Bring Home the Triple Crown Experience

The competition for the second jewel of the Triple Crown will be underway in just a matter of hours – how exciting! We know that most of our readers won’t be able to attend the event itself so we’ve got some lively ideas in mind for how you can celebrate on your own this weekend. So saddle up and get ready for the ride of your life (or at least of this month).

Preakness 1
Image via facebook.com/GoodwillofNorthGeorgia

Right out of the gate (maybe at three years old!), I loved big, floppy hats. They’re glamorous and confident, yet still somewhat effortless. So, of course, I’m all about topping myself with a statement hat like the ones pictured above. This is also a fun and easy way to capture the racing season’s vibes. I snagged this outfit inspiration from Goodwill of North Georgia (Atlanta)’s Facebook page while perusing recently and instantly headed over to my local Goodwill® to see if they had anything similar in stock. I was not disappointed! I came home with a hat of this same shape that is encircled by small white and navy stripes. It’s just perfect for summer, but I’ll absolutely be breaking it in this weekend while I wait to see the outcome of the Preakness Stakes race!

Preakness 2
Image via pinterest.com/sfgoodwill

Men’s fashion is all too often overshadowed by the glitz and glamour of women’s style. And, after our discussion regarding big floppy statement hats, it’s easy to see why! But I love how Preakness and other horse racing events invite the fellas to really embrace bold and bright colors, too. Summery hues create a fun atmosphere while the blazers and bow ties typical at horse races provide structure and class. For anyone looking to dress the part, an easy way to break into the look is to don a pair of pants with a highly saturated color like the ones pictured above. This ensemble would be ideal for any in-home partygoer as it is easy (just gallop down to Goodwill for a great selection) and can be worn time and time again even after Belmont Stakes has ended. Check out Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin’s Men’s Style Pinboard (where I found the image above) for even more ideas!

Preakness 3
Image via inspiredbycharm.com

Seeing as I’m from New England, Preakness is a somewhat new event to me. But since it reminds me of a modern day Gatsby party, I’m all in! Any time that people can get together, dress to the nines, and celebrate in one another’s company, it’s okay by me. I had been thinking of hosting a last minute party while my guests and I casually view the event and when I saw these drink stirrers from Inspired By Charm, I really wanted an excuse to make them. A trip to the kids’ section of any Goodwill will likely reward you with ponies of just the right size for this project and the venture itself only takes a few minutes to construct (plus drying time for the paint), so it will be easy to pull off quickly without anyone knowing it was an afterthought. Pop them into a freshly mixed Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail and these will perfectly set the mood and help to achieve equine-enthused fellowship.

Perhaps the most wonderful part of Preakness (and the Triple Crown overall) is the community building that happens as a result. So much can be said for events that bring people together. Goodwill, too, helps build stronger families and more vibrant communities through their business model so I feel a natural connection between the two. Maybe next year we should make a victorious blanket of faux black-eyed-susans for each?