It makes sense that former Canberra fashionista Angela Menz now lives between two racecourses in Melbourne.
"I live between Moonee Valley and Flemington and can walk to both," she said.
Now 38 and married to Peter, Angela was just a teenager when she started to enter fashions on the field across the country - and win her fair share, thanks to her formal training in fashion design and individual flair.
Angela has lost count of how many fashions on the field competitions she actually entered.
"I've no idea. I stopped counting at 100," she said.
Based in Melbourne but still making regular trips back to the family home in Chifley, Angela is a milliner who has also been a designer for I Love Billy shoes for the past decade. And she still loves horse racing and race-day fashion.
But now she's a judge for fashions on the field - at Flemington for Derby Day on Saturday and Oaks Day on Thursday.
Angela says a potential winners of fashions on the field could be classic and traditional or, equally, someone who pushed the style boundaries.
"I think it's just that wow factor," she said.
There were some trends she expected to see such as mid-length skirts, puffed sleeves and cut-out designs.
And she was more than comfortable with retiring from the runway to be a judge instead.
"I'm very happy to sit on the other side," she said.
Angela was among the COVID-limited crowd at last year's Melbourne Cup and was happy that things were now returning to normal.
"I think everyone is excited to be back, me included," she said.
