a skinny tie by Hugh and Crye. It was a little different than the norm and the purple in the tie helped to bring out the purple in my pants. Finishing off my look were chukka boots by Prada, straw hat by Ralph Lauren, aviator sunglasses by Gucci and white lapel flower by Hook & Albert. (Unfortunately in my revelry, I lost the lapel flower.)

Did I succeed in my quest to warrant an invitation back to the Virginia Gold Cup? I believe so but only time will tell!