In doing some hat research last week, I noticed a subtle but interesting design trend in some hats Rachel Trevor Morgan has recently created for Queen Elizabeth.
Hats with upfolded brims made by Rachel Trevor Morgan between 2007 and 2012:
Hats with upfolded brims made by Rachel Trevor Morgan in 2014:
The brims on the more recent designs have decreased in size and created a more compact ‘upfold’ on the brim, closer to the hat’s crown. This change makes the raised side of the brim appear to sit at higher, more dramatic angles than the brims of the earlier designed hats. The wonderful floral trims are used in very similar ways but the change to the brim gives a different overall feel to the hat. I suppose this is a very natural design evolution and we’ll have to keep our eyes open to see if it continues with new designs worn by the Queen this summer.
Has anyone else noticed this slight change in Rachel Trevor Morgan’s designs?
Photos by Stuart C. Wilson/Stringer, Scott Barbour/Stringer and WPA Pool via Getty; Press Association via The Daily Mail; Chris Jackson via Getty and Press Association via The Express
Royal Hats 
I prefer the wider brims with the coats, as the look is more balanced. Narrower brimmed hats work best with dresses.
That’s an excellent point. Makes clothing design for the Queen complicated, of course, since one has to consider the live audience, the photographs and whether the outfit will additionally by photographed without the coat. Since most dresses alone are photographed without the hat, however, the bigger brims seems like a good idea. Fashions change, but the Queen always hat to be easily identified, and bigger brims help that.
I put all 6 pictures on my screen at one time, and it looked like a rainbow of spring/summer beauty! HM dresses as if EVERY day is Easter!
Does anyone enjoy the floral pattern on the yellow coat as much as I? The whole ensemble is pulled together in a wonderful way.
I was just about to say the exact same thing Jimbo! Spring in the form of HM has arrived! Because it is snowing yet again outside, I really needed some spring today too.
The hat in green where she is wearing that beautiful diamond waterfall brooch is really a sharp design, notice that on the right side her hat does not come far out like all the others and on the left it curves up more, it is a more sassy style then the others. I like it because it isn’t to big on her head. It does look like the others yet it’s smaller then all the rest. And I love those floral designs on the top, especially in the green hat as it is a stronger floral then most, shows more depth then just feathers.
I agree! Well said. The floral design on the green is very good.
The dove grey is also fabulous and so chic.
I agree with what elizabethmclaughline42 says: March 26, 2015 at 3:20 am, out of all the hats pictured, this lime green hat has the best shape, and that diamond waterfall brooch is one of my favourites too.
There’s been a trend towards smaller brims all over. The other one that shrunk is her fabulous purple homburg as commented on before. If you think thiigh, the Queen’s hats in the 80s and 90s were mostly brimless, pillboxes or turbans, and actually pretty dull (sorry to say!) Then she mixed up her milliners a bit, introducing people like Philip Somerville and RTM and brims were in, and pretty big ones at that. I wonder if she feels they obstructed her face too much and so now the brims have shrunk to enable that? Just a theory.
Nonetheless, although seeing these hats together shows the absolute similarity of them all, they are all lovely hats aren’t they?
Good catch, HQ!
Add my votes for bright colors and bigger brims.
I like the bigger brims but I think the smaller brims look better on Queen Elizabeth. They make her face stand out more.
I agree with the person who said she looks so good in bright colors.
RTM has decreased the brims on at least two of Queen Elizabeth’s existing hats that she continues to wear as well, although the revisions don’t show the more dramatic angles of the brims because the brims weren’t the angled to start with.
older, bigger brim:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-the-duke-of-edinburgh-visit-the-baltic-news-photo/158146000
newer, smaller brim:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/hm-queen-elizabeth-ll-and-prince-andrew-attend-british-news-photo/158157826
The same happened to this pink hat, although I can’t find an older photo at the moment. Here’s the newer, smaller version:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/queen-elizabeth-ii-on-a-walkabout-whilst-visiting-margate-news-photo/132331109
Obviously word went out that the Queen wanted smaller brims. In some ways I prefer the larger brims since those hats make more of a presence in the distance.
Gosh she looks like her mom so much in the 4th one (the bright blue one)
Just amazing xxx
You have a sharp eye for the details! I like the older versions better… perhaps because of the lovely colors and pretty floral trims… just so pretty! Thanks for all your lovely posts. I truly enjoy them.
The floral trims are very, very pretty. They make these hats beautiful. I don’t think the brims make a big difference to the hats.
What a fascinating observation. I would have never noticed it without seeing the hats all side by side. I prefer the larger brims. The new hats last year looked a little squashed to me and now I know why!
Seeing these hats together proves that Queen Elizabeth wears bright colors better than anyone else. I would look ridiculous in most of these shades.