Best Dressed: Submission Guide

To be eligible to enter the 2025 Best Dressed Competition, you must fulfil and agree to abide by the criteria specified in the Competition Terms and Conditions, which includes (but is not limited to) the following: 

• Must be 18 years of age or more as at the day of final judging, Thursday 6 November 2025
• No items in the outfit are permitted to promote commercially a brand, store or designer
• Entrants must not be dressed by or styled by a designer or milliner
• Must not receive any compensation from a third party for participating in this competition
• Must not be 2024 winner of the Best Dressed or Best Suited Competition
• Must not enter the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field Millinery Award and/or Emerging Designer Award competitions as a milliner or a designer
• Must not be a current or previous employee or representative of the promoter
• Entrants are not permitted to alter or add to their design in any way from the beginning until the end of the competition
• Physical attendance will be required for the successful Finalists
• Unless otherwise stated, all prizes awarded to the entrant must remain the property of the entrant and are not transferable, exchangeable or redeemable for cash
• Eligibility of submitted images is to be determined at the promoter's discretion. For the avoidance of doubt, images from any separate competition will not be accepted.

Our judges consider the following criteria when selecting finalists: 

• The originality of the outfit. Make the outfit your own and show us how your ensemble expresses your personality!
• The appropriateness of the outfit for the Fashions on the Field Competition Best Dressed, at the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
• Suitability of the outfit for a daytime, race day event. Remember you are styling an outfit for a day at the races!
• The understanding and display of style, fashion trends and individuality. Use inspiration from current trends to accentuate your own individuality!
• Use of millinery including hats, fascinators, head bands, tiaras, flower laurels, hair scarves.
• Attention to detail, including accessories; ties, pocket squares, jewellery, bag and shoes.
• Grooming and deportment, hair, make-up and grooming can tie your entry together. 
• How the entire outfit is complementary and fits together - make sure all elements of you outfit work together.
• National Dress will be accepted if the above selection criteria is met. 

The competition is open to Australia and New Zealand residents only via the digital platform or on course during the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The combination of jacket and shorts falls under the definition of Best Suited where the jacket and shorts are made of the same or coordinated fabric and are designed to be worn together. 

Best Suited, from the Terms and Conditions for the Best Suited Competition “For the purpose of the Competition, Best Suited is defined as a set of outer clothes made of the same or coordinated fabric and designed to be worn together, typically consisting of jacket and trousers or a jacket and skirt”

Best Dressed, Best Suited typically requires a jacket, per clause 7 of Terms and Conditions for both categories.

Yes, you can enter different outfits in different competitions. However, you cannot enter the same outfit into both Best Dressed and Best Suited in the Digital Competition. It is important to note, you will be judged according to the criteria of competition you enter. 

You can submit up to four outfits in each digital category and compete on-course in one competition per day. However, you can only be a finalist in one competition, per outfit. For example, if you become a finalist in the Best Dressed Digital Competition, you will not be eligible to be an entrant in the Best Suited Digital Competition wearing the same outfit.

We recommend no more than 50 words, this is optional and up to the discretion of the entrant; however, we see this as an opportunity to highlight the outfit.

The 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival competition will be a live show in the Fashion on the Field marquee on The Club Lawn. Over Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day and Crown Oaks Day there will be a series of Promenades, Finals and Daily Finals to award Daily Winners the opportunity to compete in the Grand Final on Crown Oaks Day.

For Best Dressed and Best Suited there will be three opportunities to enter the daily competitions via the Promenades during Melbourne Cup Carnival: Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day and Crown Oaks Day. More information to come regarding timings and process.