The Imperial Royal Family are among the most prolific of royal hat wearers- so prolific that we have to break their 2014 millinery review into two posts. In cases where a hat was worn repeatedly 2014, it is shown here just once (usually, the most recent outing) and you can click on each hat to take you to the original post with larger views and detailed information. Without further ado, here are the hats we saw worn by all of the Japanese princesses in 2014:
Princess Hanako of Hitachi
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
Princess Akiko and Princess Yoko of Mikasa
11 & 12. 
13. 
14 & 15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20.
21. 
22. 
23. 
Princess Noriko, Princess Tsuguko and Princess Ayako of Takamado
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
Princess Hisako of Takamado
34. 
35. 
36. 
37. 
38. 
39. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 
46. 
Princess Mako of Akishino
47. 
48. 
49. 
50. 
51. 
52. 
53.
Princess Kiko of Akishino
54. 
55. 
56. 
57. 
58. 
59. 
60. 
61. 
62. 
63. 
64. 
65. 
66. 
67. 
Crown Princess Masako
68. 
69. 
70. 
71. 
72. 
73. 
74. 
75. 
76. 
77. 
78. 
79. 
I think the collection above shows more creativity, diversity and colour than we might have expected. Will any of these hats receive your nomination for favourite royal hat of 2014?
Stay tuned tomorrow for a look at all the hats worn by Empress Michiko.
Please click on each photo to link back to the original post with additional information and photo sources
Please everybody remember that final approval for the wardrobe of the Imperial family rests with the Imperial Household Agency, so this severely restricts their fashion options.
Princess Hanako of Hitachi: best hat, photo 3, a cream coloured bowler style hat with bow trim, which worked well with her royal blue dress. Second best was photo 7, an aqua hat with rounded crown and small brim, trimmed with a wide roll of ruched coordinating fabric. It was an unusual hat. Third was the hat in photo 10, a small white brimless hat.
Princess Akiko: Princess Akiko’s cream hat with square crown and short, upturned brim trimmed in a mint band to match her suit, at photo 19, was her best I think. Second best was Princess Akiko’s pale pink calot, photo 13.
Princess Yoko of Mikasa: her best outfit was the white suit with a coordinating white fedora hat, photo 23. Her worst hat was the grey wool fedora hat that looked like it had been sat on, photo 20.
Princess Noriko: her best hat was her embellished terra-cotta orange brimless pork pie hat, which matched her outfit, photo 25. Another good look for her was the mint green suit and a coordinating hat with flared brim and square crown wrapped in a large silk bow, seen in photo 33.
Princess Tsuguko: her top look was the a navy pillbox with pork pie indented crown, in photo 26.
Princess Ayako: her best look was the pale blue bumper hat with silk rose trim on the side, in photo 30.
Princess Hisako of Takamado: her best look was the jaunty beige-cream bowler with squared crown and large spray of flowers and feathers on the side, photo 37. I also quite liked her olive green bumper hat with the olive and dusty rose striped sash around the crown and a dusty rose bloom on the side, photo 44.
Princess Mako of Akishino: her best look was the hat that hatQueen described as a quirky little black hat with squared crown and tightly upturned brim, photo 48. I liked all her hats this year.
Princess Kiko of Akishino: Princess Kiko’s best look was her grey embroidered calot, photo 55. I was also impressed when she topped her white suit with a very smart navy and white hat, photo 66.
Crown Princess Masako: It was wonderful to see the Crown Princess out in public again this year and I thought all her hats and outfits were good. Her best look was when she paid homage to the visiting Dutch Royals, the House of Orange-Nassau, in a suit and bumper hat of orange hue, which flattered her coloring so well, photo 74. This was the best hat and outfit out of this group of Princesses.
While not necessarily my taste, I appreciate that the younger Japanese princesses wear larger hats so elegantly (larger when compared to young European royals). Overall, I love Princess Kiko’s hats and hat # 54 and 64 stand out for me. Hat # 54 for being so effortlessly chic and well place and hat # 64 for showing us a beautiful and feminine casual hat, which in my opinion is a rarity with European royals.
Princess Hanako and Princess Hisako definitely had a few surprises waiting for our review this year. #44 would not normally be my favorite, but I think it works so well on Hisako and the detailing is quite different for what we normally see on the Japanese. I also loved #77 on Masako and was so glad to see her back in action this year.
Princess Hanako of Hitachi wears her hats well. (Especially #’s 8 & 10) I love the wide brimmed hats worn by Princess Kiko of Akishino. (Hat #’s 58, 63, 64, 65, and 66) My favorite among these hats is # 10…it surprised me!
Princess Hanako’s hats are sophisticated, attractive and beautifully coordinated with her outfits. Hats 1 and 10 are among my favourites.
I am a great admirer of the mourning outfits worn by the Japanese royal family. They always look very gracious in a restrained, respectful, somber and elegant way. No 38 with Princess Hisako is a good example especially in the full picture. If I were grieving I would find that elegant orderliness soothing and comforting. I like no.6 on Princess Hanako too. The pictures showing women in their long court dresses and hats are not large enough for me to really offer comment. There appears to be some beautiful detailing and use of lovely albeit stiff fabrics. I love Crown Princess Masako’s butterscotch hat No 74 and am so delighted to have her back on the scene that I would cut her a mile of hat slack just to see her beautiful smile.
My eyes keep going back to Kiko’s green hat (58?). 55, the gray nurse’s cap isn’t so good. I REALLY want to like Masako’s hats best, but they’re pretty much the same and not that flattering. 77 is my favorite of hers because it’s different and much nicer on her than the others. Also I always love brown.
I should have added that the orangish color of 74 is so flattering on her; she looks good in those earthtones IMO.
You’re right: there’s more creativity in design and less consistency in these hats than I’d thought — and more color. Cultural differences are so important. While most of these designs might not be big hits in the west, they’re obviously suitable and appropriate in Japan.
I thought these would all be boring but they aren’t! I wouldn’t believe number 2 if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes!
74 is a favorite on sentimental grounds. 64 & 77 are quite nice. There is more variety than I would have guessed, and some lovely hats here, but these are too “safe” to qualify as best or worst of the year for me.
I don’t usually mind how the imperial family sticks to a couple types of hats since I love boaters and pillboxes, but it does make it hard to choose standout favorites! I like 32 for the peach flower detailing and because I think it’s difficult to pull off a straight-atop-the-head pillbox. In general I like the upturned brim hats Masako wears, not necessarily because they’re nice hats, but because I know how much she loves the Netherlands and I feel like she’s mimicking Beatrix a little.