Spring is right around the corner and for Louisvillians that means one thing: Derby. The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks are two events that are always loaded with high fashion, fantastic hats, and plenty of last-minute scrambling.
If you’re traveling to the Derby City to watch the greatest two minutes in sports, you may find yourself needing a few things to complete your look. Here is the Derby clothes shop locals send their friends to, along with a few ideas for what to do once you’re dressed.
Mad Hatter 502 for Derby Hats
The Mad Hatter 502 is a hat studio run by Louisville milliner Melissa Huff, located inside her boutique Mamili at 3929 Chenoweth Square in St. Matthews, about a fifteen minute drive east of downtown. Huff was named an official milliner of the Kentucky Derby Museum, and the shop was named “Best Place to Buy a Derby Hat” in Louisville by The Voice-Tribune. Custom hats can be made to order, and they also carry a wide selection of ready-to-wear hats and fascinators for out-of-towners and last-minute shoppers who need something in a pinch. Prices range from around $150 for a simple fascinator to $400 and up for their most elaborate creations. Celebrities and locals alike can be spotted wearing Mad Hatter 502 pieces throughout Derby week.
Mamili: Kentucky Derby Clothing Store for Dresses, Accessories, and Apparel
Mamili is the boutique that houses Mad Hatter 502, so you can build an entire race day look under one roof. The store carries clothing for both men and women, along with earrings, purses, and accessories, many of them Derby themed. Chenoweth Square is an easy stop if you’re staying east of downtown or heading in from the airport, and the shop is open Monday through Saturday.
What To Do in Louisville During Derby Week That Isn't the Track
Once the hat is bought and the dress is pressed, there is still a whole week to fill. Derby week is when Louisville is at its most alive, and the historic neighborhoods a few blocks from downtown are worth an evening of your trip.
Old Louisville sits just south of downtown and holds the largest collection of Victorian homes in the country. Our Old Louisville Walking Tour covers the architecture and the stories behind the mansions, and it makes for a relaxed morning or afternoon before the evening’s festivities. If your group prefers something after dark, the Louisville Ghost Tour walks the same streets with a very different set of stories.
For those who came for true crime, David Dominé personally leads the Glitter Ball City Tour, based on his book and featured in HBO’s Murder in Glitterball City. It fills quickly during busy weeks, so book early.
If you’d rather stay downtown, the Misfits and Mayhem Downtown Walking Tour starts near the river and covers the rougher side of Louisville’s past, a few blocks from the Derby week crowds on Main Street.
Derby week tour dates and times are listed on our booking calendar. Groups of eight or more can also arrange a private tour.
Downtown Louisville skyline from the Cathedral of the Assumption
The Belle of Louisville on the Ohio River waterfront
Lobby of a historic downtown Louisville Seelbach hotel