Grand National ticket holders have weighed in on the absence of a dress code at this year's festival.
The beloved annual racing extravaganza has returned for three days of glitz, glamour, gambling and good times. The event is well known for attracting an array of stylish and on-trend formal outfits but this year, organisers The Jockey Club confirmed dress codes would no longer be in place at any of its 15 racecourses.
This is to encourage accessibility and make the day more comfortable for ticket holders, but it hasn't been designed to discourage those from sporting their glad rags.
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Despite the absence of the dress code, there's been no shortage of style and suave this year. One couple, from Preston, spoke with ECHO reporter Emily Sleight and said: "I think Aintree Festival is something special. I think depending, which area you go in, you should be dressed up, suit and a tie - I've always thought that."
Ticket holder Jen said: "No, never go casual, that's what it’s all about - dressing up, socialising, having a drink, really enjoying the day."
Another race goer, Helen Scott-Allen, told ECHO reporter Charlotte Hadfield, that she's been attending the races for 25 years, branding it "the red carpet of Liverpool".
She said: "Everyone can do what they want, I appreciate the comfort factor for those who want to wear the flat shoes because wearing heels for this many hours can [lead to] sore feet at the end of the day but I will always dress up - and I imagine quite a few people in Liverpool still will."
Shelia, from Liverpool, said she "didn't mind" the change to the dress code but she’d still get dressed up either way, while friend Carmel, from Dublin, added: "It's part of the day." Tracy Lauront, 60, from Warrington, told Charlotte: "It's nice to get dressed up on an occasion."
Nicola Glover, 52, from West Derby, said: "We all like to make an effort with our outfits, we get them from wherever - high street, internet, whatever - and we have the best day ever."
Of the news the dress code had been tossed, Nicola added: "They shouldn't - part of coming is getting dressed up, not all of us do it very often, especially me, but it's part of the day is getting dressed up and seeing the outfits. But, I suppose, it doesn't matter - at the end of the day it doesn't matter what you look like, you're here and you're having fun, so that’s the main thing."
The Grand National 2023 is taking place from Thursday, April 13 until Saturday, April 15. It is held at Aintree racecourse. ECHO reporters will be at Aintree over the course of the festival to keep you updated on all the latest news from the event.
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