A Milliner’s Guide to 1940s-1960s Style
Hats for the Goodwood Revival are not chosen the way hats for Ascot or Henley are chosen. There is no single “smart summer” standard to hit. Instead, the Revival asks a different question entirely: which twenty years are you dressing for, and does your hat actually belong to them?
The Goodwood Revival runs from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September 2026 at Goodwood Motor Circuit near Chichester, West Sussex, and it recreates the years the circuit was in original use, 1948 to 1966. Nothing built after 1966 is meant to be on site, in spirit if not always in strict enforcement, and that includes what is on your head. Dressing in period is not compulsory, but the vast majority of visitors do it properly, and the hat is usually the piece that either sells the look or gives it away.
Why Goodwood Is Different
Most race meetings ask you to dress well for today. Goodwood asks you to dress well for a specific decade that ended nearly sixty years ago. That distinction matters more for hats than for almost anything else in the outfit, because hat shapes date more precisely than dresses or suits do. A brim that is a few inches too wide, or a crown set at a modern angle, will read as “vintage-inspired” rather than “1952,” and at Goodwood, people notice the difference.
The good news is that getting it right is a matter of proportion and silhouette, not an expensive vintage-shopping trip. A well-made hat, built to the correct shape for your chosen decade, does more work than an entire wardrobe of borrowed clothes.
Three Decades, Three Silhouettes
The 1940s: Utility and Quiet Glamour
The war years and their immediate aftermath favoured small, practical shapes that still managed to look pulled-together, part of what the Imperial War Museum’s own guide to 1940s style calls the era’s “make do and mend” approach to getting dressed. Think a felt hat tilted forward over one eye, a neatly wrapped turban, or a headscarf knotted at the crown, the kind of look that suggested resourcefulness as much as style. For men, an RAF-style peaked cap or a flat cap sits comfortably in this era.
A bespoke felt hat, blocked small and set at a forward angle, is one of the easiest period pieces to get exactly right, and one of the most flattering shapes for a first-time Revival visitor to wear.
The 1950s: The Picture Hat Era
This is the decade most people picture when they think of Goodwood, and for good reason. The New Look, launched by Christian Dior in 1947 and covered in depth by the V&A’s history of the era, brought wide, structured brims, sweeping picture hats, and veiled cocktail styles built to be looked at from every angle. Proportion is everything here: a 1950s brim is generous but controlled, not floppy, with a defined crown and a crisp edge.
This is also the decade where a milliner’s construction really shows. A hat blocked properly in buckram or felt holds its shape through a long day on the lawns in a way a soft, unstructured brim simply cannot.
The 1960s: Mod Precision
By the early sixties, shapes had tightened up as the Mod aesthetic that the V&A traces through the decade took hold. The pillbox, worn level or tipped slightly, replaced the sweeping brim, and boaters and small structured hats suited the era’s cleaner lines. This is the most forgiving decade for anyone who wants a strong period look without a dramatic silhouette to manage all day.
A well-fitted pillbox is deceptively simple to wear and one of the most requested Revival commissions for exactly that reason.
A Note on 2026: La Dolce Vita
The 2026 Revival puts Italian style and passion centre stage, with The Turning Circle at Gate 2 given over to La Dolce Vita. It is a good excuse to lean into the more dramatic end of the 1950s and 1960s Italian look: oversized sunglasses, a headscarf knotted Sophia Loren-style, or a wide-brimmed straw with a bold band. A bespoke commission is the easiest way to bring that flourish in without losing the period silhouette underneath it.
The Paddock Rule
Central Paddock access carries its own, firmer dress code. Gentlemen need a jacket and tie, and ladies a dress or suit. Outside the Paddock, the code softens considerably, but “not compulsory” at Goodwood tends to mean something different from “not compulsory” anywhere else. Most visitors dress fully in period, and turning up without a hat, while allowed, will feel conspicuous in a way it simply would not at most other events.
Getting the Silhouette Right
A few things make the difference between a hat that reads as its decade and one that does not:
- Brim width and angle. Each decade has a fairly narrow, specific range. A 1950s brim that is too flat reads as generic “vintage,” not 1950s.
- Crown height and shape. A tall crown belongs to a different decade than a shallow, close one. This is where off-the-peg vintage-style hats most often go wrong.
- How it sits. Forward-tilted, level, or set back, the angle a hat is worn at is as period-specific as the hat itself.
- Veiling and trims. A short birdcage veil, a grosgrain band, a single feather: small details that a milliner gets right and a costume shop usually does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to wear a hat to the Goodwood Revival?
No, period dress is not compulsory at the Goodwood Revival. However, the majority of visitors dress fully in period, and a hat is usually the single piece that makes an outfit read as authentic rather than simply smart.
What years does the Goodwood Revival dress code cover?
The Revival recreates the years Goodwood Motor Circuit was in original use, 1948 to 1966, so period outfits typically draw from 1940s, 1950s or 1960s style rather than any other era.
Do I need a different hat for the Paddock?
Central Paddock access requires a jacket and tie for gentlemen and a dress or suit for ladies. A structured hat in keeping with either look, such as a 1950s picture hat or a 1960s pillbox, suits the Paddock’s slightly more formal standard well.
What is the best hat era for a first-time Revival visitor?
The 1960s pillbox and the 1940s tilted felt hat are both considered easier starting points than a full 1950s picture hat, since they carry a strong period silhouette without a wide brim to manage all day.
Can I hire a hat for the Goodwood Revival rather than buy one?
Yes. Heather Norman offers an in-store hat hire range, which is a practical option if you want a specific period silhouette for a single weekend without committing to a bespoke piece.
Bespoke for the Revival
A costume-shop hat will get you through the gate. A hat built to the correct proportions for your chosen decade, in the right felt or straw, blocked and trimmed by hand, is the difference between looking dressed up and looking like you stepped out of 1956. This is precisely the kind of period accuracy a bespoke commission is built for, and with the Revival in September, now is the moment to start the conversation.
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Heather Norman is a bespoke milliner based in the heart of the Cotswolds with over ten years of experience creating handmade hats for weddings, race meetings, regattas and period occasions alike. Her work has been worn at Royal Ascot, Cheltenham Races, and on screen in television drama.