What are the most popular colours for 2016–2017 you ask?

• pastel colours will be everywhere; various shades of blue, pale, pink lilac and soft grey and silver
• white and ivory
• orange in shades of tangerine, papaya and pumpkin
• black and white for Derby Day, of course!

However, you don’t necessarily want a hat that is exactly the same colour as your dress, we can get much more creative than that these days. You can match your headwear with your accessories, shoes, bag, jewellery – with current trends, there is great flexibility in putting colours together. Even your manicure and lippy can be enough to tie your outfit together.

Get creative this year, here is some hat and fascinator inspiration of some of our favourites from Melbourne Cup 2016.

The 2016 Melbourne Cup races at Flemingon Racecourse, Jesse Habermann & Marc Murphy

Jessica Kahawaty, Picture by Juli Karacoudis

Tim Robards & Anna Heinrich. Picture: Christan Gilles