Must wear hats

This year I am participating in a particularly British fashion tradition and donning a Royal Ascot Ladies Hat (replete with peacock feathers) for a wedding to be held in a few weeks in London. 

The Royal Ascot, which dates back to 1711, is one of the world's most famous race meetings. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and much like the red-carpet pre-show coverage of the Oscars, the press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. 

Within the Royal Enclosure, a strict dress code is enforced. Male attendees must wear full morning dress including a top hat, whilst ladies must not show bare midriff or shoulders and must wear hats. 

Over 300,000 people make the annual visit to Berkshire during Royal Ascot week. The real spectacle of Royal Ascot is the fashion parade of Ladies' Day. Hats are de riguer and they range from the bizarre to the beautiful. But usually, the more outrageous the better. I was tempted to wear a can of Campbell's soup on my head to make a statement, but then I found out that it was already featured in Philip Treacy's 2003 collection. How gauche of me! 

Today is the final day of pageantry, and yes, of course, racing. 

Punchlines

I wish my cat could understand English. 'Cos then I could ask him...

Would you give a guy a foot massage?