The Kentucky Derby features a vibrant tradition of extravagant hats, with fans competing to showcase their unique styles. This fashion phenomenon at Churchill Downs has grown significantly over the years, becoming a key part of the event.
Key points
Kentucky Derby features a tradition of extravagant hats
Fashion at Churchill Downs is as competitive as the race
Anyone tuning into the Kentucky Derby each May sees not only plenty of horses, but plenty of hats. The fashion at Churchill Downs is, at times, just as impressive as the fastest horses in America, and the tradition of wearing eye-popping hats is only growing year after year.
The Kentucky Derby itself lasts only about two minutes, but the day itself is quite an event. As more than 150,000 fans pack every inch of Churchill Downs, it's hard not to notice that the race to wear the most extravagant hat is often as competitive as the derby.
Here's a complete guide to Kentucky Derby hats, including how you can purchase or make your own.
The tradition of hats at the Kentucky Derby is as old as the race itself. The creator of Churchill Downs, Meriweather Lewis Clark Jr., designed races based on British tradition, which included a dress code.
"The first women in attendance to the Derby were socialites, so it was no surprise when race day fashion became almost as big as the race itself," the Kentucky Derby site says.
The hats seen today at the Kentucky Derby became more commonplace in the 1960s when the race started being televised to a wider audience. Women wore extravagant hats to "stand out from the crowd," according to National Geographic.
Q&A
What is the significance of hats at the Kentucky Derby?
Hats at the Kentucky Derby symbolize a long-standing fashion tradition, with attendees often competing to wear the most extravagant designs.
How many people attend the Kentucky Derby each year?
Over 150,000 fans attend the Kentucky Derby each year, making it a major social event beyond just the horse racing.
What types of hats are popular at the Kentucky Derby?
Popular hat styles at the Kentucky Derby include fascinators, wide-brimmed hats, and DIY creations, showcasing a range of creativity and fashion.
When does the Kentucky Derby take place?
The Kentucky Derby takes place annually in May, typically on the first Saturday of the month.
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Kentucky Derby hat 4
Kentucky Derby hat 4
The hats seen at the Kentucky Derby aren't seen at just about any other event in the U.S., but it's important to remember race day is steeped in tradition. With so much of that tradition carrying over from more than 100 years ago, don't expect the colorful hats from Churchill Downs to go away anytime soon.
There is no strict guideline dictating what kind of hat to wear on Kentucky Derby day — at least, not anymore — but many fans stick to a few particular designs.
Kentucky Derby hats for women
Because there are so many styles of women's hats at the Kentucky Derby, many don't fit into a category at all. Most women's hats are wide-brimmed sunhats enhanced by colorful, flowery accessories to make it pop.
The fascinator is a popular accessory at the Kentucky Derby, though whether it can be called a hat itself is debatable. The flowery bow is either attached to a hat or simply fastened to the hair, but the name sometimes applies to the hat in its entirety.
Sombreros are common at the Kentucky Derby, but they are often decked out with flowers or ribbons to stand out.
The cloche, akin to a bucket hat with wide band of ribbon around it, is a much simpler look. An equally as simple pillbox hat, which was popularized by Jackie Kennedy, is still worn by some at the Kentucky Derby to this day.
Kentucky Derby hat 5
Kentucky Derby hat 5
Kentucky Derby hats for men
The bowler, originally known simply as a derby hat, is one of the most classic men's hats, owning a short brim and standing taller than most hats.
Kentucky Derby hat 1
Kentucky Derby hat 1
Fedoras are also a classic look for men at the Kentucky Derby, while the porkpie, which has a flatter top, is a similar accessory.
Kentucky Derby hats 2
Kentucky Derby hats 2
Boater hats are some of the most popular men's and women's hats. The straw hats, which tend to have much wider brims for women, have a flat top and feature a ribbon wrapped around the center. Many boater hats are light-colored, but some can be found in darker colors.
Fascinators are flowery accessories that can either be attached to a hat, directly to the hair or to a headband. Typically colorful and vibrant, fascinators are an easy way for women to stand out at the Kentucky Derby even if they aren't wearing a hat.
