Summary
Goodwood Revival has no compulsory dress code for most of the site. Goodwood encourages clothes from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, which are the decades its Motor Circuit first ran. Many guests wear them. The one written rule covers the Central Paddock, the paddock where the race cars are kept between races. There, men wear a jacket and tie or period overalls, and women are asked to dress smartly. Shorts are not allowed in the Central Paddock, and midriffs must be covered. Everywhere on site, Goodwood refuses controversial uniforms and costumes that appropriate another culture.
The 2027 Goodwood Revival runs from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 September at Goodwood Motor Circuit, near Chichester in West Sussex. It is a three-day historic race meeting, and Goodwood describes it as the only one staged entirely in period dress.
Goodwood's visitor guidance says that dressing up is "all part of the fun at Revival, but there's no pressure." A scarf or a hat over modern clothes counts as joining in, and so does a period outfit from head to toe.
Everything below comes from the guidance Goodwood currently publishes, including the Central Paddock rule in its 2026 Revival guide.
Where each rule applies
- Everywhere on sitePeriod dress is encouraged and never required. Goodwood's guide to what to wear lists pieces from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. In Goodwood's words, "However you choose to join us, you'll feel part of the Revival atmosphere."
- Central PaddockMen wear a jacket and tie, or period overalls. Women are asked to be smartly dressed. Shorts are not allowed, and midriffs must be covered. The rule asks for smart clothes, and it does not ask for period ones.
- Refused everywhereControversial uniforms or clothing are refused, and so are costumes or accessories that appropriate another culture. Goodwood can refuse entry, or ask a visitor to leave, if it considers an outfit inappropriate or offensive.
- Replica weaponsA replica weapon is not allowed anywhere on site, even as part of a period outfit. Only authorised re-enactment groups taking part in official activities may carry one, and bags are searched at every entrance.
A paddock is the area where the race cars are kept and prepared between races. The Central Paddock is the one area where Goodwood publishes a dress rule. The wording in Goodwood's 2026 Revival guide is "smartly dressed in jacket and tie or period overalls", so a modern suit and tie meets the jacket-and-tie requirement as well as 1950s tweed does.
Period overalls are one-piece cotton overalls of the kind racing mechanics wore in the 1950s and 1960s. They are the only alternative to a jacket and tie that the rule names.
Hospitality and the dress code
Our Goodwood Revival days are spent at the Mess Pavilion, a hospitality pavilion at the Motor Circuit. Each day includes a table, a light breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. A complimentary bar is included too. The day suits a group of colleagues or clients who want to be close to the cars rather than watching from a distance.
The Central Paddock rule applies to anyone who goes into the Central Paddock. We confirm the dress rules for your day when we take you through your booking.
Men
A jacket and tie work in every decade the Revival covers, and together they meet the jacket-and-tie requirement of the Central Paddock rule. Each card starts from the pieces Goodwood lists for that decade.
- 1940sGoodwood's 1940s pieces include the spearpoint collar shirt, which has long pointed collar tips, and the swing tie. A swing tie is the wide tie of the swing-dance years, often in a bold print. The list also names pleated trousers and the Fair Isle tank top, which is a sleeveless jumper in a patterned knit. A navy double-breasted suit with a spearpoint shirt and a wide patterned tie fits the decade. So does a Fair Isle tank top over a white shirt with pleated grey flannel trousers.
- 1950sThe 1950s list adds the bomber jacket, the Hawaiian shirt and two-tone brogues, which are lace-up shoes in two colours. A brown tweed three-piece suit with a knitted tie and brown brogues meets the jacket-and-tie requirement of the Central Paddock rule. Away from the paddock, a bomber jacket over a Hawaiian shirt with turned-up trousers suits the decade.
- 1960sFrom the 1960s, Goodwood picks out bell-bottom trousers and the black polo neck jumper. It also names the paisley print shirt and Chelsea boots, which are ankle boots with elastic panels at the sides. A slim charcoal suit with a narrow knitted tie and Chelsea boots meets the jacket-and-tie requirement of the Central Paddock rule. A black polo neck under a tweed jacket works for the rest of the site.
