The pageantry surrounding any major race is almost as important as the event itself. Like many major events, the Preakness Stakes takes only two minutes to complete. Yet thousands of people flock to Baltimore, Maryland, every year to enjoy multiple days of festivities.
One of the most exciting elements of the event? Easily the fashion. Beautiful people stuffed into beautiful clothes. At an event where many in attendance are wearing getups that cost more than your car, creating an iconic look is both difficult and competitive. Who wore it best at the Preakness Stakes over the years? Let’s get into it.
Preakness Stakes Overview
If you watched the Kentucky Derby this May, you’ll notice that many fashion elements have rolled over to Preakness. You have the bright, vibrant colors and even the attention-grabbing hats. Where the two events depart is in how these colors and headwear options are packaged. At the Derby, it’s all about wide-brimmed hats you could land a jet on. The Preakness Stakes is more about blending modern fashion with classic notes.
Suits and dresses take center stage, even if also presented in bold, bright colors. But where the Derby is all about “Southern Preppy” fashion, the Preakness Stakes will often go historic. It’s not at all uncommon to see men in bowler hats and waistcoats.
The Preakness Stakes attracts a distinctly different crowd compared to the Kentucky Derby. While both events celebrate horse racing with high fashion, Preakness tends toward more sophisticated, cosmopolitan style choices. The event occurs two weeks after the Derby, allowing attendees to observe what worked at Churchill Downs and refine their approach for Pimlico Race Course.
If you are planning a Preakness Stakes viewing party, recommending an on-theme dress code could be a fun addition. You’ll want to research the odds and place an informed bet. Here’s a great resource for that: twinspires.com/preakness-stakes/odds/
In the next few headings, we look at fashion choices you can make to embody the spirit of the Preakness Stakes.
Color in the Right Places
Where the Kentucky Derby encourages attendees to do their best impersonation of an Easter egg, the fashion at Preakness is a little more selective. Color is welcome, but not to the extent that it washes out the rest of the outfit. Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens (former) embodied this spirit well in 2024, with a bright pink button-up layered beneath a more subdued black jacket and (of course) the requisite bowler.
This balanced approach to color represents the essence of Preakness fashion. Bold choices tempered with classic restraint. Unlike the Kentucky Derby’s anything-goes attitude, Preakness attendees tend to use color as an accent rather than a complete statement.
Natural Beauty
Preakness Stakes fashion choices are often themed around, believe it or not, the prairie native flower, Black-eyed Susan. You’ll see both blacks and yellows at the event. Sometimes the accents are subtle. A black jacket, with a yellow handkerchief in the pocket, for example. Other times, the choice is more boldly presented. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott wore an entirely yellow suit to last year’s Preakness Stakes.
The Black-eyed Susan connection runs deep at Preakness, appearing in everything from cocktails to official race materials. This floral inspiration helps create a distinctly Maryland atmosphere that celebrates the state’s natural beauty while maintaining the event’s sophisticated tone.
Fun fact – those celebrating the beauty of Black-eyed Susans at Preakness are doing so prematurely. The flower won’t bloom until around July. This is a bit of a contrast to the Derby palette, which mirrors the pastel colors of early spring flowers. It is also the name of a famous cocktail you can have at the race.
Subdued Headwear
Hats are still an important component of Preakness Stakes fashion, but they show a bit of restraint. The bowlers you will find so many men (and some women) wearing at the event are elegant but low profile. Women can get a little more extravagant.
It’s not uncommon to find a hat that does its best impression of a large flower. Still, many women choose showy headwear that doesn’t overwhelm the senses. Actress Raven Davis wore a wide-brimmed tan hat that was eye-catching but tasteful.
A Refreshing Step Back From Flash Fashion
Many high-profile events, even outside of racing, put a major emphasis on flash fashion. Outfits that catch the eye for a day and then are consigned forevermore to a closet. Or worse yet, a landfill.
Preakness Stakes is not completely immune to this trend, but in an age of fashion-related waste, it does place a refreshing emphasis on evergreen fashion choices. No, these clothes aren’t the sort of things you’d choose for a day of grocery shopping. However, if you are on the fence about how much to invest in your Preakness Stakes outfit, at least know that there are on-theme options you can get real mileage out of.
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!