Kentucky Derby fascinator 2
Kentucky Derby fascinator 2
Any kind of flowery accessory matches the aesthetic of the derby, and fascinators started to regain popularity at the race in the late 20th century.
Fascinators are another nod toward the British inspiration of Kentucky Derby fashion, as they are frequently worn by Kate Middleton and were widely seen worn by guests at her wedding to Prince William in 2011.
If you're in Millionaires Row at Churchill Downs, you probably can't get away with wearing just anything — not without some silent judgement, at least.
Elsewhere, the good news is just about anything goes. The entire point of Kentucky Derby hats, at least in the eyes of some, is to stand out, and you can't stand out without doing something unique. That's why the hats among fans on the infield can range from classic all the way to do-it-yourself hats that look like they were started and finished the night before the derby.
If you want to follow the loose, totally unofficial rules, however, wearing a bright, colorful hat is always a wise way to go.
An authentic, custom Kentucky Derby hat certainly isn't cheap. "If you're doing a custom hat, I would say on average, it's in the $500 to $600 range," Kentucky Derby Museum milliner Jenny Pfanestiel told Business Insider in 2020. While she charged $425 for custom-made hats at the time, she said the price can vary based on how an individual wants to add onto a hat.
Another custom hat creator gave Business Insider the same average price range: $500-600.
Of course, custom derby hats aren't for everyone. It might be much easier to buy a cheaper hat and either make or buy a fascinator that can be attached, making for a more cost-effective but still-flashy look on Kentucky Derby day.
Amazon is one of the many sites that sells cheaper Kentucky Derby hats for both men and women, but the cheapest way to get the Churchill Downs look might be to simply buy one of the many low-cost fascinators available and attach it to a hat.
It's important that the colors match or mesh in some way, but cheap fascinators can cost between $10-30 on Amazon.
DIY Kentucky Derby hat ideas
The custom hats that range from $500-600 likely aren't doable at home; those cost so much in part because it takes a significant amount of time and materials to make a hat that is both durable and fashionable. Custom hats don't have to be the standard, though. Many hats at the Kentucky Derby resemble simpler sunhats, with fascinators attached to enhance the look.
If you have a sunhat, making a Kentucky Derby hat at home may be as simple as making a fascinator. Ribbon, artificial flowers, feathers and wire could all be used to create a fascinator, with hot glue to keep everything in place. It might be easiest to attach all of the materials to a headband, which would allow you to easily wear the fascinator.
JOANN Fabrics suggests choosing one large, primary flower and building it out from there, adding smaller flowers to the headband and ribbon around the flowers to create the base of the design.
There are no official rules when it comes to Kentucky Derby hats or fascinators. If the goal is to stand out, make it the way you want — but keep the color of the hat in mind when creating a fascinator that attaches to it.
Here's a step-bv-step video showing how to construct a DIY Kentucky Derby hat.
History of Kentucky Derby hats
Hats have been part of the Kentucky Derby experience for 150 years, but as fashion trends evolve, so do the hats at Churchill Downs.
Women's hats have evolved more than men's hats, for the most part. While images from the Kentucky Derby in the 1930s or 1940s might show men wearing boater hats that aren't too different from those worn today, women were more often wearing cloches, and later pillbox hats, than the more elaborate styles seen today, with wider brims and flowery fascinators.
Inspired by the tradition and dress code of British horse racing, Meriweather Lewis Clark Jr. was intentional about how he wanted to set the scene for horse races at Churchill Downs. While he might not have envisioned the Kentucky Derby becoming what it is today, the presence of hats at the iconic race didn't happen by accident.
Even Queen Elizabeth II once participated in the tradition, wearing a green and pink hat during a visit to the Kentucky Derby in 2007.
Queen Elizabeth, Kentucky Derby
Queen Elizabeth, Kentucky Derby
As trends continue to change, so will the hats at Churchill Downs — but they certainly aren't going anywhere.
