Part of the appeal of the Kentucky Derby for many Americans is the focus on food, style, culture and fashion. After all, the Kentucky Derby is the richest horse race in America and celebrities are commonly found at Churchill Downs on this day. Of course, as a premiere event, people that attend the Kentucky Derby like to dress up and open a bottle of their finest bourbon.

This focus on luxury at the Kentucky Derby is one that is also taken seriously by local shop owners in the Louisville area. For this reason, our writers have spent several months gathering together all most glamorous spots in Louisville where you can find the full luxury experience for the 2013 Kentucky Derby. Written below are reviews from our website writers.

Custom and luxurious Kentucky Derby hats

This year, Louisville is especially lucky because top hat makers are making the Kentucky Derby a primary destination for their wares and skills. For example, FLO Gallery and Studio is pulling out all of the stops to make guest milliner, Joy Scott, welcome at their shop. Down in the NuLu District in Louisville’s East Market Street, more than 10 boutique shops that focus on handmade high fashion have lively Kentucky Derby hat displays in their windows.

On top of that, there are plenty of guest hat makers flying in from around America. A good example is a San Francisco-based shop called Paul’s Hats. Primarily a men’s hat store, they make and clean hats that are fine enough for Millionaire’s Row. This year, they have found a home in Louisville at two locations. One is the 21C hotel in Downtown Louisville, and the other is a pop-up store at 807 East Market Street. One of their top sellers as of May 2, 2013 is the, “Hand-woven straw hat from Ecuador commonly called the Panama Straw.”

A personalized Kentucky Derby party table

A key aspect of luxury living is personalized services from someone that you work with directly. While gourmet restaurants and catering services can give you a taste of the Kentucky Derby, it is usually based upon their own recipes. This means that you pay to get what they are offering. This means that having them set aside time to follow your family’s favorite recipes might not be an option.

If luxury food experiences are important to your Kentucky Derby party, one of the tricks to having the best is controlling the recipes. Instead of choosing a predetermined Kentucky Derby catering menu package, smaller companies will work with you closely to customize your experience. A good example of a new Kentucky Derby catering company that can use any recipe that you provide is The Spot at 1207 S 6th Street.

Top Kentucky Derby dresses and jewelry locations

One of the key aspects of visiting Louisville for the Kentucky Derby is buying dresses and jewelry for the occasion in the local community. The best places to find one-of-a-kind fashion geared specifically for Derby Day is north of Churchill Downs. In addition to the NuLu District on East Market Street near Downtown, there are boutique retailers nearby found on Bardstown Road, Frankfurt Avenue, and Shelbyville Road. Particular favorites of our writers at DerbyBetting.org are the glamorous pieces for sale by Butch Sager of Gift horse.

High fashion handmade custom dresses

Sometimes, the only way to get the height of luxury for your Kentucky Derby dress is to have someone make it from scratch. In today’s age, most dressmakers found in Louisville are focused on weddings. Thankfully, there is one local Louisville dressmaker that is making her mark in the fashion world. In addition to helping you achieve a Kentucky Derby look that she designs, Laura Fauna can help you create your own idea of a masterpiece.

Are you looking to have the hottest men’s Kentucky Derby hat for 2013? Attendants of the Kentucky Derby are going to wear a hat for more than one reason. Mainly, fans of the past did not have the luxury of applying sunscreen and needed a little bit of protection for their delicate noses. After all, the Kentucky Derby is incorrectly called the fastest two minutes in sports because it is actually an outdoor event that lasts the whole day. Although styles have changed over the years, a fancy hat is always worn by male and female Kentucky Derby attendants. Thankfully, this year, it is easy to buy a men’s hat that has as much grandeur as you want.

Classic men’s Kentucky Derby hats of the past and present

The Track Philosopher blog did an excellent job of compiling photographs of the classic Kentucky Derby style men’s hats. In the 2013 collection, the narrow and wide-brimmed Fedoras get a lot of mentions. Other current popular looks, according to this author, are the Straw Trilby Fedora, the flat cap, the Boater and the Panama hat. Naturally, if you want that to bring back classics found at the first Kentucky Derby, your main choices are the Bowler or Derby hat.

