Dressing Goodwood: Revival Style
A Celebration of Motor Racing and Style
The Goodwood Revival is a celebration of the circuit’s motor racing heyday prior to its closure in 1966, when Stirling Moss suffered a near-fatal crash. Today, the Revival is not just about classic cars and motorcycles raced at breakneck speeds by the world’s finest drivers and teams—it has become a celebration of heritage, glamour, and timeless style.
It attracts icons such as Dita Von Teese, David Gandy, and this year Richard E. Grant (sporting Ralph Lauren, no less).
First Encounters at Revival
I first attended Goodwood Revival with tailoring house A Suit That Fits, who dressed the Bonhams auctioneers in matching tweeds for the car and automobilia sale. We had a stand in the auction tent, offering tailoring services alongside rows of gleaming classics fetching tens, even hundreds of thousands—and occasionally, the odd £1 million.
It was a heady mix of craftsmanship, cars, and conversation with connoisseurs who valued good tailoring as much as fine motoring.
Dressing the Part
At Goodwood Revival, dressing the part has always been de rigueur. The entire event is a time capsule of style: Mods and Rockers, Swinging Sixties, Roaring Thirties, Land Girls, Squadron Leaders—you’ll find them all.
Yet amid the sea of immaculately turned-out visitors, the most impeccable I encountered were often German and Austrian Revival-goers, whose tailors were clearly kept busy. With velvet jackets in umber, perfectly cut flannel trousers, and stout ankle boots ready for Goodwood’s quagmire, they wore tradition with flair and panache.
It was through meeting these elegant Revival regulars that I first discovered the concept of contemporary vintage: clothing inspired by history, but not bound by it. This is the philosophy that underpins Brown in Town: classical tailoring as a guide, not a limitation—looking back to move forward, blending heritage with instinct and creativity.
Meet, Make and Mend
Vintage clothing is not only sustainable but often remarkably cost-effective—if you can find the right size and colour. This is where our own Saffron Darby comes in with her Meet Make Mend workshops, resurrecting garments and extending their stories.
It was here, in July, that we met Emily Martin @mlyema
a muse arrives
Emily arrived in unforgettable style: a mint-condition 1957 Clarendon Grey Morris Minor 1000, restored by her own hand, paired with a polka-dot skirt and lace blouse. She was clearly someone who lived and breathed vintage—not just in dress, but in spirit.
Mechanics have been in her blood from a early age, learning at her father’s side while restoring classic Bugatis. Today, she was following that path professionally at a classic car workshop, where some of the world’s most revered machines are brought back to life.
Alongside repairing two treasured wool jumpers at Meet Make Mend, Emily was also preparing her outfit for none other than Goodwood Revival.
Touching cloth
It was then that I suggested dressing her for the event, a proposition Emily embraced wholeheartedly. We met below decks at Bangshanky to pore over cloths that would strike the right chord—vintage in appeal, flattering in cut, and practical for someone who might well find herself lying in the road mid-rally. Tweed, we decided, was the only sensible choice.
When Emily opened the Holland & Sherry Moorland Tweed collection, one cloth seemed to leap out: a blue, red and brown gun club check on a tan background. Against her complexion it sang, and I had a strong feeling we had found the cloth.
Time was tight, we barely had the suit ready in time for Revival— but the results were nothing short of magical.
best in show
On the Saturday of Revival, Emily wore her Brown in Town three-piece tweed suit with elegance and confidence. No official prizes were awarded that day, but she was the best dressed.
You may spot her wearing it again at the London to Brighton rally, Beaulieu Autojumble, and—if the weather allows—become a timeless classic back at Goodwood Revival itself.
Vintage: Effortless for Some, a Labour of Love for Others
For the old guard, it may feel that vintage is simply a way of life and it is effortless to dress for Revival—their wardrobes already full of authentic vintage pieces, accumulated over decades rather than renewed each season. For visitors and staff, however, they go to great lengths to capture the spirit of the era, whether in carefully sourced original pieces or in modern clothing inspired by the style of the day.
Goodwood Revival isn’t just a celebration of motor racing—it’s a stage where style, heritage, and individuality shine just as brightly as the cars themselves. Whether you lean towards the dashing charm of the 1930s, the rakish flair of the 1960s, or something uniquely your own, there’s a Revival style waiting to be discovered.