Our plan was to live in London for a year, maybe two. Wanting to make the most of our time there, we compiled a list, a long list, a list as long as queues for the London Eye. On it, were all the sights we wanted to see, and the experiences we wanted to have, while we lived abroad. As soon as I relocated that April, we began ticking them off. Touring Hampton Court Place and Gardens – check! Dinner at Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian Restaurant in London– check! A day at Royal Ascot – next! The first two required little preparation, just viewing a tube schedule and booking a reservation. The third, however, took locating tickets, purchasing them well in advance, perusing a train schedule, and making arrangements with another couple, all of which Robert did with ease. But little did I know, for me, this outing would end up involving many hours of consideration, consultation, and…shopping!
Being new to the U.K. I didn’t know much about Ascot except that it centered around horseracing and dressing up. I didn’t even know I was pronouncing the word incorrectly until I heard a blurb about it on the BBC. It’s “as-kit”, not “as-cot,” like a man’s necktie. To learn more, I did what I always do, and that was to do a little research. Online and in person. The official Ascot website showed a gallery of men and women clad in smart attire, smiling cheerfully, drinks in hand, with the racetrack in the background. Most notable in the photos, were the hats the women wore. Because I only owned a visor I wore when running, and a woolen cap that kept my ears warm in the winter, I knew I’d have to start assembling an outfit, from the top down.
From my journal: April 26, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Went to Tit fer Tat Hat Shop in Richmond. Mary, the owner showed me a few hats – simple to ornate. Many of her hats are bespoke. Beautiful, but expensive! Her suggestion was to look for a dress first. She mentioned Matches and Max Mara.”
So, I had to revise my plan. Find a dress first, accessorize second.
From my journal: May 3, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Ascot tickets arrived! Going with Neldie and Chris. Fun!”
I planned to have dinner with Neldie the following week and was looking forward to catching up on work and life in general. But more than that, I couldn’t wait to hear her response to my all-important question, “What are you wearing to Ascot?”
From my journal: May 12, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“She’s wearing a black dress and hat she already has. Told her about the shops I was going to look in. Says it sounds good.”
So my search began. Both Matches and Max Mara were shops on the high street in Richmond. Both stores frankly, intimidated me. Matches carried a lot of frocks that would be ideal, that was, if I was well-versed in the world of designer wear and money grew on trees. Hanging beautifully were dresses that bore names like Emilia Wickstead, Dolce & Gabbana, and Zimmermann and the price tags elegantly draped on them ranged from 450 to 2,500 pounds! So, I had to scratch Matches. That left Max Mara. I coyly walked past the storefront peeking at a classic looking dress in the window anytime I was in town. Two weeks later, I finally went in.
From my journal: June 11, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Chose the Max Mara dress. Silk, ivory and black, flowy. Very pricey – more than 200 pounds! Need to have the neckline adjusted and hem shortened. The saleswoman assured me I would wear it many times. She suggested I buy a red or pink hat or perhaps a fascinator.”
Dress down, hat to go!
Two weeks before the big day, while having lunch with our neighbor, Patty I asked her about Ascot. No, she hadn’t been, but she did say I might want to go into Kingston where stores there would have less expensive hats than Tit Fer Tat.
From my journal: June 13, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Took the bus to Bentall’s…got a pink hat for Ascot! Need new shoes.”
Hat down, shoes to go!
From my journal: June 15, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Showed Patty my dress and hat…maybe the hat looks too delicate? She drove me to Kingston today and I bought a black hat at John Lewis. It does look better with my dress!”
Okay, change of hat.
From my journal: June 20, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Went back into Richmond and bought two pairs of shoes. A peep-toed pair of wedges and a pair of high wedges. Salesperson said we might be walking on some grass, so heels might not be best.”
Shoes down! All set!
When I was back at our flat, I showed Patty my shoes. She said either would look nice. She also let me borrow a wrap because the weather was supposed to be on the cool side.
Two days before, I ran into another neighbor, Connie and she asked what we were doing on the weekend. I told her where we were going and she said, yes, she had been. She asked me to show her my dress and then suggested I come over to her flat.
From my journal: June 22, 2007, E. Twickenham, England
“Connie lent me a very pretty necklace to wear, it does go well with my dress.”
Up very early that Saturday morning, we planned on leaving at 10:30 a.m. to meet Neldie and Chris at the Richmond station where we’d board a train to Ascot. As we were leaving our complex, something didn’t feel right, so I ambled as fast as I could back into our building, up the lift, to our flat and switched out the high wedges for the peep-toed ones. Then we headed out the gate…and we were off!
A Journal Journey 