Derby Fashion

Fashion is tightly woven into the fabric of the Kentucky Derby’s history and culture. Since the first spectators arrived at the Louisville Jockey Club in 1875, clothing has transformed this racetrack into a place where status and identity, function and creativity, and beauty and humor can be found in every well-chosen hat or bowtie.

At the Kentucky Derby, which now attracts over 150,000 people to the gates of Churchill Downs each year, spectators witness a parade of well-dressed sports-lovers, handicappers, fashionistas, makers, and party animals. Ensembles may come from signature couture fashion houses, or they may simply be cobbled together from a wacky assemblage of found and repurposed materials. Either way, witnessing the incredible range of style on Derby Day has become an anticipated experience for most racing fans.

The Kentucky Derby Museum’s textile collection contains hundreds of items related to this tradition—from items worn to past runnings of the Greatest Race, to representative examples of American fashion from the 1870s to the present.