‘Just having a look. Actually, no, we’re not. I’m going to the races and I’m really not sure what to wear.’
‘You're in the right place,' the woman smiled. ‘By the way, I'm Sophie.’
‘I'm Cally and this is my friend, Eloise. She came along for a bit of moral support. I’ve never been to the races before.’
The assistant rubbed her hands together. ‘Ooh, you’re in for a right treat then. What section will you be in?’
‘Section?’
‘Sorry, I meant what enclosure? So we know the dress code.’
Cally suddenly went blank for a second or two. She fumbled in her bag, pulling out the slightly crumpled invitation. She squinted at it before looking up.‘The Royal Enclosure.’
The woman gaped. ‘Wow, right, okay. Hold on a minute, I’ll get Barbara.’
A few minutes later, an older, impeccably dressed woman emerged from the back. Her silver hair was coiffed perfectly into a chignon, and she carried herself with an air of quiet authority. Barbara beamed and put a pair of half-moon glasses on as she approached. ‘Hello, there. I hear you’re going to the Royal Enclosure. What an absolute treat. Lucky you!’
‘Yes.’ Cally gulped. She felt far from lucky. ‘I have nothing to wear and no idea.’
Barbara raised her eyebrows, looked Cally up and down and smiled. ‘Oh, don’t you worry about that. You have nothing to worry about in the slightest.’
‘No?’
Eloise smiled. ‘See, I told you.’
‘We do all the worrying for you,’ Sophie added.
‘Right.’
Barbara squinted over the top of her glasses. ‘And you, my lovely, you, are going to look amazing. Trust me. I know a good start when I see one.’
Sophie beamed. ‘Barbara is an absolute expert at this, aren’t you?’
Barbara nodded. ‘I am, indeed. If there is one thing I know, it’s what to wear to the races. I’ve been doing this job for a very long time. Too long, some might say!’
Eloise rubbed her hands together. ‘Let the fun begin.’
For the next ten minutes, Cally found herself in a whirlwind of fabric and fashion advice. Barbara and Sophie knew what they were doing. They were so nice about it, too, and worked together seamlessly, pulling dresses from racks and discussing colours and cuts in a language that seemed foreign to Cally. She sucked it up and went with the flow. Newly confident Cally was quite enjoying the ride.
Barbara handed Cally the first dress to try on. ‘The Royal Enclosure has very strict rules. Dresses and skirts should be of modest length, falling just above the knee or longer. We know the ins and outs of it. Everything here is designed to conform.’
Cally nodded, disappearing into the plush changing room. She emerged a few moments later in a pink dress with cap sleeves, feeling like a sack of potatoes with a belt in the middle.
Eloise clapped her hands together. ‘Oh, that's lovely!’
But Barbara shook her head. ‘Gosh, no. Dreadful. The colour washes you out and that is not the shape for you. Let's try something else.’
Back into the changing room, Cally went. This time, she came out in a navy blue dress with a high neckline and long bell sleeves.
Eloise shook her head and Barbara pursed her lips. ‘Too severe,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘We want to accentuate everything about you. You are very easy to work with, isn’t she Sophie?’
Sophie nodded and chuckled. ‘Very.’
The next dress, a yellow, fairly flowing affair, was promptly vetoed for being too casual. A black and white polka dot number Barbara felt was trying too hard on Cally’s small frame and a flowing maxi dress in emerald green had Cally tripping over the hem.
‘This is hopeless,’ Cally sighed, slumping onto a velvet ottoman outside the changing room. ‘Maybe I'm just not cut out for this.’
Barbara rolled her eyes. ‘Nonsense. We just haven't found the right dress yet. Dresses are like love – when you find the right one, you'll know.’
