Derby and Oaks Day, 1936

In 1936, Melbourne Cup style was all about the furs and hats. While thankfully real fur is no longer fashionable, there is still no separating Oaks Day and couture headwear. In the 1930s however, hats were not just race day fashion, they were popular all year round, with Melbourne’s socialites flocking to the exclusive millinery salons clustered around Collins Street in the CBD. Victoria’s leading milliner Thomas Harrison’s salon at 163 Collins Street was considered a fashion destination. Furnished in the Louis XV style, it stocked the latest designs from France and London, although most women preferred a Harrison creation, designed specifically for them. There was a certain amount of conformity to interwar