Empress Michiko ( née Michiko Shōda) celebrated her 79th birthday yesterday. To celebrate her birthday, here is one of my favourite of her hats. It is one of her characteristic saucer flat shapes but is trimmed with a spray of lovely blue flowers. We don’t see Michiko wear colour (she sticks to cream and grey a lot of the time) and this hat, paired with a striking pale blue ombre suit and worn for a garden party in April 2007, remains one of my favourites. So pretty.
Photo from Toshiyuki Aizawa via Corbis
Royal Hats 
What a beautiful elegant lady, the hat is so pretty and the suit is just perfect. I like this hat with the flowers and the cool blue color, she really looks every inch the empress!
She always looks very classy and every inch an Empress
Yes she looks classy but those capes over her sleeves look funny.
That is one of the most delicate and beautiful hat and jacket combinations I have ever seen.
It’s not the level of fashion forwardness that I would like to see but it is exquisite.
Very pretty indeed, and the trim adds some relief.
She looks very lovely in blue. I am so used to seeing her in gray that I was pleasantly surprised. Does anyone know if there is a reason why she wears so many gray and cream colored outfits or is it just her preference? She looks very elegant here.
I was also wondering why she wears gray so much. She looks so beautiful here. The dye job on her suit is gorgeous.