Crop tops at the races... Kimberley Garner (L) at the Royal Ascot, Vogue Williams (R) at the Derby Day.

Crop tops at the races... Kimberley Garner (L) at the Royal Ascot, Vogue Williams (R) at the Derby Day.

It’s that time of the year again. The special time when women from all walks of life – including those who can barely afford it – fork out a small fortune in order to feel like Kate Middleton for a day at the races.

And, as usual, the incredibly strict dress code (designed to suit an era where the notion of class was distinct and not swept under the rug,) rears its ugly head, condemning women for merely thinking about wearing anything remotely revealing well before they have probably considered their outfit.

Jesinta Campbell attends the Emirates marquee during Oaks Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 7, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia.

Jesinta Campbell attends the Emirates marquee during Oaks Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 7, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia.

This year, the Victorian Racing Club has reiterated its strong anti-midriff stance to preemptively ward off any flesh-baring designs from the latest spring/summer collections.

In a statement released to media, the VRC warns that the “VRC Members’ Enclosure dress regulations in regards to no visible midriff have not changed”, and that the “types of dress that do not meet the Members’ dress regulations include shorts, visible midriff garments and denim”.

However, women entering general admission have no such restrictions, something that the VRC is quick to point out. In a bid to pacify the proletariats, the racing club also reveals that: “Flemington offers a range of free hospitality and entertainment destinations for race-goers outside of the Members Enclosure”.

This all sounds very nice and accommodating. Unfortunately, it also works to reinforce the class system by separating people into high and low society, while denigrating women and their sartorial choices to boot. 

Traditionally, the track was one of the few places that high society and 'normal folks' could meet socially. When one entered the racecourse, their social standing was – theoretically – left outside the perimeter, and everyone – once again, theoretically - was free to mingle with anyone.

This was also the time when ordinary working people – including milliners, tailors, dressmakers and bootmakers – could see the products they’d slaved over for years, but could never afford to wear themselves.

And in 2014, little has changed. While offering the general public a taste of the races – an accessible luxury, if you will – the VRC also is also selling idea that anyone can be a 'gentleman or lady' if only they agree to become complicit in this illusion of equality.

In reality, the general public will never meet the VRC members, who, standing in their air-conditioned, over-catered VIP Birdcage or Members’ Grandstand, will blithely ignore anyone and anything outside of their luxurious interior while mingling with only other rich and famous people, while general admission crowds are forced to stand in sunlight (or rain) for hours, nursing their swollen, blistered feet and drinking over-priced champagne out of plastic flute glasses in order to be “classy”.  

So not only is there a spatial separation between the haves and have-nots, but also one based on sartorial choices -- something that inevitably affects women more than men.

Let's face it: at the end of every racing carnival, it's always women who are scrutinised by the media and the Fashion Police for choosing “vulgar” dresses, often framed as subjects of ridicule. 

For it is women who are assigned the symbolically crucial role of being the markers of the nation’s moral values, and nowhere else is moral failure evident than when it is represented through the body of a working-class woman who, despite her best efforts to look good, is always “revealed” to be the drunk tart waking barefoot after a long day at the races, carrying her dirty shoes in one hand and her mud-splattered bag in the other.

Every year, article upon article is written about the drunk antics of the general public, with particularly vicious attention given to drunk and disorderly women (such as the woman made famous after being filmed allegedly throwing drunken punches at the Melbourne Cup in 2012). Countless other articles are dedicated to racing fashion “mistakes”, and the general public is often encouraged to hurl further abuse at these people through open comments at the bottom of articles.

Yes, the races may seem great, being an “essential” part of spring, where daffodils pop out their yellow heads, sunsets appear brighter and the fragrant, warm air engulfs us like a warm blanket.  What many forget, however, is that the races are not only (unnecessarily) expensive, but also actively deceive us into thinking we should give a damn about the fashions on the field. Better to save your thousands and watch the races on TV: you'll not only get a better view, but also have more to spend at Christmas.