There is nothing quite like Ladies Day at Aintree. The atmosphere is electric, the fascinators are fearless, and somewhere across Merseyside, thousands of women are standing in front of their mirrors, carefully pinning, curling, and perfecting. Months of planning is coming to life in a single morning.
But what does it actually cost for the ‘average’ woman attending?
A day unlike any other
Ladies Day is held on the second day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse but it’s not just a day at the races. It is a full cultural moment. Around 45,000 people attended in 2025 alone, and the day has earned a global reputation for its spectacular fashion. There are style awards, sponsored by major brands, press photographers lining the entrance, and a city-wide buzz that starts building weeks in advance. Liverpool’s own identity is intertwined with it. As one hat hire expert put it, Aintree is simply “the most glamorous” race day in the country, bar none.
If you wanted to take part in this cultural phenomenon led by some incredible women, what would it cost?
The real spend: Let’s break it down
Here’s the part nobody posts on Instagram. The full picture, item by item, of what Ladies Day can actually cost:
| Item | Typical Spend |
| Outfit (dress or co-ord) | £80 – £500+ |
| Shoes | £40 – £150 |
| Bag | £30 – £120 |
| Fascinator or hat | £20 – £80 (or £30–£60 to hire) |
| Hair appointment | £50 – £120 |
| Makeup appointment | £40 – £100 |
| Lashes | £20 – £50 |
| Nails | £30 – £60 |
| Spray tan | £20 – £40 |
| Travel | £15 – £40 |
| Drinks & food on the day | £40 – £100+ |
| Realistic total | £385 – £1,360+ |
One makeup artist at Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar in Liverpool noted that women can spend around £200 on beauty alone for Ladies Day and some have their hair and makeup booked for months, long before they’ve even secured a ticket. We’ve spoken to women who spent closer to £1,000 on their outfit alone, wanting something nobody else would be wearing.
And that is before a drop of Prosecco has been poured.
The buy-new trap
Here’s something the event quietly encourages that we’re not a huge fan of here at Financielle: buying new, every single time.
New outfit. New shoes to match. New bag. New nails, new lashes, new tan, new hair. The ritual of getting ready is genuinely part of the joy. We’re not pretending otherwise. That morning getting ready with your friends, the music on, everyone taking turns in the mirror, is one of the most fun parts of any big event.
But the pressure to buy new for all of it, every year, is where the joy starts to cost you. Many young ladies are relying on alternative ways to fund this annual day out. Credit cards, Buy Now Pay Later, borrowing from family. Is buying new every time really worth getting into debt for?
Interiors and fashion influencer Sarah Reed (@thecopperbeechouse) is a regular Aintree Race Day attendee and she shares with us her view on the pressure to buy new each year.
“After years working in fashion, where there was constant pressure to be seen in something new, I’ve completely changed the way I dress. Partly it’s practical, I’d rather spend money on my family and home, but it’s also about values. I genuinely hate waste and the thought of an expensive dress worn once sitting in my wardrobe kills me!
I still love fashion, but loving fashion doesn’t have to mean buying new. I focus on pieces that work hard in my wardrobe — like a sequin skirt I can wear dressed up on Christmas Day or dressed down with trainers and an oversized knit worn during the day.
For the races this year, I’ll be rewearing an outfit I recently wore to an International Women’s Day event. I felt great in it then, and I know I will again — so why buy something new just for the sake of it? There’s something really satisfying about “shopping” your own wardrobe and realising how much value you already have.
It really helps to know your personal style and what suits you. I have a clear sense of what works for me and what I feel comfortable in, and while I’ll add newness occasionally to keep things fresh, I trust my instincts — if I don’t want to wear something straight away, then I know I need to return it!”
How to plan for a financially savvy ladies day
This year’s Ladies Day is well and truly upon us but we’ve gathered our top tips to help take you through to your next glamorous event.
Plan early, spend less. The women who spend the most are often the ones who left it too late and panic-bought. Give yourself time to shop around, compare, and find pieces you genuinely love.
Borrow and rewear with intention. A fascinator from a friend, wearing shoes in neutral colours and utilising wardrobe staples like blazers can help keep spending lean.
Hat hire is brilliant. A fabulous statement for a fraction of the purchase price, with zero storage headache afterwards.
Set your total budget before you start spending, not after. Write it down. Assign amounts to each category. Stick to it. The dress budget does not get to steal from the nails budget, they both need to fit within the whole.
Learn how to create your very own sinking funds here
Share the beauty appointments. Getting a group booking at a salon often brings the price down. Plus, it turns the getting-ready phase into the event it deserves to be.
Second-hand and rental are having a moment. With the Style Awards now actively recognising the Most Sustainably Dressed attendee, wearing something pre-loved or rented is not just financially smart… it might actually win you a prize.
You deserve to be there, looking exactly as fabulous as you want to look, without the dread of checking your bank account on the way home.
Plan it. Budget for it. Love every second of it.
And remember: the woman who looks the most effortlessly incredible is always the one who feels the most comfortable in what she’s wearing, not the one who spent the most.
The content produced by Financielle is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice