Photos show the biggest and best hats from the 2023 Kentucky Derby
Elana Klein
- May 6, 2023, marked the 149th Annual Kentucky Derby.
- The annual event held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, is a big day for hat-lovers.
Majestic horses are just one of the main attractions of the annual Kentucky Derby. The well-known horse race is also known for the unique, over-the-top hats worn by fashionable attendees.
According to the Kentucky Derby website, hats are the "focus of Derby fashion" and are believed to bring good luck to racegoers. Hats are such an important part of the event's dress code that the Derby website advises that guests to "keep it simple" with the rest of their outfits "so it doesn't take away from your hat."
Kim Kardashian West, Sarah Hyland, and Jessica Simpson are just a few of the many celebrities who have shown up to the event wearing extravagant headpieces over the years. Even the late Queen Elizabeth II has previously participated in the custom.
Here's some of the most glamorous headwear attendees sported at the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
This attendee wore an eccentric red hat with feathers springing out of its center.
This guest chose a broad, white hat covered in leaf and flower appliqués.
Sofia Pernas posed with Justin Hartley while wearing a simple red hat decorated with roses.
Another guest wore a black hat full of interesting details, including feathers, mesh, and a large red rose as its centerpiece.
This guest went for a simple, sheer hat with a thin, black outline. Its floral details gave it some flair.
This attendee's headpiece gave the illusion of a swarm of blue butterflies.
This attendee's white hat appeared to have a plant growing out of its center.
This racegoer wore a headpiece of light-pink flowers decorated with stems of blooming buds.
Brittany Mahomes posed with her husband, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, in a simple pink hat decorated with a tall, purple feather.
This Derby fan's whimsical, floral helmet was topped with roses and toy horses.
This attendee's black hat was surrounded by a ring of oversized feathers.
Model Maria Montgomery paired her hat — which stood out with an oversized flower — with a purple dress of a similar hue.
The popular rose motif was taken to the next level with this bright-red, feather-lined hat topped with a gigantic flower.
Singer Carly Pearce kept it relatively simple with a blue headband that matched the skirt of her dress. Still, the floral details on her headwear made it stand out.
Floppy, feathery, and floral, this guest's voluminous hat made a statement.
Intricate swirls of sequins decorated this flat headpiece that strayed from the typical aesthetic of Derby hats.
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