Zara Tindall nails bold tonal dressing in navy cape and matching accessories at Cheltenham

Zara Tindall nailed navy tonal dressing in a bold cape coat and coordinating accessories for Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival.

It might have been a very rainy start to the Cheltenham Festival on 12th March but there was no way Zara Tindall was going to step out in even her best wellies for the first day of the races. Dressed to impress, she delivered a masterclass in tonal dressing with her blue outfit which featured a dramatic cape sleeve coat and matching navy accessories. 

She braved the wet weather in a Karen Millen Italian Manteco Wool Blend Cape Sleeve coat which is currently reduced to £185 and is (unsurprisingly given how stunning it is!) almost entirely sold out. The coat also comes in camel and has a beautiful double breasted trench coat design, midi length and statement cape sleeves.

Zara wore hers over a slate-blue polo neck for added cosiness and switched out the matching belt for one of her own. This not only cinched in the coat flatteringly at her waist, but also added texture. The smooth leather belt was a lovely contrast to the soft fabric whilst the gold buckle coordinated perfectly with her other accessories.

Shop Navy Blue Inspiration

Zara Tindall carried her essentials in her high shine navy croc leather Fairfax & Favor Loxley bag, which although not quite as tiny as the ultra mini bags that are one of the biggest spring/summer handbag trends for 2024, was still an adorably mini choice. Priced at £345, this Loxley mini bag comes with a crossbody strap, but Zara chose to use its classic top handle strap at Cheltenham.

A smaller bag, either crossbody or top handle, is a brilliant wardrobe essential for special daytime occasions, quick errand-running and evenings out. Zara kept to the navy blue theme with her gloves too and she chose to tuck them into her jumper for a seamless look that kept out any cold drafts. The Royal Family wears blue very often and navy in particular is a brilliant alternative to black or white if you want another neutral and easy-to-wear shade that works all year round.

If navy just isn’t for you then you can easily recreate the elegance and put-together feel of Zara’s look in a different colour palette. Tonal dressing was something Zara’s grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth was known for and it can help an outfit look instantly more polished and sophisticated if you keep to one shade and focus on key, high quality pieces.

Zara finished off her Cheltenham Day 1 look with a pair of simple pearl and gold drop earrings and wore her blonde tresses in a chic up-do under her pastel grey-blue fascinator. The head piece lifted the colour palette of her outfit slightly but didn’t detract from the beautiful effect of the tonal dressing and neither did her black knee high boots.

She is a regular attendee of the Cheltenham Festival every March and it’s hardly surprising given that Zara is an equestrian herself. The festival takes place over four days and last year we saw another all-blue look from her on Day 2. Zara often favours wearing blue or burgundy tones to the festival and fans are likely to see some more breath-taking outfits from her as the 2024 Cheltenham Festival continues.