The Kentucky Derby 139 official hat

Did you know that the Kentucky Derby sells their very own men’s hats each year? The Kentucky Derby Museum staff currently sells nine different hats, and a few of them have the Kentucky Derby 139 logo. Classic styles include the Montecristi Panama Hat, the Gambler Hat, and a number of straw hats. The most common colors for these hats are natural straw (beige) and cream-colored white.

Latest men’s hats trends for 2013

While many men will go with a classic suit and hat that has a few touches of vibrant color, some men want to use the Kentucky Derby as an opportunity to wear haute couture. Thankfully, two style blogs have the right idea about classic Kentucky Derby sophisticated men’s clothing and accessories. This year the Reluctant Milliner blog is focusing on the beret, “fitting cloche-style rain caps,” and “classic British heritage with bowlers and smoking caps.” Throwing in their own suggestions for men’s hats trends for 2013, the Shoe Aristocrat Blog highly recommends the Pork Pie hat.

The perfect Kentucky Derby hat investment

When you are looking to invest serious money into a hat, you want to embrace many themes at once. Along with capturing a classic style, you will also want it to be slightly trendy to stay in vogue. Finally, you want it to fit your head perfectly and have the highest quality materials. In other words, you want to be able to be buried in this hat. During a time that most Americans are focusing more on ball caps and less on a hat that can uphold these high standards, there is one exception.

Hailing from San Francisco, Paul’s Hat Shop is also online, but makes a point of showing up in person in Louisville before the Kentucky Derby begins. Commonly found in the NuLu District, Paul’s milliners will construct a man’s hat for any customer that is fit for a king. Without a doubt, these men’s hats from Paul’s SF are perfect for Millionaire’s Row, your wedding, or any other event where you need to look refined.

Some styles of classic men’s hats offered by Paul’s San Francisco that are perfect for the 2013 Kentucky Derby are:

• Optimo
• Pork Pie
• Bowler
• Derby
• Top Hat
• Fedora

Are you looking for 2013 trends in women’s Kentucky Derby hats? Celebrating the Kentucky Derby in style means putting on your best hat and placing a bet on the race. Although most Derby hats are sold in Louisville, New York City recently had a Derby hat pop-up shop featuring milliner Brookes Boswell. Obviously, the Internet is an excellent resource for finding the perfect hat, and a little bit of advice is all you need to find one you will treasure.

Latest trends in women’s hats

Besides the occasional winter cap that is worn for warmth, most women do not buy hats. For this reason, it can be difficult to determine which hats are actually in style. After gleaning online style resources, the most frequently mentioned styles of hats for spring 2013 are the Fedora, mini-top hat, and cloche. By adding a few silk flowers, feathers, and bows, these styles of hats are Derby-ready.

Traditional Derby hats for women

Generally, the traditional Derby hats for women include a floppy brimmed style that has one accent color. Adding to this look are lots of bows, feathers, and fake flowers. While some women will want to go with the latest in haute couture, others will specifically look for the floppy Derby hat. Although many online resources have similar hats, BerkeleyHat.com has the widest range of wide-brimmed options for 2013.

Kentucky local 2013 Derby hats

Do you want an authentic Kentucky Derby hat that is actually made by someone from Kentucky? Most women in Louisville or Lexington will go to Dee’s Crafts to have their hat custom made. While there are some options for buying a hat from Dee’s online, being able to work with a milliner in person is an experience that is hard to trump. For Derby hat lovers outside of the Bluegrass, a popular option is the HatsAndVeils.net webpage for Polly Singer from Lexington. Her Derby hats are commonly seen at top horse races throughout the world and are often found in the winners’ circle. Another option popular option is the custom-made couture hats from Louisville’s Gifthorse.

Cheapest women’s hats for Derby with the latest trends

In today’s economy, everyone is looking for a way to save money. When it comes to buying one for the Kentucky Derby, you can stay within your budget and still get a hat that looks fabulous. In particular, HatsintheBelfry.com has a long list of floppy Derby hats for women for a reasonable price. Although they are not highly decorated, attaching a few silk flowers is all you need to make these hats stand out from all the others. Once the Kentucky Derby is over, you can remove the extra frills and use most of these hats to protect your skin from the summer sun. 

