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Rules are funny things. Sure, they\u2019re meant to be broken, but also, if no one takes advantage of them, are they like the proverbial felled tree in the forest?<\/p>\n
This year, the Victoria Racing Club has allowed the wearing of shorts for the first time in the members areas at Flemington, including the celebrity-studded Birdcage, but sightings of bare calves on men were still few and far between, despite the mercury already hitting 25 degrees Celsius by 10 am.<\/p>\n
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Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia Spencer in the Birdcage.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Not even the VRC\u2019s own special guests, who included Princess Diana\u2019s nieces, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia Spencer, were game to try the \u201cevolved\u201d rules, sticking with tried-and-tested trend of matching red dresses by Cappellazzo Couture, and accessories by a range of Australian designers, including stylist and shoe designer Lana Wilkinson, who was thrilled to see Lady Eliza in her heels.<\/p>\n Adut Akech wearing Paolo Sebastian.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n The weather seemed to throw more than one celebrity off course with plenty of them betting \u2013 the wrong way \u2013 on Melbourne\u2019s fickle weather. Fashion influencer Rozalia Russian would have topped the best-dressed list at the autumn carnival, but her Lillian Khallouf two-piece and hat by Melissa Jackson \u2013 both were dyed the perfect shade of mulberry to match her Bottega Veneta shoes \u2013 felt a touch heavy in the heat.<\/p>\n Change of season \u2026 Rozalia Russian.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Instagram\/Eddie Jim<\/cite><\/p>\n Still, Russian earns top marks for having a vision and sticking to it come hell or high cloud cover. \u201cIt was supposed to be a suit but when we saw the forecast, we thought, let\u2019s rip the sleeves off,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The debate about the future of Melbourne Cup fashion continued on the top floor of the Lexus marquee, where Sudanese-Australian supermodel Adut Akech looked like a tulle angel in a mini dress by South Australian couturier Paolo Sebastian. But where was the racewear?<\/p>\n Serving sorbet \u2026 Kate Waterhouse.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Dress: Mariam Seddiq With a nod to Cup Day\u2019s yellow roses, media personality Kate Waterhouse, the daughter of champion trainer (and shorts decrier) Gai Waterhouse says the weather made people feel confident in wearing bold colours.<\/p>\n After causing a minor stir in a pink Gucci dress at last year\u2019s Cup, Waterhouse\u2019s limoncello \u2013 also a nod to the family\u2019s favourite holiday destination, Sicily \u2013 was a firm favourite. But it\u2019s not the first time she\u2019s worn the shade, recalling a Scanlan Theodore suit she once wore to Randwick. \u201cI\u2019ve never worn it to Cup Day, and I do love yellow, and it ties in with the yellow rose that\u2019s the flower of the Melbourne Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n Queen of colour … Suzy Eskander.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Dress: <\/strong>Pucci Stylist Suzy Eskander is used to making other people look good for events such as the Melbourne Cup, but she has been consistently on the best-dressed list herself \u2013 last year she rocked a runway look by Loewe. She was enjoying seeing purples, yellows and reds among the fashionable throngs in the Birdcage.<\/p>\n \u201c[For the Cup] I always think of something bold, colourful \u2013 it\u2019s for your most standout outfit,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve gone for something \u201960s\u2019 mod, which is so great for the races because it\u2019s sophisticated and elegant.\u201d<\/p>\n Fringe benefits … Erin Deering.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Dress\/shoes\/bag:<\/strong> Bottega Veneta<\/p>\n Entrepreneur, author and business mentor Erin Deering may be remembered for the teeny bikinis she pioneered for her former label, Triangl. But today she gave new meaning to the term excess baggage in an aqua fringed dress by Bottega Veneta, one of her favourite international labels. \u201cI love that they have fun, and there\u2019s a lot of texture \u2013 that\u2019s my favourite thing about the brand,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Deering, who opted to forego a headpiece (maybe Bottega doesn\u2019t make headbands) says she had originally planned to wear red but feels happy with her choice considering how many other celebrities were in scarlet, including the VRC\u2019s special guests and Princess Diana\u2019s nieces, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer.<\/p>\n Nod to mod \u2026 Brit Selwood.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Dress and headband:<\/strong> And Bear Jean Shrimpton turns 81 today and the British model who turned heads for her bare-legged, mini dress look at Flemington in 1965 was a clear inspiration for Brit Selwood\u2019s look.<\/p>\n The special-needs teacher, who has an eight-month-old son with retired AFL champion Joel Selwood, turned to Geelong label And Bear to make the look. As of Tuesday, the label had about 1500 followers on Instagram, but surely that\u2019s about to change. \u201cI wanted to give these girls [designers] a go, and they did, and they had so much fun with it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Unlike many celebrities and influencers who engage a stylist to help coordinate their outfits, Selwood does it herself, scoring two winning looks already this carnival, including her Victoria Beckham Derby Day ensemble. \u201cI\u2019m not working full-time, so I had time, and I thought, I\u2019ll give it a go. And it\u2019s been fun.\u201c<\/p>\n Millinery magic \u2026 Rebecca Harding.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Dress:<\/strong> Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood was the mother of the 1970s punk fashion revolution, and became known for the phrase: \u201cBuy less, choose well, make it last.\u201d<\/p>\n And Rebecca Harding, model and founder of \u201cshaving wellness\u201d brand Lui, took Westwood\u2019s ethos one step further, not only wearing a blue polka-dot dress from the late designer\u2019s label, but making a mad dash to Spotlight last night when her original millinery didn\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n \u201cMelbourne Cup is the time to step out of your comfort zone and do something fun,\u201d she says, adding that she picked a good dress for the weather. \u201cI have friends up there sweating buckets, but I\u2019m pretty comfortable … it breathes quite well.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady in red \u2026 Francesca Hung.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Justin McManus<\/cite><\/p>\n Suit:<\/strong> Atoir Model and presenter Francesca Hung was channelling video game superhero Carmen Sandiego in head-to-toe red, the perfect antidote to the monochromatic code on Derby Day. But it nearly didn\u2019t happen, with her outfit only being released by customs late last night \u2013 and there was no plan B. \u201cI had my fitting for the first time last night at 9.30 pm,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like the night before rush.\u201d<\/p>\n Hopefully things will go a little smoother for Hung, a former Miss Universe Australia winner, at her forthcoming wedding to her long-time partner, Sydney real-estate agent Nick Lowry.<\/p>\n Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our<\/i><\/b> Live Well newsletter<\/i><\/b>. <\/i><\/b>Get it in your inbox every Monday<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Kate Waterhouse: tradition with a twist<\/h3>\n
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Shoes: Edie Collective
Bag: Bulgari
Hat: Somewhere Here<\/p>\nSuzy Eskander: rainbow warrior<\/h3>\n
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Headband: <\/strong>Sylvy Earl
Shoes: <\/strong>Bottega Veneta
Bag:<\/strong> Valentino<\/p>\nErin Deering: the label loyalist<\/h3>\n
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Brit Selwood: hometown hero<\/h3>\n
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Shoes:<\/strong> Fendi
Bag:<\/strong> Dior<\/p>\nRebecca Harding: princess with a touch of punk<\/h3>\n
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Hair bow:<\/strong> Spotlight
Shoes:<\/strong> Christian Louboutin<\/p>\nFrancesca Hung: the high-low<\/h3>\n
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Hat:<\/strong> Stacey Hemera Roberts
Bag:<\/strong> Dior
Shoes:<\/strong> Novo<\/p>\nMost Viewed in Lifestyle<\/h2>\n
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