Dylan Dreyer’s race-day wardrobe is getting a fresh look, and not all of it is flattering. The NBC meteorologist and regular face on the network’s horse racing coverage was recently put under the style microscope as a fashion critique revisited some of her Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot appearances.
Dreyer, who appears regularly at both the Kentucky Derby and England’s Royal Ascot, has said she tries to strike a balance between staying current and sticking with labels she knows work. In 2026, she told Today.com, “I try to be on trend, I try to be cool, I try to be fashionable. But I also like my standby brands that always work for me.” She also said she sends dress photos to milliner Christine Moore, who weighs in on which looks will work best and then designs hats to match the outfit she is wearing.
That pairing matters at events like the Derby and Ascot, where fashion is part of the spectacle and attendees often lean into bold prints, sculptural hats and elaborate accessories. Dreyer’s own public track record shows how closely she has tried to fit that setting. In 2022, she posted a black-tie photo with her husband and joked, “Sometimes we get out of sweatpants on weekends, but it doesn’t last long.”
The strongest criticism came from her 2026 Kentucky Derby look, which was described as having too many moving parts. The fascinator matched the floral dress, but the overall effect was said to feel crowded. The large hat was read as top-heavy against the short hemline, the mesh pumps were judged to add one texture too many, and even the Apple watch was called an unnecessary eyesore on the red carpet. A separate color-blocked look Dreyer wore for a Today event was described as almost a knock-out news anchor look, though the wide black belt was called a devastating error.
Her 2025 Kentucky Derby outfit drew a different critique. The pink-and-white look was described as unexpectedly frumpy, with the high collar, long sleeves and full-length skirt said to swallow her small frame. She wore sneakers instead of her usual heels, a choice that fit the casual side of her image but did little for the outfit’s shape.
The 2024 Royal Ascot look earned a more mixed response. The red-and-white floral dress was said to have a lovely cut, but the tiny floral print was described as incredibly busy and visually overwhelming. The piece cut off just as it was turning to what Dreyer might have been served by there, leaving that style verdict unfinished.
What ties the whole run together is that Dreyer does not dress like a full-time fashion insider, and she does not seem to want to. In the newsroom, she usually goes for simple cardigans and sheath dresses. At the track, she steps into a different world, one where the hat matters as much as the dress and where even a small accessory can tilt the whole look. The result is a public wardrobe that keeps drawing attention because it sits right between practical, polished and playful — and sometimes misses the balance.
For Dreyer, that is unlikely to change anytime soon. She keeps working with Moore, keeps aiming for outfits that feel current, and keeps turning up at the Derby and Ascot in a setting that rewards risk as much as restraint. The latest critique does not suggest she has abandoned the formula. It suggests the formula itself is the point: race-day fashion leaves very little room to hide.
