One of the hats we have seen most on the Duchess of Cambridge is this Whitely designed straw beret in a warm toasty tan hue. Kate has paired this hat with four light-hued dress and coat combinations so far and I am curious, dear readers, which pairing do you prefer?
Look #1: With the white Reiss “Peacock” dress and white tweed “Nessy” jacket by Jospeh on June 4, 2011 for the Epsom races
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Look #2: In a dove grey silk “Buxton” coat by Katherine Hooker and a floral Jenny Packham dress for the wedding of William’s cousin Emily McCorquodale on June 9, 2012
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Look #3: With a gold Emilia Wickstead dress for the the Order of the Thistle Service in Edingburgh on July 5, 2012
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Look #4: In a mint textured Mulberry coat and dress for the National Review of Queen’s Scouts at Windsor Castle on April 21, 2013
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Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
This hat has never been a favourite of mine, that swirl on the top is so contrived looking….and rather flat and dull. The yellow Emilia Wickstead dress is lovely though, as well as the Epsom jacket and skirt.
I don’t think that this hat works with any of the outfits especially. When you think of balance between the hat and the outfits (colour, weight of fabrics and colour combinations) they don’t really complement each other.
And, consider she most likely wore her nude sledges, which is so different from the beige/gray tone of the hat.
IMHO, looks like she plunked the hat on and said, “that will do”.
I think you are spot on. Shame though.
I always liked this hat, especially when she wore it at Epsom. I think a lot of it has to do with her hair in the updo. Very pretty.
Definitely with the yellow! I love the combination of those two colors, and the coat is simple which allows the hat to be the focal point.
I like the pairing with the coat and dress worn for the Spencer family wedding in June 2012. I think the way the color of the hat ties in with the waistband on the coat is a nice color combination. Plus, I like the coat. This is a good look on Kate, with her slim/athletic figure.
Poor Kate, I get the feeling hats are not her preference, but she accepts there are occasions when she will be required to wear them. She seems to quite favour this style, whereas I like her in something slightly bigger and a different shape. There is a change happening with her wardrobe, she’s leaving behind the too short hem-lines as an example.
Diana took some time to come into her stride too, as I remember. At the time of her death she really had reached a pinnacle in her style.
Kate has a much more classical style than Di did at her age. Comparisons between the two though, are of no benefit to anyone.
I wonder if we will ever see Kate is a big, wide-brimmed hat. I’d like to see that.
I liked the hat with the cream at the Derby – it had a jaunty look with that outfit and the proportions seemed right. Didn’t like it with the Katherine Hooker coat – that whole outfit looked thrown together as if she was in a hurry and pulled things from her wardrobe somewhat randomly, her coat too long for her dress. I thought it was fine with the Emilia Wickstead butter yellow coat dress, although I would have loved to see a hat specifically designed for that coat. Didn’t care for the green maternity coat and the hat didn’t help it. I’ve seen the duchess with a couple of good updos but not combined with a hat.
Being a millinery addict myself I have envied Catherine her budget and opportunity to splurge on the very best millinery on offer. To co-ordinate as part of a total ensemble and mix and match with panache. Unfortunately a “hat” is never just a hat, it is an experience and, unfortunately not one that Catherine seems to enjoy.
To be honest ,I don’t think that hat looks right with any of her outfits and her habit of plonking it on any old way makes me despair. She has long, lustrous locks that could be swirled up in a killer updo with a natty little hat nestled whimsically atop the curls. Alas, she has yet to sport an updo that made her look elegant. Worse, they make her look positively matronly. Plonking a hat such as this on top just added a few more years.
And the hat? The only thing it has going for it is being an actual hat as opposed to a fascinator.
I like it with the green. Thank you for a great blog. You are my home page:-)
I like the yellow dress the best. And I concur with all the positive Kate comments. I would hate to have every outfit I wear every single day, so closely scrutinized. She always looks elegant and classy. I think that is the point.
I’m not fond of this style…but she likes it. I think it looks best with the yellow or green.
I Love the first one because I always love white and a taupey grey together. I also like her hairstyle in this photo.
