The Kentucky Derby is not only known for being, “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports”. It is also known to be a spectacle of fashion, particularly- hats.

This long-standing tradition began when Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.’s envisioned the Derby to be a high-class event.

He wanted the European-inspired race to include full morning dress for men and women, according to the official Kentucky Derby website.

The site states that the Derby became just as much about fashion as the racing. The slogan on the homepage says it all, “Part Southern. Part Spectacle.”

The race became a stage to showcase the latest trends in spring fashion.

However, the hat happenings did not occur until the 1960s, when according to the Kentucky Derby website, social fashion norms began to loosen up, and the presence of television gave women a chance to stand out.

ABC News even states that when thousands of people stream the Churchill Down on Saturday, all eyes won’t be on the track.