No horsing around, racing's dapper dudes dress to impress Flair for cup fashion: Karim Gaaloul, left, and Luca Bronzino, right, of luxury menswear shop Harrolds, help Dan Murray try on clothes. Gone are the days when men could throw on an old suit and head to the track for a punt. Pastel panama hats, custom-made boutonnieres from Paris and hand-stitched coloured socks are just some of the accessories men will need to make the fashion cut this racing season. "Competitive dressing used to be reserved for women," said stylist Josh Flinn, who dresses corporate clients for Cup and Derby Day. Now there's just as much pressure on men to look sharper and cooler than the next guy. Racing season is big business for retailers and it's not just fascinators and stilettos that are making cash registers ring; the serious money is being spent by men. "Men used to be content with a new shirt and a couple of ties," said Marco Siracusa, a senior sales adviser at Harrolds, a luxury menswear store. Now they're after multiple looks and want shoes, sunglasses, scarves and hats to match. The month leading up to the spring carnival is the busiest trading period for the group with customers spending more than $3000 on a single suit. Television shows such as Mad Men, films such as The Great Gatsby and the rat pack-inspired wardrobes of musicians Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z appear to have influenced the way some men want to dress. "It's very common for customers to bring printouts from Google Images to the store and ask staff to style the outfits," Mr Siracusa said. When Daniel Craig wore a Tom Ford navy dinner suit in James Bond we sold out within days. Before that movie we couldn't give away navy tuxedos and now, no one wants black. The fashion editor of Sunday Life magazine, Penny McCarthy, believes the racing calendar presents men with a terrific excuse to up the fashion ante. It's the perfect time for guys to flex their style chops and escape the laidback jeans and a T-shirt look and experiment. This season, the smart money is on three-piece suits in baby blue, light tan and elephant grey with a return to traditional, Saville Row-style tailoring. "We've sold a lot of waistcoats," Mr Siracusa said. Pastel colours are popular in everything but we've seen a move away from stripes and bright colours like red and cobalt blue. Expect to see lots of bow ties, the most coveted handmade and imported from France, silk flower boutonnieres in yellow and pink and panama hats. "You'll see lots of Frank Sinatras at the track on Cup Day," Ms McCarthy said. Show me a man who doesn't want to be chairman of the board.