Where fashion meets friendship

Year after year, familiar faces return to Flemington with thoughtfully styled outfits and big smiles, not just hoping for a sash but eager to partake in something that means far more than a victory. Among them are individuals who embody the spirit of Fashions on The Field – not only through their style but also in their warmth, generosity, and supportive nature.

They sew, style, cheer, and advise. They champion creativity, celebrate originality, and encourage newcomers.

Doing so, they help foster an environment that is welcoming, joyful, and built on mutual respect.

While racewear rules and judging criteria may evolve, FOTF’s core traditions remain: attention to detail, an appreciation for craft, and a belief in fashion as a shared joy. It’s common for competitors to become friends, collaborators, or even travel companions. Some exchange fabrics and millinery tips, others plan their outfits months beforehand in group chats, and many reunite each season for race days across the country.

This is a space where a milliner will lend a hat, a fellow entrant will offer to pin a hem, and someone you met five years ago will still remember the outfit you wore. While the competition is first about the fashion, it’s the shared respect, kindness, and joy throughout the process that keep them returning.

In the early days, the FOTF spotlight often focused on winning the prize and sash. But over time, a deeper narrative has emerged: one of connection. Experienced competitors and newcomers alike describe the FOTF community as a group of like-minded, passionate individuals who support each other just as much as they pursue their own success.

There’s an unspoken understanding that behind every look is hours of effort: late-night sketching, millinery appointments, fabric sourcing, fittings, and last-minute adjustments. Those who compete know how much heart and soul are invested in each ensemble. Whether you win or not, the real reward often lies in the friendships built behind the scenes.

Few understand the FOTF landscape more intimately than Angela Menz. Since first competing in 2003, the Canberra born, Melbourne-based designer and milliner has worn many hats – literally and figuratively. She’s a national FOTF winner, a judge, an ambassador, and a carnival mainstay. Along with a friend she met through FOTF, milliner Lisa Tan, she began On Track On Trend, a platform launched initially as a blog dedicated to racing fashion and the FOTF circuit. With Tan now based in London (which is convenient for Menz when she attends Royal Ascot!), Menz looks after On Track On Trend, mainly through her social channels, capturing race-day style and documenting the FOTF scene in real time.

Her content informs and inspires – but more importantly, it connects. Menz has helped cultivate a virtual grandstand of supporters who celebrate each other’s creativity, share tips, and encourage newcomers. As a regular figure trackside and a creative force, she is a true ambassador for the sport and style it showcases. She is happy to give back to a platform and a community that she says literally changed her life.

“I was living in Canberra, managing a retail store, and wanting to break into fashion. Winning in 2011 led to judging at the Cairns Amateurs, where I met footwear industry leader Kerrie Munro, who offered me a role that brought me to Melbourne. More than a decade later, I’m still with Munro Footwear Group as product developer for I Love Billy, while continuing to enjoy millinery and
designing racewear.”

Having made many friendships through the competition, Menz values how it brings together such a wide variety of people. Many FOTF competitors are racing enthusiasts – some with long-standing ties to the sport, others who discovered their passion through fashion. The result is an expansive network. “I can go to the races anywhere in the world and I’m almost guaranteed to run into someone I know. You meet people you’d never cross paths with otherwise.”

Meeting like-minded people is one of FOTF’s great rewards for Menz, but mainly it is the chance to celebrate fashion, something that she loves so much. “It’s so nice to get glammed up for a social event, and there’s a real appreciation within the community for the effort everyone puts in. We all understand what it takes to get to the track looking like that, and all the tiny details that make up an outfit.”

For Cass Pisarskis, winning Best Suited on TAB Australian Cup Day was a moment a decade in the making. A public servant and mother of two, she discovered FOTF through her love of fashion and racing culture. Over the past ten years, she has thoughtfully developed her signature style – one that highlights texture, layering, and timeless tailoring.

But for Pisarskis, FOTF has always been about more than just the outfit. It’s about investing in quality, relationships, and a culture of support. From re-wearing treasured pieces to collaborating with local makers, her approach to fashion echoes the ethos of the FOTF community itself: thoughtful, sustainable, and rooted in shared celebration.

“I’m really thankful that FOTF has allowed me to connect with like-minded people and develop friendships that now extend to catching up off the track,” she says.

“You see the same faces and meet at the same events, which can develop into deeper friendships. I have made friends and now go to dinner or the theatre with them – it’s extended beyond the fashion link.”

Pisarskis admits it can feel intimidating to put yourself forward, especially as a newcomer. “Even experienced competitors get nervous – it’s a big thing to be judged. But I’d encourage anyone to find their individual style, enjoy the social side, and get involved in the online groups so you can make connections before you even arrive at the track.”

As a ‘veteran’ entrant, she understands FOTF etiquette, which is a knowledge of the lay of the land. “We’re all there to compete, but there’s a shared respect for how much effort it takes to look like that. We want each other to shine.”

She’s grateful for this camaraderie backstage, too.

“It’s not uncommon in the line-up to help fix someone’s hair or lend a safety pin or Band-Aid.

Once I had a wardrobe malfunction at a country cup, and Layce Vocale (who coincidentally won Best Dressed when Pisarskis won Best Suited earlier this year) had a needle and thread in her bag and saved the day.”

When Pisarskis won on Australian Cup Day, she was touched by how many people – in person and on social media – reached out to congratulate her. “It was lovely to be recognised by the community. It really is a niche interest, and dressing for FOTF is like nothing else. It takes it all to the next level.”

From handmade frocks and sculptural headwear to Instagram friendships that blossom into real-world connections, the FOTF community thrives on shared passion. Whether you’re in it for the victory or simply the joy of dressing up, it’s a space where style and substance meet – and where you’re always likely to find someone willing to lend a hand, a hatpin, or a heartfelt cheer.