Last updated on December 4th, 2023
The Preakness Stakes is a popular horse-racing event held as part of the Triple Crown thoroughbred horses. But this is also the event for people to express their fondness for it by wearing traditional Preakness outfits. In addition, many fans also showcase their personality with custom clothes, hats, and other products.
The Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race will occur this year on Saturday, May 20. This will be the 148th edition of this race. One of the finest contenders will compete for a $2.6 million prize!
What is Preakness?
The Preakness Stakes is a 13/16-mile (about 1,900-meter) flat race, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, on the third Saturday of May each year. Three-year-old Thoroughbred horses compete in the race. The Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby are the legs of the Triple Crown of American equestrian competition.
The Kentucky Derby, The Triple Crown’s opening race, is organized on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The custom hats wearing fans can enjoy mint juleps under the famous Twin Spires.
Black-eyed Susans serve as the name of a favorite drink for the crowd and the decorations for the winner at the Preakness, which takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore two weeks after the Derby.
The mile-and-a-half Belmont, run three weeks later at Belmont Park in New York, is known as the “Test of the Champion” because it calls for the ideal balance of speed, stamina, and grit.
Horse racing is a thriving industry in the US, contributing substantially to the economy. As per an estimate, the American horse racing industry was valued at $122 billion in 2022, and events such as the Preakness Stakes contribute a lot to this.
Sandwiched between the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness Stakes is the second jewel in the US Triple Crown.
It ranks 2nd in attendance among North American horse racing events, surpassed only by the Derby. The infield is known as the year’s biggest party, making it a must-attend event.
How the Preakness started?
A columnist, Charles Hatton, for the Daily Racing Form, had a significant role in popularizing the idea of an American Triple Crown. In the 1930s, he regularly used the phrase “triple crown”, referring to the three races. As the phrase gained popularity, more owners and trainers started to focus their preparations on these competitions. As a result, newspapers began using the phrase frequently in the 1940s.
The Triple Crown title was formally announced in December 1950 at the Thoroughbred Racing Associations’ annual awards dinner in New York. It was retroactively given to Sir Barton, the first horse to triumph in all three contests (1919). The title was awarded to other pre-1950 victors at future organization annual dinners.
Colts and fillies have a carrying capacity of 126 pounds (57 kg). The Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby make up the second (and shortest) leg of the Triple Crown of American equestrian competition.
The Dinner Party Stakes that a horse won at Pimlico in the track’s inaugural year of 1870 inspired the Preakness creation in 1873. In 1889, the Preakness at Pimlico was suspended, and in 1890, it was held at Morris Park in Westchester County, New York. The race reappeared in 1894 after a three-year absence.
The event resumed in 1894 after a three-year break, but it was raced at the Gravesend track in Brooklyn, New York, until 1908, when it finally returned to Maryland and made a permanent home at Pimlico the following year.
PREAKNESS DO’s and DON’Ts
The Preakness Stakes is a popular event with many people attending. Of course, they all want to enjoy the race and be its witness. But this traditional event has its own do’s and don’ts that you should consider.
DOs
Early Ticket Purchases
Utilize package deals from various businesses as prices increase as race day draws closer. Make an effort to arrive early to avoid long queues.
Consider The Weather
The presence of rain might ruin your day. The infield may become a massive mud puddle that reaches as high as mid-calf if it has recently poured or been raining all day.
You should be prepared to change out of your nicest sneakers for a pair of rain boots. Also, be ready to cover your racing attire with a poncho or rain jacket, and use waterproof mascara to keep your makeup intact.
Look For The Ideal Fit
Don’t forget to dress in a way that complements the traditional Preakness aesthetic. But make sure that the outfit is functional. You can wear Preakness’ eye-catching and vivid, rich colors.
Jewelry and handbag can take your outfit to the next level. You can try out extravagant hats that are the most crucial accessory. Wear something that gives you a sense of security.
DON’Ts
Avoid Wearing Uncomfortable Attire
You should not use uncomfortable footwear and garments. Since everything can be muddy due to rain, your shoes and clothing can also become muddy.
Also, do not wear pointed heels as it will make walking on a muddy and uneven surface difficult. Instead, look for wider heels that are more comfortable for such conditions.
What to wear on Preakness Stakes?
The best thing to wear is a fitted dress. Avoid anything flowy that can fly up in a windy environment. Instead, put on clothing that fits your shape and emphasizes your curves. Because you can remove your jacket, the suit is also comfortable in erratic weather.
The Preakness’s official colors are black and yellow, which some Ladies and Gentlemen prefer to wear. Keep your shoes and hat simple if you make a dramatic statement and wear those colors.
