00:00On a day when fashion and sport collide, thousands of racegoers descend on the Randox Grand National Festival for Ladies'
00:09Day,
00:09an event now known as much for its style as for its racing.
00:13So I've thrifted all of my outfits, so it's from either vintage or charity shops that I've been shopping the
00:20last two months, I'd say.
00:22My aim was to spend as little as possible on an outfit.
00:26I love everyone's style, everyone really makes an effort. It's the Scouts Met Gala, isn't it, as they say, so
00:33all the girls I look for are so stylish.
00:36We obviously have very different styles. I go for more of a comfortable, kind of classic style, whereas she's always
00:45so glad.
00:46That atmosphere builds from early in the day with organisers saying there is no official dress code, but encourages guests
00:52to come dressed to feel your best.
00:54From the race course to the stands, the focus is split between high-stakes racing and Liverpool's best-dressed visitors,
01:01whose outfits have become a defining feature of the occasion.
01:05As soon as this festival finishes, then I start planning it for next year.
01:10I'm a milliner, so I've actually made the house myself, yeah.
01:13Brilliant. So how much time goes into creating something like that?
01:17This has been a long, long time. Obviously, I suppose it's with any job, when you're the person doing it,
01:25you kind of put yourself to the end.
01:27I had the hat made from a lovely milliner in America.
01:31Debenhams is the official style partner for the 2026 festival, introducing new categories alongside the traditional best-dressed award.
01:39This year includes best-suited recognising tailoring and best-hats celebrating bold millinery, adding another layer to the competition off
01:48the track.
01:49The hats have suddenly just become a big thing now. The past few years, it's just got bigger and bigger.
01:54I think since COVID, people make more efforts and things like that. So I've seen a few already of mine,
02:00yeah.
02:01Ladies' Day at Aintree is a day for those here to be seen, combining glamour, entertainment and racing into one
02:08experience that draws international attention year after year.
02:12Beyond the racing, the day also offers entertainment and a chance to socialise with friends old and new,
02:18coming together to experience a part of Liverpool's cultural and sporting calendar that's been running in some form since the
02:25early 1800s.
02:27Oh, it's the best by far. We do some other racecourses as well, but Aintree is by far the favourite.
02:34Liverpool fashion.
02:35Yeah, it's one of the best days of the year.
02:38It remains a fixture that brings together sport, fashion and entertainment in equal measure,
02:44with organisers saying this year's crowd is expected to be the biggest since 2012.
02:50More than 150,000 racecours are expected across the three days here in Merseyside.
Comments