Do not forget to match your date

Are you planning on attending the Kentucky Derby or a related party with a date? One of the often-overlooked traditions found at Churchill Downs is the matching couple. To emulate this style, the primary accent color of your Kentucky Derby hat and outfit should match what your date is wearing. For example, men will typically wear pastel pants and blazers to the Kentucky Derby. If the man is wearing the lilac, the woman supports her pastel date by wearing the same color as much as possible.

In order to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, many people will buy a new hat. While some are searching for something fashionable and classy, others are following a humorist tradition. Over time, the weird Kentucky Derby hat has become a trend that merchants are happy to accommodate. Of course, bettors often initiate a new hat for the Kentucky Derby in hopes that it will become their lucky hat for the next year.

Obviously, having a funny hat as your lucky betting hat is something we take seriously at DerbyBetting.org. In addition to learning about gambling and the Kentucky Derby, our website also keeps up with the latest bizarre hat trends available online. A few of our favorites for 2013 are listed below.

Understanding weird hat trends of the past

For some, wearing a strange looking hat is an art form. In order to make sure your hat is unique, it pays to understand trends for odd hats over the past few years. Rounding up the best of the classics is the Girls Wearing Hats blog. Along with giving you an idea of what to avoid, this photo compilation will have you laughing out loud.

The Piper Middleton hat trend continues

Kate Middleton’s sister made quite a splash when she wore a bizarre looking hat for the royal wedding. A couple of years later, strange hats that are supposed to be fancy are likely to make their way to Kentucky Derby fans. Showing several examples of how this is already an ongoing trend is Odd Stuff Magazine’s photos series on creative hats. However, the real trick it is to find an oddball beauty like this for sale.

Thankfully, Etsy.com has the answers.

Steam Punk trend for weird and luxurious Kentucky Derby hat originals

There is one marketplace online that has a long history of being quirky. Featuring thousands of unique crafters, Etsy.com gives eccentrics a chance to purchase a memorable Kentucky Derby hat that no one else will be wearing. In particular, a seller by the name of Something Fancy Design has a mix of odd and elegant that represents both extremes of the Kentucky Derby hat experience. The way that this seller is able to appeal to a large audience is by incorporating the Steam Punk trend. Steam Punk is well-known for being focused on the weird side of luxury, and related items are likely to find their place this year at the 2013 Kentucky Derby. In particular, look out for beautifully decorated mini top hats.

Weird upgrade for recycled fascinators

The 2012 Kentucky Derby highlighted fascinators instead of hats for women. Typically, hats are the foundation for a lot of feathers and bows. Instead of using a hat, the feathers and bows were attached to the hair with a headband or clip. This year, the trend for hats in general is the close-fitting cloche or mini-top hat. Sadly, many of these hats are extremely homely and far from the oddball look most women want for their Kentucky Derby hat. In order to add more pizzazz, many women in Louisville, Kentucky report that they are planning to fasten their fascinator from last year to a plain hat. This style is being referred to as the “Mad Hatter” look that refers to the story “Alice in Wonderland.” The results are intended to be a subtle form of unique. Good examples of Mad Hatter Kentucky Derby hats are found at AwardMillineryDesign.com.

Weird Kentucky Derby hats for men in 2013

The crocheted beard hat has been circulating throughout the internet for a few years. This curious hat is undeniably weird but hardly unique enough for the shock you will want to create at a Kentucky Derby party. To find the best weird men’s hats for this year’s celebration, the 2013 Men’s Fashion Week in London has some of the strangest hats in history. A slideshow from the Mirror.co.uk reveals hats made out of piles of broken wood and headgear that looks like a child made it out of an old oatmeal container. For those of us that cannot afford these designer oddities, history offers an obvious solution. Mainly, the biggest ongoing trend for weird men’s Kentucky Derby hats is to collect miniature plastic items and glue them to a men’s hat.