I like the Epsom outing, I’ve always liked that color combo and she can really pull it off. The only one I’m not nutty about is the last photo-the hat is certainly passable though.
OK everyone- let’s keep the comments to the hats and clothing. Comments about Kate’s body, intelligence, personality etc. have been (and will continue to be) removed.
Please refer to the comment policy here.
Hmmm… the green is the best I think because there’s contrast. I love the suggestion to wear this hat with her dark green or burgundy coat. So cute for fall with neutral accessories!
That hat is just ok. I think I like it best with the cream/yellow coat dress.
I have to say that I am surprised at the negativity directed toward the Duchess. I don’t think she deserves that.
This hat is fine but I have to admit, I’m not swooning over it. It needs a little pattern or color to liven it up so it’s best with the floral dress and grey coat.
To those who say Kate can do better- she turns up for engagements time after time after time in appropriate choices (and supports the British fashion industry a lot). Are they cutting edge fashion? Maybe not all the time. But what’s wrong with having simple, classic, clean-line style? Queen Letizia’s style is even more boring than Kate’s and I don’t see her getting all the criticism that Kate does.
I love this hat, especially with outfit #2. It coordinates extremely well with her floral dress and coat.
I don’t care for the hat with any of these outfits, but I prefer the first one with her hair up, but not that outfit. Of all of them, I think it is best with the one she wore to a Spencer family wedding.
I don’t love any of these combos, they just look a bit cobbled together. At best re mint pregnancy outfit, but nope, they’re none of them great.
As several others I like the hat best in the first photo, because her hair is up and there is a contrast between the beige and white. If I had only seen the photo from waist up – I would say excellent. I also think the second outfit looks good with the hat. It fits well color wise and with the waist high buttons.
I agree. My first choice was the white (love the contrast) but I don’t care for the short skirt.
The first one.because of the hairstyle . placement of the hat is also good in the 1st one
I was surprised to see all the negative comments about this hat, but they do reflect what I was thinking too. This hat is not flattering. (Nor are these four outfits.) The Duchess of Cambridge is very attractive. She represents the UK. She can do much better.
I so agree. She can and should do better.
So agree.
I also don’t really care for any of these parings. I would say the cream colored outfit is the best of a weak lot.
Never been a fan of this or similar – I always think of the wide curls of chocolate that often decorate cake tops when I see these
I agree beachgal. I seldom like any of the hats or fascinators that the Duchess of Cambridge wears. I think this straw beret looks rather drab and she doesn’t seem to place it correctly, and the trim looks like curls of chocolate, and it needs to have an updo with it, not a mop of hanging hair. Thus, I think the hat looks best in the first photo, as she has an updo, though the white dress she is wearing looks like a nightie.
Just a gentle reminder that since her marriage, the Duchess of Cambridge has not worn a single fascinator but she has worn many cocktail hats (click on those links to take you to posts with a detailed description of each of these headpiece types).
None. Too stark and severe. The Duchess is not the fashion icon I thought she was going to be. Stark and severe seems to be her style but not to my liking. I love long hair but her hair is too long. It will be a shock when it is cut even in different length stages. personally I feel it is time to start cutting.
So I pass on this entire posting.
I see nothing wrong with Duchess Kate NOT being a fashion icon. There are plenty of British royal women who aren’t (Princess Anne, Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Kent) and are known for their brains and their dedication instead of only the labels on their backs.
After what happened with Diana, I don’t think it’s suprising at all that Kate is not turning out to be a fashion icon. In fact, I think that was her and William’s plan all along.
Hat is okay, but it didn’t work very well with any of the coat dresses.
I like it best with the first outfit but not necessarily because of the outfit, more because of the hairstyle… I wish she would wear her hair up more often.
I don’t really care for any of these combinations with this hat. I would like to see her pair this with a darker color like her dark green or burgundy coats, or perhaps with red. I do like the updo from the first photo. These are some of my least favorite outfits on the DofC. She looks so much better in strong colors.
Great suggestion. I love the idea of this hat with a jewel toned coat, especially at this time of year.
I don’t like the hat but the gray is best for this one!
The green. The colors seem to,pop a bit more m
I don’t like the hat, Kate is not jolie whit this hat