Monthly Archives: March 2015

Princess Anne at Sandown Races

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Last Friday, Princess Anne attended Sandown Park Racecourse. Topping her wide smile was a brown floppy hat with a short brim, trimmed in a pleated band of wool plaid wrapped around the crown of the hat. Where to start with this hat… the plaid band is uneven, rather roughly finished and, in dark green, a completely unrelated colour to the brown hat. The droopy shape suffers from all sorts of structural issues and overall, this hat seems better suited for hillwalking on a drizzly day than an afternoon at the races. Despite all these problems, I can’t decide if this hat is entirely hideous or eccentrically charming. What do you think?

Princess Anne, March 6, 2015 | Royal HatsPrincess Anne, March 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: Peak and Brim Designer Hats
Previously Worn: March 12, 2014

Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Royal Hats

Rare glimpse into the close relationship between a Queen and her milliner (The Daily Mail)

Prince Philip looked so very distinguished in uniform at RAF Norfolk this week (The Daily Mail)

King Carl Gustaf wore a dashing fedora hat on the final day of the state visit to Finland (Svenskdam)

Charlotte Casiraghi left LAX in a floppy black Garbo hat (Svenskdam)

Royal Hats

Great lecture by Canadian royal historian Carolyn Harris on King John and the making of the Magna Carta

The Countess of Wessex and the Mexican First Lady visited the set of Downton Abbey (British Monarchy Twitter)

Amazing royal discovery uncovered during a cottage renovation (The Telegraph)

Prince William met Shaun the Sheep in China (New China TV). Unfortunately, his successful Asian visit hit a blip on the last day (Independent)

I love it when royals are friends. The Swedish and Norwegian young royals enjoying dinner together (DT.se)

Princess Kako Visits Ise Shrine

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Princess Kako of Akishino visited the Ise Jingu Grand Shrine in Ise City today to report her coming-of-age to the ancestral goddess of Imperial Family, Amaterasu Omikami. Like other female members of the Imperial Family who adhere to a white court dress code when visiting this shrine (see here, here, and here), Princess Kako wore a long ivory coat and small white hat. The hat, comprised of a tall domed crown, short brim and the simplest of embellishment, echoed a familiar hat style we’re used to seeing on her mother, Princess Kiko.

Princess Kako, March 6, 2015 | Royal Hats  Princess Kako, March 6, 2015 | Royal HatsPrincess Kako, March 6, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: While it is very similar to some of Princess Kiko’s hats, I believe it is new.

I can’t help being a little disappointed that, like her older sister Princess Mako, Princess Kako’s initial hat style is a replication of her mother’s hat style. I would much rather see her take millinery cues from Princess Hanako!

 

Photos from Asahi

Seeing Quadruple: The Duchess of Cornwall

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Royal HatsThe Duchess of Cornwall and her milliner, Philip Treacy, have developed her millinery wardrobe around two main styles of hats: large, embellished picture hats and smaller embellished berets. Don’t let the word ‘smaller’ deceive you – these are still substantial hats that make a significant style statement. Interestingly, four of these beret hats share the same trimming of sweeping, looped ribbons and large, silk cabbage roses:

  Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
At a Service of Thanksgiving in November 2007 and a November 2009 visit to Canada

Embed from Getty Images  Embed from Getty Images
Receiving the Freedom of Thame Award, May 2, 2012; at a Service of Thanksgiving in March 2014

While the character of each hat above is distinguished by a different colour and slightly different takes on the embellishment, their design is pretty much the same (along with a fifth variation without the ribbons). We have seen over the past decade that Camilla takes a no-nonsense approach to her hats and wardrobe, repeating shapes and styles that work for her. I suppose that is the reason between this group of quadruplets- they work and she obviously likes them- but doesn’t it seem a little curious to have four hats that are so similar?

Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Máxima Opens Namesake Canal

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Queen Máxima was in Den Bosch this morning to open her new new namesake waterway, the 9 kilometre long Maxima Kanaal. As she does for all official openings, Queen Máxima wore a hat (and gloves) for this event. While we have seen her in several ‘slice’ picture hats with sharply diagonal folded brims, this particular hat, in camel felt, is new. Trimmed with  a simple monochrome grosgrain ribbon around the crown and small felt bow on the back brim, the lack of embellishment makes this hat all about its strong shape.  Its pairing with Máxima’s black and white dress was a surprising but very elegant and modern choice – the simple neckline was a great compliment to the hat and the muted accessories kept the whole outfit from veering into “too much” territory.

2015-03-05 Maxima Canal 3 250  2015-03-05 Maxima Canal 4 250

My only qualm about this hat is the way the huge hat pins look like a pair of knitting needles stabbed through the back of it. While hat pins are necessary, this pair really disturbs the smooth, clean lines of this hat.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: This is a new hat

I suspect some of you might have preferred a hat in a more vibrant colour with this dress but I loved the way this hat was such an  unexpected choice. The dress kept the hat from looking dull or boring while the hat and other tan accessories restrained the dress from looking too much like a bar code on steroids. For me, this beautiful balance is what makes this ensemble work. I look forward to hearing how you, dear readers, weigh in on this new hat!

Photos from Patrick van Katwijk via Corbis; Getty as indicated