A very #SmartOccasion with Burton Menswear

Craig of That Dapper Chap attends the 2016 Cheltenham races as a guest of high street giant Burton Menswear and celebrity Calum Best

Looking the part in my three piece suit

A VERY SMART OCCASION

Burton Menswear have been around for a good while and know a thing or two about suiting. Being a go to store for men of all shapes and sizes, they have a suit for everyone.

With the wedding season just around the corner Burton are currently offering you a huge 20% discount on suits, and they have a great range of two and three piece suits in stock.

I've never been to the races before, so I was super excited when I received an invitation from Burton Menswear to attend the Cheltenham Festival as part of their #SmartOccasion campaign.

Together with top bloggers: Ben from TwentyFirstCenturyGent, Joey from JoeyLondon, John from TheEveryDayMan, Peter from HumanResearchXYZ and of course the guys from Burton we made our way to the races suited and booted in Burton suits, shirts, ties and footwear.

There is a great range of suits for your smart occasion available at Burton

The VIP pass. You can't get in without one!

MR CALUM BEST

Arriving at the venue we were given our passes and after a bit of a trek, found our VIP lounge, with viewing balcony and great views of the track and the surrounding countryside. It was there that we were met by Mr Calum Best, model, actor and Son of legendary footballer George Best.

Calum has been ambassador for Burton Menswear for a couple of seasons now and has had fun modelling their range. You'll have seen the 15 foot high images in the window displays of their stores.

The celeb Big Brother finalist has a lot of commitments, with being the Burton ambassador, his own fragrance range and numerous TV appearances he's a busy guy, but he still has time to be patron of The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA). Based in the UK it's a charity that does incredible work with children affected by a parent's alcohol dependency. Something which Calum and I have in common.

Myself and Mr Calum Best who is officially taller than yours truly!

The course at Cheltenham ready for the first race

THE RACES

Looking super dapper we took our seats at our table and were served a selection of beautiful food. The wine flowed and bets were placed as we all got into the spirit of the event. We cheered on our horses, commiserated with the losses and celebrating the wins.

I'm pleased to say that I did quite well, backing two winners and leaving with more money than I arrived with! Keeerching!

Our starter: Sweet pea and Fennel brulee

Suited and booted for this smart occasion

MY OUTFIT

I chose the three piece, slim fit, blue textured suit. Priced at just £124, It's a great colour and a bit more exciting than the standard navy. It clearly stands out from the crowd, as on my short trip from Liverpool Street Station to Tottenham Court Road I was stopped and complimented on it twice by complete strangers.

I stuck with a crisp white slim fit shirt. While I toyed with a pale blue option I thought the white made it more formal.

Time to pull my socks up and get in the game

I accessorised with burgundy to add a dash of sartorial colour and additional interest to the ensemble. The socks are also from Burton as are the burgundy leather brogues.

The knitted tie, bracelets, trouser chain and pocket square finish the look, again all in burgundy to keep the colour story on track.

The main course: Colin valley smoked Haddock with potatoes, spinach and a perfectly poached egg

Just one of the seven races that we watched during our day at Cheltenham

Bright blue with accents of burgundy

As the races continued and courses of fine food were consumed, people lost and people won. Cheers erupted and filled the room along with sounds of disappointment, and the day finished with some visitors worse for wear and out of pocket, while others, like me, left with a few more quid in their wallet than they started with. Lady Luck really was smiling on me that day. Perhaps she liked my suit.

It was a truly great day and aside from the money I am richer for the people I met and friends that I made there. Now all I need to do is decide what to spend my winnings on. A new suit from Burton Menswear maybe? Thanks Rock The Kasbah and Any Currency!