Oaks Day 2017: best dressed celebrities in the Birdcage

Ah Oaks Day. For many celebrities, it’s the final thrill of being in hair and make-up at 4am before they can put back on their active wear until the summer polo season.

For us, it’s the last chance before Christmas really to see what each stylist/celebrity has in their deck.

After the fervour of Cup Day, Oaks Day is often an anti-climax both fashion wise and in the celebrity stakes. But this year, there were some stunning looks, with many women donning suffragette white, or staying on trend with explosions of pink and red.

Here are the best looks of the day (in no particular order).

Jennifer Hawkins

It’s hard when you’re the face of Myer to have your smile glued to your face for three days, lest some sneaky pap photographer catch you in a snarl/growl/looking bored. So no wonder JHawk was literally glowing on the racing equivalent of TGIF for most celebrities (except the die hards who do Stakes Day). In white Roland Mouret, this dress is everything. Her millinery was mostly MIA but hey, Oaks Day is like casual Friday.

Nadia Bartel

When a celebrity has a racing formula that works – in Nadia Bartel’s case, a fitted, one-shoulder dress – it’s sometimes best not to mess with it. We loved her Cup Day headpiece by Viktoria Novak and the dress was pretty, just not together. Thankfully on Oaks Day, Bartel pulled out her best look of the whole racing season, frill and all. Bonus points for the contrasting hot pink shoes.

Nadia Bartel Photo: AAP

Frances Abbott

I have a serious girl crush on the daughter of the former prime minister. Rolling up on Myer’s black carpet, Abbott said she nearly went into her bodybuilding poses when asked to stop for photos. Thankfully her Misha dress had sleeves that were buttoned to her body, meaning she couldn’t raise her arms more than about 20 degrees.

Frances Abbott Photo: AAP

Emma Davenport

OK, so it’s a little Sex and the City in the execution but this ballerina inspired dress by Sonia Cappellazzo, who has done some of the best looks of the week (Elyse Knowles, Jessie Murphy) is total Oaks Day perfection. Frothy with just a hint of scuba badass around the waist, we were stalking the Channel Seven personality all afternoon to see if we can borrow it for the Christmas party.

Laura Henshaw

This fitness blogger/model/law student’s smile alone could power Flemington for a week. In dusky pink Demkiw, with a hot pink headpiece with just the right amount of veiling and a swinging statement earring, this is Oaks Day wrapped up in one outfit. One of the best of the day.

Jessie Murphy

Someone give this WAG a medal for staying power. It’s not easy to pound that Birdcage pavement for three days straight, let alone with a baby strapped to your belly. But she makes it look effortless.

Usain Bolt

Can we all please give it up for this man and his fashion prowess? While most blokes from Australian celebrity life nick down to MJ Bale for yet another blue suit (albeit a very nice one), Usain brings the “I don’t give two f–ks” to the Birdcage, while managing to stay out of the headlines, which is why he’s one of our best guests of the week.