The J&B Met is an annual horse racing event that's been a Cape Town tradition since the 1800s. For as long as I can remember the Met has been about flamboyant outfits and stylish dress - it's an extravaganza of note! Each year, a number of couples are invited to participate in the Most Elegant Couple competition, which takes place at the racecourse on the day. To give you an idea of what participants are competing for (apart from fame and glory, of course), this year's prizes include Seekers travel vouchers, Police sunglasses, L'Oreal product hampers, Gucci watches, and a trip to the Kruger Park. Not too bad, I'd say.

In the run-up to this year's event, Expresso, a television breakfast show, held their own best-dressed competition, where the prize was an automatic spot in the finals of the J&B Met's Most Elegant Couple competition.

So I found myself at the SABC television studios in Sea Point at the ungodly hour of 5am, taking photos of the competition entrants - and I can definitely say that I started to feel somewhat under-dressed as the studio area filled up with couples in their race-day finery.

Click here to see an album of some of the contestants, and visit us again in a couple of days to see photos from the J&B Met itself.