Meet the English dandy responsible for Royal Ascot's strict and enduring dress code
Beau Brummell was an arbiter of men's fashion who rejected flamboyant clothes in favour 'good form, fine fabrics and sedate colours'.
The Royal Ascot dress code is as integral to the event as the racing itself, but it wasn’t until 1807 (96 years after the meeting’s inauguration) that a code was decreed.
It stipulated that ‘men of elegance’ should wear ‘waisted black coats and white cravats with white pantaloons’. The architect of this edict was George Bryan ‘Beau’ Brummell (1778–1840), an ‘English dandy’ and arbiter of men’s fashion in Regency Britain.
Brummell was born in Downing Street, London, to a middle-class family. His father, private secretary to the Prime Minister Lord Frederick North, had ambitions for his son to become part of the ton — an aspiration they shared.
A waspish commentator
Unfortunately, Brummell’s character was not as gentlemanly as his appearance. He passed his time sitting at a window in White’s, London, insulting the attire of gentlemen walking by (it became known as ‘Beau Window’) and was later ostracised from Society because of gambling and debt
In 2002, a bronze statue of Brummell was erected on Jermyn Street, highlighting his continuous sartorial influence.
Brummell was educated at Eton before enlisting in the 10th Royal Hussars — solely because it was the favoured regiment of the Prince of Wales (the future George IV) — where his wit and style earned attention.
Despite lacking military competence, he was promoted from cornet to captain within three years, but resigned in 1797 when the regiment was sent to Manchester, citing the city’s undistinguished ambiance. His friendship with the Prince (and £30,000 inheritance) enabled rapid social ascension.
Brummell had a flair for fashion. At Eton, he accessorised the mandatory white cravat with a golden buckle and was later known for spending hours arranging his neckwear to look as if it had been tied at a moment’s notice.
Yet he was not ostentatious.
He rejected the then fashionable flamboyant velvet coats, embroidered waistcoats, lace ruffs and knee breeches with stockings for understated, impeccably tailored garments.
By day, he wore a navy wool coat, buff waistcoat, linen shirt, full-length trousers and riding boots, finished with a cravat, of course. By night, it was a blue coat, black or white waistcoat, black ankle-length trousers and black slippers, complete with striped silk socks.
His style prioritised good form, fine fabrics and sedate colours and gentlemen across the country followed, influencing the ‘Great Male Renunciation’. He encouraged the abandonment of wigs, brought equestrian style to town, chose not to match his coat to his trousers and opted for high-contrast black and white for evening — codes still obediently observed.
Royal Ascot's dress code has been relaxed in recent years, but in the Royal Enclosure ladies must still wear hats (or headpieces with a minimum base diameter of 4 inches) and dresses to knee length. Gentlemen continue to swelter in morning dress.
This feature originally appeared in the April 29, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
