It’s that time of the year again when us fashion types don our finery and feathers and head to the races. Yes, Royal Ascot is back and it’s classier than ever (well, trying to be that is).

At Royal Ascot the fashion stakes are as high as the betting stakes, and this year organisers wanted to prevent it from looking like another social gathering at an Ibiza-style party. So, the new fashion rules were introduced to us:

1. No strapless, off the shoulder, or backless dresses allowed.

2. No short skirts or thin straps.

3. No streaky fake tan or bare legs. It’s just not done, daaahling!

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This sounds like a fantastic idea in theory, but in practice what fashion choices do you really have left when taking these rules into consideration? If you love a certain dress but the straps are too thin you just can’t wear it because then you risk the chance of getting kicked out like a naughty child at school. What if it’s a hot day, but you have to wear tights and risk the chance of fainting and falling in front of a galloping horse?

Of course, some of us are too important to have to follow these rules. Take the 18-year-old daughter of the Duke of York who dared to bare more than an inch of naked thigh (shock, gasp!) and managed to get away with it. Granted, she did look pretty good in her flirty white studded Collette Finnegan dress.

So far, there have been no reported incidents of individuals getting bounced from the races for wearing an inappropriate outfit, but you never know, stories may emerge at a later stage. And let’s not forget that the real reason for Royal Ascot isn’t about the fashion, it’s about the horses and the races. No, really…