Royal Ascot

Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of Ladies Day, where fashion rules are flouted and convention is not the word to use. The hats were just a small part of the fashion on the show at Ascot this year. The hats worn by the race-goers were bigger, better and bolder than ever. Here's our pick of the headgear turning heads at this year's Ladies Day. A race-goer wearing ornate hats pass through the turnstiles as they arrive on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot in England. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race goer wears an ornate hat on the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot in England on June, 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Zara Phillips in the Parade ring on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse meeting Ascot in England on June 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer with a hat showing a cigarette in an ashtray arrives for Ladies Day on the third day of racing at the Royal Ascot meeting on June 21, 2007. (Reuters/Toby Melville)

Race-goers arrive for the start of the Royal Ascot race meeting in Berkshire, southern England on June 17, 2008. (Reuters/Alessia Pierdomenico)

Princess Beatrice waves to the crowd on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives for the second day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting in Ascot in England on June, 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A Woman wearing a butterfly-covered hat arrives at Ascot racecourse during 'Ladies Day' at Royal Ascot in southern England on June 19, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl de Souza)

British Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren arrives to attend the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Steve Parsons)

Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his Junior Wife Princess Haya bint Al Hussein are pictured at Ascot racecourse during 'Ladies Day' at Royal Ascot in southern England on June 19, 2008. (AFP Photo)

British model Lisa Snowdon on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June, 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer wears an ornate hat on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer wears an ornate hat on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot, England on June 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A woman wearing colourful hats are pictured at Ascot racecourse during 'Ladies Day' at Royal Ascot in southern England on June 19, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl de Souza)

A woman wearing an outlandish hat arrives at Ascot racecourse during 'Ladies Day' at Royal Ascot in southern England on June 19, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl de Souza)

A woman race-goer carries a decorated handbag on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot in England on June 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A woman race-goer carries an ornate handbag on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot in England on June, 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer walks through No 1 car park on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June, 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Race-goers wearing ornate hats pass through the turnstiles as they arrive on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June, 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Laura Meakin wears an ornate hat on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot in England on June, 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer holds on to her hat on the second of Royal Ascot in Ascot in England on June 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer cheers at Ascot racecourse on the first day of Royal Ascot in southern England on June 17, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Ascot racecourse on the first day of Royal Ascot in southern England on June 17, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza)

Britain's Prince Charles (L) and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrive at Ascot racecourse on the first day of Royal Ascot in southern England on June 17, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza)

Princess Eugenie (C) with her sister Princess Beatrice (L) grand daughters of Queen Elizabeth II with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, a daughter-in-law of the queen, in the Parade ring on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse meeting Ascot on June, 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer shows a hat made with betting slips poses for pictures at Ascot racecourse on the first day of Royal Ascot in southern England on June 17, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza)

A race-goer wears an ornate hat on the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot in England on June 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A woman holds onto her hat in blustery conditions during 'Ladies Day' at Royal Ascot at Ascot racecourse in southern England on June 19, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza)

Race-goers shows off their hat's on ladies' day at Royal Ascot on June 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Millener Emily Clark from Chicago shows off one of her creations on ladies' day at Royal Ascot on June 19, 2008. (Reuters/Andrew Winning)

A woman wearing an elaborate hat arrives at Ascot racecourse during 'Ladies Day' at Royal Ascot, in southern England on June 19, 2008. (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza)

A race-goer shows off her hat designed to promote a bathroom builder on ladies' day at Royal Ascot on June 19, 2008. (Reuters/Andrew Winning)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arrive by open carriage on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meeting, traditionally known as Ladies Day in Ascot on June, 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A race-goer shows off her butterfly shaped hat on ladies' day at Royal Ascot on June 19, 2008. (Reuters/Andrew Winning)

A race-goer with a hat showing feathers attached arrives for Ladies Day on the third day of racing at the Royal Ascot meeting on June 21, 2007. (Reuters/Andrew Winning)