Aintree revellers kick off the Grand National festival in style as revellers break out their strappy sandals, Barbie-inspired dresses and plunging necklines

The feathered hats have been dusted off and the glamorous dresses are ready, which can only mean one thing: Aintree is here.

Revelers descended on the Merseyside runway in typical style this morning, with bright colors and cut-out dresses being the order of the day.

While Cheltenham is all about the tweedy country looks, Aintree is its more glamorous cousin – and the outfits didn’t disappoint.

Race fans were dressed to impress and went all out in beautiful florals, strappy sandals and bouncy hairstyles.

Unlike Royal Ascot, which has stricter rules on what to wear, Aintree takes a more relaxed approach, telling attendees to ‘simply come dressed to feel your best’.

Print perfectly! A racing fan donned a chic shirt dress with a bold hemline for the occasion, pictured right. In the photo on the left, the influence of the successful Barbie film with Margot Robbie is clearly visible in the fashion choices shown

Double trouble! These fashionable friends looked excited to be heading to the races at Liverpool’s Aintree Racecourse today

Blazers ready! To brave the cold weather, these glamorous racegoers opted for stylish jackets over their figure-hugging dresses

Fancy dress for partygoers is also permitted, as long as the costume is not offensive or derogatory.

Around 150,000 people are expected to attend the three-day festival, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world in the coming days.

As well as enjoying the racing, revelers will no doubt get into the festive spirit with plenty of champagne to go around.

Saturday’s Grand National, known as the People’s Race, attracts national attention in a way that perhaps no other horse race can.

Every year millions of people gather at Aintree for the spires, which cover 4 miles, 7 furlongs and 74 yards, making it the longest horse race in Britain, even if it lasted about a furlong and a half longer.

The decision to shorten the race slightly was made to move the starting line away from the grandstands to help prevent false starts and make the first jump safer as jockeys and horses would reach it more slowly.

Beautiful in pink! Some of the early arrivals opted for Barbie-inspired dresses with strappy sandals and bouncy shoes

Three times as much fun! These beautiful racegoers were clearly dressed to impress with their high heels and flattering dresses

Couple of goals! This attractive duo put their best fashion foot forward during the races this morning

Hat’s the ticket! Two members of this group of glamorous revelers opted for statement pink headpieces to complete their radiant looks

Monochrome magic! These ladies showed off their toned legs and opted for thigh-grazing black and white ensembles

Flower power! One person looked stunning as she turned heads in a floral dress

These ladies look anything but blue in chic navy blue dresses paired with strappy heels and statement headpieces

Cold shoulder! Friends put on a glamorous show, with one wearing an elegant one-shoulder jumpsuit and the other opting for a fun dress with zebra print and cutouts

Here come the girls! A group of friends looked ready to enjoy their day off as they strutted their stuff in glamorous dresses

Guidelines for what to wear on the course website reads: ‘At Aintree Racecourse we believe racing should be fun for everyone.

‘And one thing is certainly true: the more relaxed and comfortable we feel, the more likely we are to have a great time. That’s why we’ve come up with some very simple advice: ‘dress so you feel your best’.

‘We are all unique, and no more so than in our sense of style and comfort. For some, wearing a nice sweatshirt, jeans and nice sneakers makes them feel confident and comfortable.

‘Others may prefer to turn heads with a sharp suit or a glamorous dress and high heels, especially at one of our big race meetings.

‘But whatever your taste, the most important thing when choosing your outfit is of course comfort and confidence. So wear what feels right for you and you’ll feel your best from start to finish, regardless of the weather.’