How to get ready for a very last-minute weekend at the races

Same old story.

I’m ever so slightly fickle (translation - can't make a decision when out for dinner and ALWAYS end up with food envy) so when it came to judging two major style events at Irish Champions Weekend, I changed my mind about twenty times. Given the unpredictable nature of our Irish climate, it was difficult to come up with two ensembles that would work rain, hail or shine. However, by a process of elimination, I managed it eventually and taught myself a couple of tips along the way. Choose one key piece and built your outfit around it As I was co-judging the Champion Hat competition on day one alongside Rachel Wyse, a show-stopping headpiece was in order. If you have a penchant for a statement hat, Martha Lynn Millinery is probably on your radar and if not, you should take a look here. Her modern, slick, futuristic designs add a whole dimension to the standard ‘hat’ and I might be just a little bit in love. After deciding on the Mono Drip, the rest of my job was easy, or easier anyway. The monochrome piece needed to take centre stage so I decided to keep the rest of my outfit simple.

Just arrived at @LeopardstownRC to judge the #ChampionHat competition. Wearing the @goMarthalynn Mono Drip ???? pic.twitter.com/1o0KCQp9oV

— Cathy Donohue (@cathy_donohue) September 10, 2016

Leave time in case alterations are needed. I bought an ASOS jumpsuit online but didn’t bargain for the fact that the size I chose wouldn’t fit. So, having tried it on and sighed in frustration at the fact that I can never judge my size properly online, it was off to the dressmaker to get it adjusted. It was obviously too last-minute to send it back and reorder but thankfully, I managed to get it taken in and collected with a day to go. Comfort is key After that, I wore trusty River Island heels which were just comfortable enough to manage a day walking around Leopardstown. Accessories then were a Penneys' clutch that I forgot I actually owned but worked really well and jewellery from Stella & Dot: a black lace Chantilly cuff and vintage-style ear climbers which are pictured below. In hindsight, the jumpsuit was actually ideal for a busy day style-spotting so day one went off without a hitch. Work with pieces you have already Having purchased a dress in Cari’s Closet for a wedding a few months back, I decided to use this as the basis for outfit number two. It’s a grey lace midi dress, which sounds a bit vanilla to be fair but is actually gorgeous in reality. My next port of call was the lovely Jennifer Wrynne (check her work out here) who made me a stunning blush-pink hat with grey ribbon to perfectly complement the dress.

A photo posted by Her.ie (@herdotie) on Sep 11, 2016 at 6:01am PDT

Have a colour palette in mind but don’t match every single item After that, I decided to keep it comfortable and rather than wear the impractical rose-gold sandals I haven’t debuted yet (thank God, can you imagine the disaster that would have been), I went with my old reliable Prada courts and teamed them with a nude, pink and grey clutch bag I’d bought for something else last month. It’s important to note that although my outfit was based around the same colour palette, I didn’t match everything up precisely. That’s a headache in itself and if I’m entirely honest, ain’t nobody got time for that.

Fabulous two days @IrishChampsWknd @LeopardstownRC @curraghrace until next year ?? #LICW16 #PrizeForElegance pic.twitter.com/31vkNuNyiW

— Cathy Donohue (@cathy_donohue) September 11, 2016