Only in England could 150,000 people be persuaded to throw themselves headfirst into the vintage spirit of the Goodwood Revival, year on year. Around 90% of the capacity crowd dresses appropriately, from tweed suits with knee-length socks to complex, Hollywood-worthy outfits that, clearly, have been prepared over a course of months. In addition to racing regalia, the British military serves as a great source for ideas – from teasing nurses to burly bomber pilots. We even spotted a ‘recently downed’ paratrooper, dragging his chute behind him.
As always at Goodwood, the more extravagant the outfit, the better. Generously Brylcreemed chain-smoking Rockabillies and bikini-clad Californian beauties mixed it with immaculately turned out mods (and, of course, their freshly polished Vespas) and a group of cheerful, skirt-chasing French monks.
There was simply not enough time to appreciate the attention to detail and lengths people went to in order to stand out. DK Engineering’s racing team, for example, entrusted Beaufort & Blake with designing their contemporary burgundy overalls. We were amazed to see such pleasure in masquerade, and vow to prepare our outfits a little earlier next year!
Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2016
