How the country set stay warm and stylish at the Cheltenham Festival

telegraph.co.uk:

Cheltenham Festival (being one of the few major race meets held in the colder months) is the perfect occasion to show off how adept you are at sleek winter outfits that won’t leave you blue with cold.

There are a couple of points to remember. The first, according to Lady Alice Manners – a stylist and the daughter of the Duke of Rutland – is to steer clear of spindly heels or court shoes prone to sinking in the mud; the second is to avoid all things glossy. “You really don’t want anything too shiny or too perfect,” she says. “I love a fedora for example, but it needs to be worn in.

Some of the best dressed women at Cheltenham arrive in these tailored coats you can see they’ve owned for years. Personally, I think that looks much better than anything box-fresh.”Of course, not everyone has a wardrobe filled with beautiful pieces on just the right side of worn (and as we all know – decade-old Celine looks a lot better than decade-old Zara) but Cheltenham is a great opportunity to build a creative stylish outfit from the coat up.

Hence why the Royals – with their legions of occasion coats – are usually the stars of Cheltenham. “Oh, it’s much more interesting than Ascot fashion-wise,” says Jade Holland Cooper, the founder of Holland Cooper – a brand that has become a favourite with the Duchess of Cambridge. “Cheltenham fashion is a fusion of fantastic cuts, great tailoring and heritage checks – an aesthetic Britain does better than anywhere else.” Melissa TwiggMore than any other item, your coat is the showpiece of your outfit.