Style chiefs pick controversial ‘colour of the year’ for first time at this year’s posh festival and some will be red with envy
Racing revellers are seeing red over Royal Ascot’s new dress code – for Ladies’ Day revellers must wear ‘tomato’.
For the first time style chiefs have decided to set a ‘colour of the year’ for the prestigious June festival – usually attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla and host of other Royals.
The dress code for Ladies’ Day directs folk to wear their best shade of ‘bright tomato’. Women should don the bright colour in ‘statement dresses’ or ‘bold millinery’ on June 18. Men should go ‘tom’ too in ‘tailoring ties, pocket squares and subtle accents’.
The event’s creative director Daniel Fletcher said: “Every year at Royal Ascot there is always one trend that stands out as a big hit with butter yellow and periwinkle blue being recent examples.
“For 2026 we’re seeing a distinct shift towards confident, expressive colour with bright tomato set to take centre stage as a defining shade in occasion wear, bringing a bold new direction for the Royal Ascot palette.
“That bright orangey-red of a ripe tomato creates an instant feeling of summer joy.”
Experts said the call for bright tomato comes after it featured in a series of runway shows for spring and summer fashion.
Ascot’s commercial director Tom Johnson said the dress code reflected ‘the evolving style of our audience’ and continued to celebrate ‘the much-loved ritual of dressing up’.
He said the style of racegoers remained ‘central to the spirit and identity’ of Ascot racecourse. But racing fans seemed unimpressed with the colour suggestion examples of which feature in an online style brochure.
One wrote: “What frightful clothes featured here! Hopefully the real racegoers will look elegant and appropriate for a Royal race meeting alongside the many chavs who seem to be there these days.”
Another said: “Now that our gracious Queen is not with us it is no longer the event that it was.”
A third said: “Dressing like ladies! Works for me, but not red. Navy perhaps.”
A stylist wrote: “Tomato red only works for blondes with yellow tones. C Cameron Diaz/ Nicole Kidman / Bella Hadid. 3/4 cannot wear. We all have a red just wear yours.”
Another fan added: “Well I won’t be going. Red is definitely not my colour. Freckled red head.”
Among those expected to adopt the colour code will be Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie who have been personally invited to Royal Ascot by the King and Queen despite the exiling of their dad ‘Prince’ Andrew over his dealings with late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The princesses had been expected to be snubbed from the event following their father’s arrest on his 66th birthday in February over allegations of misconduct in public office while a UK trade envoy.
He was interviewed by police and released under investigation. It is not the first time fashion designer Daniel has sparked controversy.
He urged Royal Ascot guests to wear what ‘they feel most comfortable with’ in gender-fluid 2024 – such as women wearing ties with dresses.