Is Polo the new Horse Races??

There is nothing I enjoy more than sunshine, French sparkles, men in collared shirts and a lovely picnic spread. So with the sun shining last Sunday, Emelie, Bronte and I packed the car with a plentiful picnic (we may have gone overboard with the cheese plate) and jumped on the highway straight out of Sydney to the Windsor Polo grounds for the Australia vs England game.

If there is one thing I have discovered about the polo, it is that there is an abundance of.. well.. how do I put this... MEN. They come dressed in their finest structured coats, collared shirts, leather boots and if you are lucky you may even spot the odd chino pant. Mustard seemed to be the colour of the day. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, but I think it is growing on me.

So as you can imagine, the Polo is always a tricky event to dress for. If you look too dressed up you will be laughed at, if you are too dressed down you stick out like a sore thumb, so getting it right is a little stressful. What you want to achieve is an "easy chic elegant" look. I normally choose to go with a flowing maxi dress and wedges, or a cute summer dress and flats are also acceptable.

However, if there is one piece of advice I can give you it is DO NOT WEAR HEELS!! Under no circumstances, even if your house was alight and the only thing you managed to save was a cute dress and heels. NO! There is nothing attractive about trying to cross a polo field in heels that are constantly sinking into the grass. YES it is funny to watch NO you do not look good. 

Another dandy piece of advice is not to overindulge on the sparkles. When you are sitting in the sun, gossiping with the girls it can be tricky to keep track of how many glasses you have consumed over the duration of the day. There is nothing worse than standing up and realising you are more than a little tipsy. Don't be that girl! I know I have, so trust me, I know what I am talking about.

A few glasses of sparkles + a camera = trout pout

Another tip is take part in the mid-game divot stomping. It is a hoot! Plus it is a great way to get out and mingle with everyone (and by everyone, I mean boys!). There is nothing more tantalizing than watching a group of handsomely dressed peep's stomping on hoof marks in the ground.

My final piece of advice when it comes to the Polo is this.. if you have the opportunity (or means) to spend the day in a sponsored tent then do it! Tents are a great place to mingle, the champagne is flowing,  the finger food is a plenty and you can simply sit back and enjoy the day. No fussing about with spilt champagne on the picnic rug, or trying to find a good spot to set up for the day. It is all done for you.

I should also mention, that it is not a necessity to actually watch the game of polo. I have been to quite a few tournaments so far and I am yet to watch a full game or actually understand the rules. So don't feel silly if you're not actually sure what is going on during the match. Perhaps just comment every now and then with "great shot" or "that's a fine looking specimen he has there".

Let's be honest, you are never going to read this.

A rainbow over the field.. the perfect end to a glorious Sunday