Fashion experts opine that putting together an elaborate outfit for the Preakness is much more expensive than doing so for the Kentucky Derby, another prestigious horse race in the US.
Generally, cut-offs and custom crop tops are not allowed in the dining areas, even if casual clothing is permitted. It’s all about dressing for glamor, so look your best.
The Preakness leg of the Triple Crown is all about the attire, not the headgear. Therefore, it’s crucial to seem attractive and presentable. Ladies and guys are supposed to dress appropriately.
When choosing attire, especially custom clothes, it’s also a good idea to stick with the event’s traditional colors of black and yellow. These are the colors inspired by the black-eyed Susan flower. So, consider these basics.
Looking For a Custom T-Shirt?
It is very simple. Choose a t-shirt. Select color and size. Create your own design.
You can also hire a designer to get a design for your t-shirt.
Create Your Own DesignGet Your Custom T-Shirts
Now that we have these basic guidelines let’s look at the appropriate attire for the Preakness Stakes Men’s Advice.
Tips For Men’s Preakness Outfits
Men attending the Preakness Stakes should know that wearing a suit is essential and part of the tradition.
When choosing colors, you should go all out with vivid colors, flowery patterns, and other such looks at this Triple Crown race. Alternatively, you can keep the dresses simple and elegant.
The Kentucky Derby is a much more formal event than the Preakness. At the Kentucky Derby, hats and suits are very formal, but at the Preakness, you can still see people dressing up in styles from the 1920s and 1930s. Because the Preakness is such a party, you may also see people dressed in costume-like attire.
It’s always best to be overdressed while going to the Preakness. You can still wear a fun derby-style hat with a fascinator.
If you remember that your dress or suit is the most crucial costume component, you can still attend the Preakness sporting a lovely bowler hat.
It would be great if you chose some custom hats to stand out in the crowd. But make sure that the hat still expresses the festivities of the occasion.
If you are a baseball enthusiast, consider using the occasion to show that you like the game or are a professional player. So, you can choose from custom dad hats, but these should fit well to the occasion.
Can you wear T-shirts?
While it is an event to dress formally, you still can wear T-shirts to celebrate your liking for Perkiness Stakes. All you need to do is find a tee with some printed text related to the event. If you do not find such tees in the market worthy of wearing, opt for custom t-shirts.
Tips For Women’s Preakness Clothing
While planning to choose a dress to wear on the Preakness, they should recognize that gowns are essential to this occasion.
Gowns are considered more critical than bowler hats. Still, that is not a strict rule, and you can explore more options. Ladies should unquestionably dress in a retro-mod style.
Wear a fitted dress. Avoid wearing a flowy dress that may not suit best in windy conditions. So, prefer a dress that fits your body contours and curves well.
When picking a hat for the event, you should look for unique hats that help you look different in the crowd.
How about wearing some personalized hats? Such hats will instantly make you stand out. You can choose from some fantastic custom embroidered bucket hats that are perfect for expressing your feelings during the event.
How to Design your Preakness Outfits?
You should be uniquely dressed to mark the Preakness Stakes and make it memorable. This implies that the dress you wear should stand out and look impressive. But it is not just vivid colors that will help you look different. The outfit should be uniquely designed to reflect the event and your personality.
So, get yourself some custom clothes. You can easily create such clothing with PrintShop by Designhill. This site equips you with simple customization features, choose a cloth or accessories like a custom tote bag or hat you want to buy, and customize it easily.
For instance, to customize your tees for Preakness, go to the ‘Create Custom Products’ section of PrintShop. Then, pick a tee and personalize it with your choice of color, text, images, clipart, etc.
Similarly, to design your hats for Preakness, click on the hat you choose and customize it by providing your preferences for design elements. For example, you can choose colors, text, images, etc., elements and submit them to the design tool.
Follow the same process to create other products, such as custom tote bags. Then, add it to the cart and order the site to print it on the tees, hats, and any other product you choose. PrintShop by Designhill will deliver the customized product to your address on the scheduled date.
So, these tips can be followed to create your unique Preakness outfits to celebrate the event. Such personalized fashionable clothes and hats will surely help you stand out in the crowd.
Wrapping Up
The Preakness Stakes is a significant event in America’s horse racing and is one of the three thoroughbred horse races in the Triple Crown. People wear traditional and fashionable clothes at this event. They can also customize t-shirts, other garments, and hats to stand out in the crowd and express their personality. But while personalizing the outfits, you still need to follow some rules to make the clothing look within the set traditions.
