Kentucky Derby outfits men, women Derby Festival Spring Fashion Show
Kentucky Derby outfit ideas for women 2025 KDF Spring Fashion Show
Get inspired by the looks from the 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival Dillard’s Spring Fashion Show.
With the 2025 Kentucky Derby just weeks away, it’s “go time!” for fashionistas with plans to attend Churchill Downs Racetrack, and the weeks of parties and special events leading up to the bucket list event.
Fortunately, since the 1990s, the Kentucky Derby Festival has provided fashion inspiration for the spring and Derby season with its annual Dillard’s Spring Fashion Show. On Thursday, the sold out runway tradition, which was held at Caesars Southern Indiana, 11999 Casino Center Drive in Elizabeth, Indiana, did not disappoint.
With veteran show producer Christine Fellingham once again at the helm, the show, themed “On Cloud 9,” focused on inspiration from the optimism and lightness of this season’s fashion trends.
“The overall theme of individuality is important this year with a focus on personalized style and breaking fashion rules,” Fellingham told the Courier Journal. “We have some of the longest maxi lengths I have ever seen, the bubble skirt is bigger, ruffles are oversized, we have a-symmetrical and handkerchief hemlines. I feel like this is a fashion season with a lot of beautiful details whether that’s embroidery in the fabric or interesting hemlines, there really isn’t a lot of right or wrong.”
In addition to fashion from Dillard’s, Fellingham curated ensembles from local boutiques including Mamili Boutique, Pineapple Paisley Boutique, Sapphire on Spring Boutique, and The Lovely Fig.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Kentucky Derby season without a wide array of hats and fascinators. For the 2025 season, Jacey Rhorer, the Lexington, Kentucky owner of Rhorer Couture Millinery, created more than 50 headpieces to top off Fellingham’s curated runway spring outfits.
“I created hats to go along with the theme of ‘On Cloud 9’ by using the colors of a bold sunset or a beautiful sunrise,” Rhorer told the Courier Journal. “I wanted the audience to be blown away by amazing hues of blue, purple and pink and yellow and also some very usual color combinations like purplish pink with orange papaya.”
The annual fashion show also features spring styles for men, who were well represented in a mix of classics and prints. Models walked the runway in navy sports coats, vests and bow ties plus monochrome suits in muted pink, heather gray, and celadon green. And for a true Derby statement, floral slacks with a coordinating jacket popped on the runway.
If you missed the show this year, not to worry — here are five major takeaways including the styles, fabric, embellishments, color and hemlines plus our gallery includes nearly every outfit worn at the Dillard’s Spring Fashion Show.
Kentucky Derby 2025 fashion trends for men, women
A sky and earth-inspired color palette
The “On Cloud 9” theme showcased tons of blue, purple, pink and yellow hues in everything from the fascinators to the shoes. Spring fashion trends also included some vibrant and unique color combos, think purplish pink with orange. Don’t be afraid to mix and match your color palette. And this goes for men, too.
Sheer and transparent fabrics
Springtime’s billowing, floaty silhouettes fit perfectly with the ethereal “On Cloud 9” theme of the show. Chiffons, tulles, sheer organza and cascading silks make up this ultra-feminine fashion trend.
Uber maxis and playful minis
From long, elegant maxi length dresses to mini and a-symmetrical hemlines, the dress length for spring and the 2025 Kentucky Derby will be almost as varied as the hemlines themselves. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try a new-to-you hemline or style.
Power pantsuits with vests instead of jackets
The spring fashion landscape includes the empowering pantsuit but with a modern twist. Although cropped jackets and capes are on trend, it’s the return of the vest that is making a splash in spring 2025. And a three-piece suit is a classic option for the men, too.
Gigantic ball skirts
A whimsical trend for spring is the bubble skirt, which is bigger and bolder for 2025. Also look for oversized ruffles, intricate details and fun embroidery on hemlines.
Reach Kirby Adams at [email protected] or Twitter @kirbylouisville.
This story was updated to add a video.
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