Michelle Monaghan was the surprise guest at the 2025 Derby Day held at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday in Melbourne, and I’ll be honest — I was expecting something very different from her.
Michelle usually brings an effortless, unfussy kind of glamour, but this Altuzarra Spring 2026 dress had me puzzled from the moment I saw it.
Derby Day isn’t just another day at the races — it’s historically one of the more elegant dress-code moments on the Australian fashion calendar. And while I’m not saying everyone must lean into tradition, a thigh-high slit felt like a mismatch for the tone of the event. Maybe I’ve internalised the Ascot rulebook a little too deeply, but there’s an unspoken etiquette here, and this dress just didn’t align.
Then we get to the styling. The Magda Butrym hat made sense — Derby Day loves a hat. But pairing it with a black Brandon Blackwood bag and Saint Laurent heels threw, a disjointed look even more off balance. The accessories felt like they belonged to a completely different outfit.
I genuinely enjoy Michelle’s red carpet style — she usually understands silhouette, tone, and edit. But this look lacked cohesion. It happens to the best of them, but this one won’t be going in her highlight reel.
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