Carly Gooch finds Cup Day style shining through the rain and ponchos

Cup Day fashion had to contend with a serious rival this year: the weather. The Press fashion writer Carly Gooch surveyed the outfits as racegoers braved persistent rain, with ponchos and umbrellas doing their best to hide carefully planned looks. Organisers described it as the wettest Cup Day in 60 years. Dresses were soaked, shoes took a drenching and suits were left sodden, Gooch reported, but the downpour did not stop people smiling or showing off the details they had prepared for the occasion. Ang Bugler, who travelled from Greymouth with Sam Bugler, wore a layered dress with gold heels, a matching bag and a hat. Celia McKenzie, a Cup Day regular for more than two decades, changed her outfit at the last minute because of the conditions. She paired a red Aje dress with gold accessories and a matching umbrella. Christchurch regular fashion judge Katie Flett kept things smart in powder blue, adding a woollen vest, checked shirt, tie, pocket square and hat. A gold horse-head tie pin completed the look, Gooch noted. Other outfits caught the writer’s eye, too. One guest’s full skirt flared as she twirled, revealing a patterned fabric that Gooch likened to a Monet painting. Marlene Robertson coordinated her powder-blue, gold and cream look with husband Owen, using fabric from her dress for his tie and pocket square as well as her wide-brimmed hat. Gooch also admired a coral-coloured ensemble with a mid-century feel, featuring a shoulder cape and small bows. Even under plastic ponchos and umbrellas, the carefully chosen colours, accessories and matching details gave racegoers a chance to make their mark on a rain-soaked day.