Last week, The Countess of Wessex attended the Sovereigns Parade in a beautiful Jane Taylor picture hat to compliment her stunning Bruce Oldfield suit. This is the third time she has worn this suit and each time, she has paired it with a different Jane Taylor couture hat. What’s amazing is with each pairing, Sophie’s hair and jewelry are almost identical- the different feel of each outfit is created only, with a different hat.
Your responses to our first “This or That” post were so fantastic that I can’t resist asking again, dear readers, which of these Jane Taylor hats you prefer on Sophie with her oyster silk beaded Bruce Oldfield suit?
Look 1: Attending the Sovereigns Parade on August 9, 2013 in a Jane Taylor designed picture hat in oyster straw trimmed with a cream lace bow
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Look 2: On the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour, June 16, 2012 in Jane Taylor’s “Juliet” design
Look 3: At the April 29, 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in Jane Taylor’s “Molly Couture” design
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Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
#1 and #3 are tied in my book, though if I had to wear one, I think I’d go with one because the headband is a little chunky on #3 for my tastes. #2 isn’t my cup of tea at all.
Too hard, I love them all. 🙂
1. Jane Taylor
2. Hat from the Cambridge wedding
3. Feathers
I love hat number 3, it is so chic on her. This is one of my favorite hats on Sophia, so envy all these hats that the royals wear. Being a hat lady, wish I had some of them.
You’re in good company, Elizabeth. I think most of us envy these hats! I love hearing how everyone here loves hats as much as I do.
Thank you for the nice comment. I love/adore hats, hats make a woman look and feel like a lady. When a woman wears a hat, it gives so much self confidence to her.
It’s not the molly hat; it was the comma hat, bespoke version. You can see one like it in the sale section.
Could you please provide a link? I can’t seem to locate it. Thanks!
http://www.janetaylormillinery.com/onlinestore/sale-132/sale-74
They got rid of the name for the hat and changed it to “sale” when they reformatted the site. But it’s clearly the right shape. The molly doesn’t have the bit that comes down the side of the head.
Good point. The straw headband anchor does look like the comma hat although Sophie’s version has no feathers- the embellishment is the same as the Molly. I suspect it might be a bespoke version that combines both- what do you think?
Hat number 3 is my fave. #2 is probably my least fave. They are all quite lovely, though. And I love what a different feel each hat gives to the same suit. Think I might like to see number three paired with the peach outfit she wore to Zara Phillips’ wedding and repeated for Garter Day 2012 (w/ different hats)
I like all three hats very much. I think Sophie has paired them with just the right events: the third hat is the most exuberant, and matches an event such as a wedding. The second hat, while still extremely elegant, is much simpler, with the almost-beret type shape which might bring to mind military associations, and suits a more formal event based on a military parade. At the Sovereign’s Parade, though, she was representing the Queen, and the bigger hat, making her more certain to be the centre of the picture, was appropriate to that role. It’s interesting that with all the hats, she’s gone for (as far as one can tell with photographs) exact colour-matching to the outfit. That works very well, and I can think of few other colours which would complement the suit so well, so perhaps it’s lucky she hasn’t experimented there! Although maybe a chocolate brown or moleskin colour?
I believe the hats are so perfectly colour matched because they were custom made by Jane Taylor specifically for this suit. I think you make such an insightful point about each hat also being very well suited to the event it was worn to.
All three hats are winners. Sophie keeps looking better and better.
Wow, what a difference a hat makes, huh? I think they all look great with the suit, but my favorite is the one from Will & Kate’s wedding, it’s got more embellishment so seems more in keeping with the embroidered sleeves but not overpoweringly so.
The picture hat with bow is my preference.
Everyone likes the first hat and I do too. But I also really like the second hat pillbox with the feathers. I wonder when her girl Lady Louise will start wearing real hats?
I prefer the hat she wore to the Sovereigns Parade, I am leaning towards what I call real hats, as opposed to fascinators these days!
I agree. The picture hat is so beautiful and I prefer hats with large brims to fascinators or those pesky little percher hats.
I agree. I love the twisted bow on this hat and it looks great with the white embroidery on her jacket sleeves
Agree with Jane, Hat with the bow is the best look. Wish that Sophie would wear bigger jewels though!
I prefer the large hat with the bow. But, I’ll probably always pick a picture hat over a percher or fascinator.
Definitely the first hat shown at the Sovereigns Parade. I love big hats as long as they aren’t too big! This hat is perfect for Sophie.
She likes a beige titfer doesn’t she?! I love the brimmed one she’s recently paired it with, but I was a big fan of the total wedding one too. With this fab suit I guess she can’t go wrong!!
Most definitely the Molly Couture!
YES YES YES! The Molly hat from the wedding is FAB.
While the other hats are lovely, the one she wore for the royal wedding is sublime.
I am also a fan of the Sovereign’s Parade Hat. While I like both of the other hats, for some reason the hat worn to the wedding of William and Catherine always bothered me. It’s the “band” that secures it around the head I don’t like. I expect it is there to hold the hat in place, but it looks awkward to me.
I also like the hat from the Sovereigns Parade best of the two – the other one is just so so – the band is too fat making me think the hat is heavy and does not sit well on the head. Also I don’t like the look of the 2 feathers from the front angle – they appear too long there but look just OK to me from the side.
Love, love, love the Jane Taylor hat with the picture bow! Sophie looks so classy.
I LOVE the hat from the Sovereigns Parade. Smooth lines, but bold!
Welcome, Jane. I am a great fan of your blog and find it a great resource for the Duchess of Cambridge’s fashion!