Some women start looking for their outfits and book hair appointments for the big day months in advance

Fashion in Liverpool is on a high according to local business owners, as the city heads into its Grand National weekend.

The Jockey Club sets no formal dress code for race days at Aintree, yet over the years an unspoken one has developed. If Ascot is known for its pretty pastels, and Cheltenham for its heritage checks, then Aintree is the bolder sister – doused in bright colours and standout headwear, bodycon dresses and towering heels.

Ladies Day, on Friday, “isn’t like any other race day,” according to a Jockey Club spokesperson. “This one is for the ‘here to be seen’ers’ and the ‘go glamorous or go home’ers’.”

There has, historically, been a tabloid attempt “to make a mockery of those daring to have a good time” at Aintree, according to the Liverpool Echo writer Catherine Murphy. In 2019, she wrote an open letter to the Daily Mail.

It is true that attendees at this particular racing event have been picked on in the press – paparazzi photographers hover, deliberately snapping unsuspecting revellers in unflattering poses to goad the comment box.

Go glamorous or go home: Racegoers arrive for Ladies' Day at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, April 2023 - AP