- Period overallsThe Central Paddock rule accepts period overalls in place of a jacket and tie. White cotton overalls with a name stitched on the chest look the part with a flat cap.
Goodwood's accessory suggestions take in a fedora, driving gloves and braces. Cufflinks, a tie clip and a lapel pin are on the list too, and any of them gives a modern suit a period touch. The Central Paddock rule names a tie, and Goodwood's wording does not say whether a bow tie counts there.
Women
Goodwood asks women in the Central Paddock to be smartly dressed with the midriff covered, and shorts are not allowed there. Its published guidance has no rule on hats, hemlines or shoes anywhere on site.
- 1940sFor the 1940s, Goodwood suggests the pussy-bow blouse with gathered shoulders, which ties at the neck in a soft bow. It also names loose trousers with a tapered leg and a seam down the front, and Bakelite brooches, which are early plastic jewellery. A pussy-bow blouse with loose tapered trousers and a Bakelite brooch at the collar makes a complete 1940s outfit.
- 1950sGoodwood's 1950s choices include voluminous skirts and the pencil skirt in plaid or houndstooth, which is a small broken-check pattern. The list also names fine-knit sweaters and cardigans, and the elastic cinch belt, which pulls in the waist. A full-skirted polka-dot dress with a cinch belt and a cardigan makes a 1950s outfit for anywhere on site. A houndstooth pencil skirt with a fine-knit sweater is a quieter choice.
- 1960sThe 1960s list has the skirt suit with a single-breasted jacket and the swing coat, which is a wide flared coat with an oversized collar. It also names the pillbox hat with a bow, which is a small round hat without a brim. A pastel skirt suit with a pillbox hat suits the Central Paddock. A bold print dress under a swing coat works for the rest of the site.
- Accessories over modern clothesGoodwood suggests a silk scarf, classic sunglasses, a vintage handbag or a hat to give a modern outfit a period touch. It calls bold red lipstick a Revival favourite. A silk headscarf and red lipstick go with a plain modern dress, and so do cat-eye sunglasses, which have upswept outer corners.
Goodwood sets no rule on shoes. Block heels, wedges or flat T-bar shoes cope better than stilettos with a day spent on grass and tarmac. A T-bar shoe has a single strap shaped like a T across the foot.
Starting from clothes you already own
Goodwood presents the Revival as a celebration of second-hand style, and its guidance starts with clothes people already own. A favourite jacket, dress or shirt can take on a period look with new buttons, a scarf or a brooch.
Goodwood puts the outfits on the programme too. In 2026 it held its Best Dressed Competition, presented by Ancestry, on the Saturday.
Mid-September in West Sussex can bring showers. A tweed overcoat or a period mac, which is a light raincoat, is worth having for the afternoon.
The mistakes people make
Treating period dress as compulsory
Goodwood says there is no pressure to dress up, and a period scarf or hat over modern clothes counts as joining in.
No tie in the Central Paddock
Men need a jacket and tie, or period overalls. An open-necked shirt under a blazer does not meet the rule.
Shorts or a cropped top in the Central Paddock
Shorts are not allowed there, and midriffs must be covered however warm the afternoon is.
A controversial uniform
Goodwood refuses controversial uniforms or clothing. It can turn a visitor away over an outfit it considers offensive.
A costume that borrows from another culture
Costumes or accessories that appropriate another culture are on Goodwood's list of what not to wear.
A replica weapon to finish the look
Replica weapons are prohibited anywhere on site, and bags are searched at every entrance.
Mixing up the two Goodwood dress codes
The Revival's guidance is separate from the dress code for Glorious Goodwood, the summer horse-racing meeting at Goodwood Racecourse.
Glorious Goodwood has its own code for each enclosure, set out in our Glorious Goodwood dress code guide.
The story of how the Revival began, from the circuit's opening in 1948 to its return in 1998, has its own post. Goodwood's two motor-racing weekends are compared side by side in how the Revival differs from the Festival of Speed.
Sian Jones
Sport Events Operations Manager
Sport Events Operations Manager at Imperial Corporate Events. She’s the one on the ground making sure your day runs, from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to Royal Ascot.
