Spring Racing Carnival Budget Tips:
1. Don’t buy – rent
In many cases, Spring Racing Carnival fashion can be like fancy dress outfits. You only wear them once (despite your best intentions). That’s why we suggest renting your outfit and accessories to save some hard earned change.
For clothing: we browsed Dressed Up, a designer clothing hire website, where you can shop by occasion. We headed straight to the handy Races’ section and picked our favourites for race-stopping style. Other fashion rental sites include Indian Giver (designer clothes), Style 4 Hire (handbags) and Rentoid (everything and anything!)
For hats, hat hire company Carnival Girl Hats rents out headwear. A small fascinator is only $25 for 24 hours. Although we must warn you that fascinators may be slightly out of favour, be sure to choose an elegant option, as with more and more spotlight DIY numbers gracing the track you’ll want to stand out in style.
2. Vintage shopping: Buying a vintage dress and teaming it with modern accessories is always a winning choice. Check out our top tips for buying and selling second hand clothes.
3. Raiding your friends’ closets: If you have a friend or relative who’s the same size, borrow their clothing and accessories. Just be careful to return them in near-perfect condition, or World War Three could result. You could also host a Spring Racing Clothing Swap – invite friends over and take advantage of your collective wardrobe.
4. Budget headwear: Hats can be the highlight of your racing outfit (and also provide sun protection), but we also love the many chic, cost-effective alternatives:
Flowers: A creative friend decorated her hair with fresh flowers. The Market Fresh website has clever ideas for homemade floral fascinators.
Headbands: A gorgeous headband also looks very stylish.
Things to invest in:
Comfy shoes: With all the savings you’ve made, you should invest in some sensible shoes for the walk home. There’s nothing worse than a glamorous ensemble being walked home barefoot.
Sunscreen: Always wear, and reapply, sunscreen onto your face and body. For your face, tinted sunscreens are always a winner.
For more Spring Racing Carnival tips:
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