Here is another interesting view of hat construction from Ian Philip Wright, designer at Walter Wright Ltd. Enjoy!
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Danish Queen Opens Research Institute
On Tuesday, Queen Margrethe officially opened the new headquarters of the Danish Meat Research Institute in Taastrup. For this engagement, she repeated a navy hat with Bowler-style crown and a short brim that gently curled up on one side; the hat brim and band around the crown were trimmed in the same fabric as her checked dress. While this hat and dress were clearly made to go together, I think it is overly matched. I suspect simple white trim (similar to this hat, also in Queen Margrethe’s millinery closet) might have been a better compliment. What do you think?
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: September 6, 2009; August 23, 2009; July 6, 2009;
Photos from Bjørn Armbjørn via SN.dk
Catching Up with Princess Beatrix
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands has had two hat-wearing engagements this month that we need to catch up on! Last Saturday, she attended the 125th anniversary of the ecclesiastical Union of Utrecht. For this celebration, Beatrix topped her pewter and black scrolled jacket with a black straw hat. This hat, with a tall, folded double brim, featured a scroll-like pleat on the side. While I’m not sure about that side pleat, this hat’s overall simplicity (and absence of flower or feather trim) paired well with Beatrix’s patterned jacket. I sometimes feel that black can be a harsh and overwhelming colour on Princess Beatrix but her jacket kept things light and the whole ensemble worked well.
Designer: unknown. My guess is Suzanne Moulijn
Previously Worn: January 11, 2012; September 30, 2011; June 30, 2010; June 1, 2010; May 4, 2010
On September 5, Princess Beatrix visited Hitzacker, Germany, the birthplace of her late husband Prince Claus, to open a street named in the Prince’s honor. For this special event, she chose a navy straw hat with short brim and square crown. The hat was embellished with two things we usually see only on Princess Beatrix’s hats- a diagonal band around the top of the crown and a pair of straw loops on the side. I really like the way this hat pairs with the asymmetrically draped neckline of her navy printed dress and I thought she looked wonderful.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: November 16, 2013
What do you think of this pair of hats on Princess Beatrix?
Photos from Patrick van Katwijk, Patrick van Katwijk, Albert Philip van der Werf and Albert Philip van der Werf via Corbis
Swedish Monarchs Attend Synod Opening
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden were in Uppsala yesterday to attend the annual opening of Synod at Uppsala Cathedral. For this event, the Queen wore a black straw hat with a gently upturned front brim and a twisted band of straw wrapped around the crown. This hat is feels rather somber to me- I can’t help thinking that the low brim seems better suited for mourning than a regular royal engagement. A black hat was the right choice to top Silvia’s black and white jacket but I think lighter shape- like that of her black straw beret, feathered pillbox or even this picture hat– would have been a prettier choice. What do you think?
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: March 16, 2013
Photos from Stella Pictures via Svenskdam
Hat From The Past
On this day in 1971, Princess Margret and the Earl of Snowdon were photographed at Heathrow airport, about to embark on a trip to Canada. Princess Margret’s fuzzy white hat with halo brim would have been right on trend with early 1970s fashion. It’s quite marvelous, isn’t it?!
Royal Hats 
