If you plan on going to the Royal Ascot in June, better take note of the new dress code!

Off with their fascinators! Ascot's new dress code bans fancy head wear from royal enclosure

LONDON - They're good enough for the former Kate Middleton, but apparently not good enough for her husband's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Fascinators — the delicate, whimsical pieces of head wear favoured by the young and posh in Britain and beyond — have been banned from the royal enclosure at Royal Ascot, one of the most exclusive events in Britain's social calendar.

Organizers said Wednesday that those hoping to rub shoulders with the queen at the horse racing meet would have to stick to hats, no fascinators.

It's the latest in a series of rules aimed at tightening the dress code at Ascot, where organizers have tried to push back against the proliferation of provocative outfits, outrageous accessories and revealing tops.

Other rules introduced or reinforced Wednesday include the requirement that women at the royal enclosure wear dresses that fall below the knee and that the men accompanying them must wear a top hat (grey or black).

The queen can wear whatever she wants, but the guidelines affect the royal enclosure, which usually includes a few hundred invited guests, not just the royal family.

Some of the rules — no bare midriffs or strapless dresses for example — fall in line with organizers' attempts to roll back the nouveau-riche nightclub look, but fascinators are favoured by the highest reaches of the upper-crust.

Kate Middleton, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge, is a fan. So, too, are princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and other fashion-forward royals.

Nick Smith, Ascot's head of communication, acknowledged that "there is an argument that some fascinators are formal."

"But the very fact that there is that argument" was reason enough to ban them from the royal enclosure — where the queen gathers with the cream of British aristocracy to watch the races.

"Some fascinators have become so small that they're nothing more than a hairband and a feather," he added.

So did Elizabeth call up to say: "Off with their fascinators!"

Smith laughed. "No, that doesn't happen," he said. "We set the rules."

Still, he noted that organizers were in touch with the queen's staff and he said it would be "unlikely that we'd put something in place that she'd be uncomfortable with."

The next Ascot takes place in June.

By Raphael Satter, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press

Ladies are kindly reminded that formal day wear is a requirement in the Royal Enclosure, defined as follows:

• Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer;
• Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater;
• Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Royal Enclosure dress code;
• Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour;
• Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of 4 inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat.
• Ladies are kindly asked to note the following:
• Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch (2.5cm) are not permitted;
• Midriffs must be covered;
• Fascinators are no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (4 inches / 10cm).

Gentlemen are kindly reminded that it is a requirement to wear either black or gray morning dress which must include:

• A waistcoat and tie (no cravats); and
• A black or grey top hat; and
• Black shoes.
• A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, a private box, a private club or that facility's terrace, balcony or garden. Hats may also be removed within any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden.
• The customisation of top hats (with, for example, coloured ribbons or bands) is not permitted in the Royal Enclosure.