What to Wear at Goodwood Revival: Period Style Ladies Outfit Guide

Want to look the part at Goodwood Revival 2023? Seat Unique is here to help with our outfit guide and tops tips to ensure that you pull off a chic period style look, whether you are a 40s, 50s or 60s inspired girl.

Goodwood Revival is set to return to Chichester in September 2023 and is sure to deliver its staple 40s, 50s and 60s vintage-inspired feel once more.

At Goodwood Revival, the blend of road racing and fashion is what makes the experience so special and like no other. As guests dress to impress in period style clothing to enjoy sport and socialising, you will want to make sure that you look the part by checking out our tips and tricks for pulling together the ultimate Goodwood Revival look.

Plus, discover how to take your day to the next level with a hospitality package that is guaranteed to deliver luxury and transport you back into the British past.

Is there a dress code at Goodwood Revival?

Although there is no strict dress code at the event, Goodwood Revival is all about immersing guests in the style and culture of the 40s, 50s and 60s, and visitors are expected to follow this theme in their outfit choices.

While it is up to you what you wear on the day, there are a few rules to note when choosing your outfit: Goodwood Revival asks  guests to avoid controversial uniforms and culturally appropriated outfits and has the right to refuse entry if they deem your outfit inappropriate.

Goodwood Revival outfits for ladies

Whichever time period you prefer to don, we’ve got you covered with our simple guide to crafting the perfect look.

40s

Utility Style

At the start of the 1940s, women’s style was largely utility focused as the pressures of the wartime promoted practicality over femininity.

During war rationing, ladies dressed in outfits with squared shoulders and narrow hips while skirts below the knee were the height of fashion. Tailored suits symbolised the peak of this trend and dominated the wardrobes of the upper echelon.

If you want to sport early 40s do-it-yourself home fashion at Goodwood Revival, pick out a tailored suit with wide squared shoulders, drawn in at the waist with a belt. Pair with a skirt that sits just below the knee and some modest kitten heels. Style with tightly curled hair and a red lip.

Post-war new look

Following the end of World War II, the ‘New Look’ appeared and utility fashion filtered out. As the economy regained stability, families had more money to spend on clothing and as women returned to their original and traditional roles in the home, femininity in fashion rose once more.

Rounded shoulders, shaped bust lines and defined waists became all the rave as patterned dresses and billowing skirts grew in popularity.

If you are putting together a post-war look, pick out a printed dress with round-shoulders and a high V-neck and cinch the waist with a belt or ribbon. Pair with modest heels and a trendy curled up do to complete your look.

50s

The dirndl dress

While the ‘New Look’ continued into the early 50s, a new piece became the hallmark of fashion for ladies.

The dirndl dress with its billowy skirt and small puff sleeves created an hourglass silhouette and continued to promote femininity in fashion.

If you want to style a dirndl dress for Goodwood, think 50s housewife and you’re on the right track. Head to a vintage store and select a wide skirted dress with a square neckline and puffed sleeves, and don’t forget to pull in the waist with a belt of your choice. Kitten heels remained the most practical and popular choice for ladies, so avoid picking anything too high.

To take your look to the next level, mimic the style of 50s jivers with a pair of saddle shoes and ankle length bobby-socks, much like the American style seen in films such as ‘Grease’.

The slim look

Towards the end of the 1950s, the wide skirts of the period were fading out of fashion and were replaced with a long slim look.

A slightly more boyish style, this fashion saw ladies wear long skirts and dresses without the body and volume that had shaped the first half of the decade. Almost regal in style, these below knee dresses and skirts, often worn with short jackets were the height of sophistication.

If you want to mimic the look of the late 50s, pick out a square necked dress in a silk or chiffon that sits below the knee. A short structured jacket and a pair of kitten heels will pull your look together while a pearled necklace or hairband updo will put the cherry on top.

Teddy girls

While less well known, the teddy girls of the post-war period saw women battle against the traditional boundaries of femininity with a more masculine approach to style that laid the way for 60s androgynous fashion.

Particularly favoured in the big cities, these stylish rebels would wear a rolled up trouser, pump shoes and a skimming jacket. Completed with a frivolously tied silk scarf and shorter swept back curls, this look is easy to replicate and is the perfect pick for those looking to remember a more individual and unique period style.

60s

Biker chic

The 60s saw the surge of bikers throughout London as women whizzed around the city and ran errands in their leathers, boots and tucked in jeans.

To pull off this look, head to your local vintage shop and pick out period leathers, cream socks and of course a white scarf. Style with windswept voluminous hair and simplistic makeup, or go full ‘Grease 2’ and become a ‘cool rider’ with a red lip.

The skirt suit

1960s women’s fashion was largely shaped by the skirt suit. This style marked the merging of femininity and power in the fashion of the ladies of the day and was notably popularised by Jacqueline Kennedy, America’s First Lady.

To pull off this style, select a colour of your choice when picking out an A-line pencil skirt and boxy jacket, before completing with a Parisian style hat. Style with white gloves and pearls for that full sophisticated look.

Mod fashion

While beginning in the 50s, mod fashion took off globally in the 60s and favoured modern designs, bright colours and raised hemlines.

If the biker look of the rockers isn’t for you, then the mod look can be completed with a shift dress, leather go-go boots, tights and a trench coat. Style with sleek hair and wild eyeshadow for the full mod outfit when you attend Goodwood Revival.

How can I get Goodwood Revival tickets?

Seat Unique is delighted to open access to Goodwood Revival hospitality packages for 2023.

With options including The Kennels, Goodwood Mess, Officers Club and Salvadori hospitality, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Experience the best of Goodwood and its period theme with inclusions such as afternoon tea, stunning catering, inclusive drinks and trackside viewing as you are immersed in the vintage inspired surroundings.

For more information, check out our blog on Goodwood hospitality packages or explore available options now!

Interested in events at Goodwood? Explore packages for Qatar Goodwood Festival and Goodwood Festival of Speed at Seat Unique.