Small wins at the Spring Carnival

Headbands are an indispensable accessory for this year’s Spring Racing Carnival and a small boutique in Macauley Rd is getting in early with its fashion promotions.

Mary wasn’t in the market for a new outfit when she dropped by on her lunch break and tried one on.

“I follow a few celebrities on Insta and a couple of emerging stylists,” she told North West City News.

“Headbands have made a big comeback, the more sparkly the better, and gold jewellry, the more the better.”

Luckily for those on a budget, the headbands retail at Coco Charlie for $69 and gold chains begin at a little over $20.

Business owner Ross Surace has ordered a box of headbands to be on the safe side. He doesn’t want a repeat of last year when the fascinators arrived too late.

“Last year was a disaster,” Ross said. It was touch and go whether the carnival would even be staged because of COVID restrictions.

Then when it did go ahead, numbers were capped. Sales moved slowly and the memory still hurts.

“We’d been closed for so long and we were paying back COVID rent. This year could change all that,” Ross said.

He’s catering for a range of tastes including knock-off green handbags, flowing dresses and new stock is still arriving.

He was getting ready early this year, setting up his window display in the first week of October, even beating Fashion Week.

“The colours are really important. They have to blend,” he said as he arranged the outfits.

A silk dress in brilliant jockey’s colours was pride of place but other more subtle tans were included to match up while keeping a sense of aesthetics.

Ross said that Kensington women didn’t dress up much and that most of his customers came from further afield.

Over-sized straw hats might appeal to locals, and suits, which will be arriving soon.

“A big thing this year is a boy look, a nice, tailored suit with an oversized jacket.”

Coco Charlie is the closest women’s fashion shop in Kensington to the racecourse.

With pundits predicting a downturn in the economy, punters at the Spring Racing Carnival might have to make do with small wins this year.

Not everyone wants a complete outfit but many like to keep up with fashions on the field. •

Photo caption 1: Mary modelling a headband on her lunch break.

Photo caption 2: Ross Surace setting up his Spring Carnival window display.