Goodwood Revival 2026 — We'll Be There. Here's What to Wear.
There are events in the British calendar that require you to dress. Not merely to be clothed, but to dress — with intention, with an understanding of the occasion, and with some awareness that the clothes themselves are part of what makes the day.
Goodwood Revival is one of them.
The world's most spectacular historic motor racing event, Goodwood Revival is an immersive celebration of vintage cars and fashion — transporting visitors to the golden age of motor racing, from 1948 to 1966, an era when every car, garment and accessory was built to last. For three days in September, the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex becomes the closest thing Britain has to a living, breathing archive of how things used to be done — and how well they were done. Goodwood
Laird London will be there. We are there every year. And if you are attending — or considering it — here is what you need to know.
A Brief History of Goodwood Revival
The Goodwood Motor Circuit has a history that predates the Revival by half a century. The circuit was established on the estate of Goodwood House by Frederick March, the ninth Duke of Richmond, and first opened for racing in September 1948. It became one of Britain's most celebrated racing venues through the 1950s and into the 1960s — a tight, technically demanding track that attracted the finest drivers of the era, among them Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, and Graham Hill.
The circuit closed in 1966, ostensibly on safety grounds, and remained dormant for over thirty years. In the autumn of 1998, motor racing returned to Goodwood for the first time since the closure of the famous Motor Circuit — and the Goodwood Revival was born. It has since grown into something that no other event in the world quite replicates: the only historic motorsport event staged entirely in period dress, with modern cars refused entry to the circuit on race days.
The Revival draws the finest historic racing talent and a constellation of famous faces from motorsport and beyond. In 2026, expect star-studded grids featuring celebrated drivers, among them the legendary Jenson Button. The event also honours two legends this year — Barry Sheene, 50 years on from his first World Championship triumph, and Sir Jack Brabham, on the 60th anniversary of his third World Championship.
It is, in short, a weekend that takes Britain's past seriously — and celebrates it with considerable style.
La Dolce Vita — The 2026 Theme
New for 2026, the Revival steps into La Dolce Vita — the sweet life — where chic Italian style, passion and romance weave their way through an unforgettable weekend. The theme is a nod to the glamour of 1950s and 60s Italy — the era of Ferrari at its most romantic, of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, of a continent rebuilding itself with extraordinary elegance.
For dressing purposes, La Dolce Vita is a gift. It opens the door to a slightly looser, more continental interpretation of period dress — linen suits, open collars, straw hats with wide brims — while keeping the essential requirement of the Revival intact: that you look as though you have made an effort, and that the effort was worth making.
Which brings us to the hat.
What to Wear to Goodwood Revival 2026
The Revival has a dress code. It is not enforced with the rigidity of a black-tie dinner, but it is taken seriously — by the organisers, by the regulars, and by the overwhelming majority of attendees who arrive in period dress because they want to, not because they have been told to.
Tweeds and trilbies for the men. Frocks and furs for the ladies. That is the shorthand. The reality is more nuanced — and more interesting.
For men, the default is a well-cut suit or sports jacket in a period-appropriate fabric: tweed, flannel, herringbone, or — given the La Dolce Vita theme — linen. The collar is collared. The shoes are leather. And the hat, if worn, is worn properly.
A trilby sits well with a lounge suit and works across the widest range of outfits. A flat cap is appropriate and comfortable for a long day on your feet. A panama or wide-brim straw hat suits the La Dolce Vita theme particularly well — lightweight, considered, and exactly right for a warm September afternoon in West Sussex.
For women, the Revival offers some of the most genuinely enjoyable dressing opportunities in the British events calendar. The 1950s silhouette — nipped waist, full skirt, gloves — is the most recognised interpretation, but the 1960s shift dress, a wide-brim hat, and a pair of low heels is equally correct and considerably more comfortable for navigating a motor circuit.
The hat is, in both cases, not optional. It is the detail that completes the look — and at an event where the look is the point, it is worth choosing carefully.
Find Laird London at Goodwood Revival 2026
We will have our stand at the Revival on 18–20 September, as we do every year. You will find us among the traders and independent makers that line the Revival's shopping paddock — the part of the weekend that most attendees discover is as much of an attraction as the racing itself.
On the stand this year you will find:
Trilby hats — in fine wool felt and rabbit felt. The most versatile hat at the Revival and the one we sell most of over the weekend.
Flat caps — in tweed, wool, and British linen for those leaning into the La Dolce Vita warmth. The linen flat cap in particular has become a quiet favourite at summer events.
Panama hats — hand-blocked toquilla straw, hand-finished. For anyone who wants to honour the La Dolce Vita theme properly.
Baker boy caps — eight-panel, structured crown. Suits the 1960s end of the Revival's period range and works particularly well with a linen suit or a cotton roll-neck.
Women's occasion hats — wide-brim styles suited to the Revival's particular combination of glamour and outdoors.
If you know what you're looking for before you arrive, we are always happy to discuss styles, sizing, and fit. If you'd rather browse and decide on the day, the stand is the place to do it — trying a hat in person, in the context of an outfit, remains the best way to find the right one.
Why the Right Hat Matters at Goodwood
There is a version of Goodwood Revival attendance that involves a period costume hired for the weekend, worn once, and returned on Monday. That version is fine. The Revival welcomes everyone.
But there is another version — the one most regulars gravitate toward over time — that involves building a collection of pieces that are worn to Goodwood and then worn elsewhere. A trilby that goes to the Revival in September and to a wedding in June. A flat cap that works at the circuit and on a Saturday in the country. A panama that travels.
This is, in a sense, what the Revival is actually about. The event connects its attendees to an era of enduring value — a time when clothes and cars were built to last a lifetime. The best souvenir of Goodwood is not a programme or a photograph. It is something you wear again.
A Laird hat is made for exactly that. Come and find us on the 18th.
Laird London at Goodwood Revival 2026
18–20 September · Goodwood Motor Circuit · West Sussex
Browse the full collection before you arrive: Men's Hats · Caps · Panama Hats · Trilby Hats
