JUST how way out is too far? Never far enough, judging by the standards in the Royal Ascot fashion stakes.

An upturned umbrella tipped with peacock feathers, a hat in the shape of a shoe, and a Picasso-inspired creation complete with an embroidered eye, were just some of the head-turning hats at yesterday's race meeting.

As ever, the going was good for followers of fashion. Not for nothing is Royal Ascot synonymous with style.

The soaring June temperature afforded women the chance to dress to the minimum - for maximum impact - and prove decisively that it's not just women in the north who dare to bare.

Wearing a shoestring-strap dress in white and red sequins to the design of the St George flag, Maddy Ford left no one in any doubt there was another sporting occasion running alongside Royal Ascot this week. On her red hat hung mini footballs with an England flag perched on top.

Shorter still was the tiny turquoise wrap-around dress worn by Tracy Rose, a 43-year-old hat designer from Kensington, London, who was dwarfed by her headgear. Eye-catching was the apt word here, since Tracy's blue and brown extravaganza featured an embroidered eye, and was apparently inspired by Picasso.

Ascot is the place to look out for new names in fashion, and one that came to the fore was Peggy Stone, who sells her unique brand of hats, shoes and bags from her shop in Thurloe Place, London.

Among her devotees were three girlfriends attending yesterday's race meeting. Jodie Sykes, 23, a shoe designer, wore a hat resembling a shoe sculpture on her head. Friend and fellow shoe designer Ginny Copper, 35, also wore a Peggy Stone creation, which featured vintage fabric and beading inspired by iced gem biscuits.

In Peggy Stone's "Powderpuff" ostrich feather and pink ribbon combo was Sarah Learoyd, 42, an art student and former pupil of the Mount School in York.

It was the trio's first visit to Royal Ascot. but they said they enjoyed it so much they were keen to come to York next year.

Sarah said: "There's 200 bars within the York City Walls. That's the sort of thing a schoolgirl remembers!'

But unusually, leading the fashion field at Ascot this year was a man.

Milliner Andrew Fisher and his band of 12 merry men and women sported an array of headgear that entertained the crowds in the champagne bars and kept the photographers snapping.

Andrew's hat was not unlike an upside-down brolly, with peacock feathers on the tips.

But that was tame compared to what was being planned for today at Ascot.

"Tomorrow I'm wearing a hat in the shape of a horse's head with a top hat on top. All in zebra print," he said.

But we were not too disappointed that we would be missing that, because Andrew made us a promise. "I'm definitely coming to York next year."

I don't think he'll be too hard to find.

Updated: 11:33 Wednesday, June 16, 2004