On a sultry spring day in 1965, silence descended on the packed crowd gathered at Australia’s biggest sporting event.
All eyes were on British supermodel Jean Shrimpton as she arrived at the prestigious Melbourne Cup Carnival — or more accurately, all attention was focused on the 22-year-old’s legs.
“The most beautiful girl in the world” had stepped out at Flemington Racecourse wearing a minidress five inches above her knees, with no hat, stockings or gloves.
In an era when women didn’t leave the house without wearing a hat, it was an outfit which both scandalized the nation and sparked a fashion revolution which would define the Swinging Sixties.
As the Melbourne Cup prepares for its 52nd “Fashions on the Field” competition, the iconic image of Shrimpton in “that dress” has gained almost mythical status in the history of a horse race now worth $6.2 million in prize money.
–
“Everyone makes an effort to dress up. But it’s done in a very different way to say, Ascot in England, for example. The lifestyle in Australia is quite relaxed — we don’t have to wear gloves and jackets because it doesn’t get that cold.
“By today’s standards, Shrimpton’s dress was actually quite long.”
This year, Menz is predicting lots of tall hats, rather than traditional large brims. “Head wear has been getting quite sculptural, almost like a piece of art on the head,” she said.
Since Shrimpton first graced Flemington, international celebrities have become a regular feature of the Melbourne Cup, with high-profile appearances from Britain’s Princess Diana in 1985, Kate Bosworth in 2006 and fellow American actress Sarah Jessica Parker last year.
The Melbourne Cup is as much about its fashion stakes as its horses. But when it comes to groundbreaking outfits, no one has ever come close to “The Shrimp.”
