Monthly Archives: June 2015

Dutch Monarchs Visit Michigan

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were in Michigan yesterday to visit the largest Dutch-origin community in the USA. For this visit to the Grand Rapids area, Queen Máxima repeated the wheat gold straw hat with raised brim she wore last week in Canada. The outdoor photos taken yesterday show just how gossamer light the weave of the straw on the brim of this piece is, creating an almost halo effect around Máxima’s face.

Queen Máxima, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Máxima, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats Queen Máxima, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

We have seen this hat worn with this orange tunic before. While the two shades are quite complimentary, in certain lighting the hue of the tunic casts an orangey tinge to the hat. For this reason, I prefer this hat with the white dress we saw it paired with last week.

Queen Máxima, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Máxima, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats Queen Máxima, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Máxima has made several meaningful gestures through her fashion choices on this North American tour and the choice of orange for yesterday’s visit to this large Dutch origin community was no coincidence. What do you think of this hat paired with this ensemble?

Photos from Patrick van Katwijk, Patrick van Katwijk, Albert Van Der Werf, Patrick van Katwijk, Patrick van Katwijk and Patrick van Katwijk

British Royals Celebrate Women’s Institute Centenary

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100 years of the British Women’s Institute was celebrated by a large garden party at Buckingham Palace yesterday, attended by four female members of the royal family and over 8000 members of the WI .  The Duchess of Cornwall led the quartet of royal hosts in a large cream straw picture hat. This hat, which features an oblique crown and wide, gently upfolded brim, is trimmed with folded bands of wide navy and slimmer cream straw around the brim; a cream multi looped bow and large feather on the side of the hat finish it off. The classic navy and cream scheme give the hat crisp elegance that fit well with Camilla’s dress and tailored coat.

Designer: Philip Treacy
Previously Worn: May 22, 2013; July 11, 2009;  May 8, 2009; June 8, 2007; July 14, 2006; July 20, 2005; and June 28, 2005 

Princess Alexandra repeated a natural straw hat with tall, rounded crown and flat brim. The hat, which has been in circulation since at least the mid 1990s, was trimmed with an array of colourful silk blooms around the base of the crown and a swath of widely woven cream net veil. The hat coordinated perfectly with Alexandra’s Chinoiserie silk jacket and while it borders becoming a 1990s cliché garden party hat, Princess Alexandra’s innate elegance forces me to simply smile at this hat and move on.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 20, 2012; June 1995

The Countess of Wessex repeated her pale grey mushroom brimmed picture hat trimmed in swirling black feathers and cream curling organdie ribbon. We have seen Sophie in a plethora of beret-based cocktail hats of recent and I adore that she chose a picture hat for this event.

Designer: Jane Taylor. Dress by Emilia Wickstead. 
Previously Worn: May 17, 2014;  August 9, 2013; June 4, 2013

The Duchess of Gloucester looked lovely in pale blue from head to toe. Her hat, a modern take on a cloche shape with squared crown and flared base, was all about shape and texture- texture gained through the use of this unusually woven straw. While there is a distinctly ‘overturned bucket’ vibe about this piece, I love to see mature royals experimenting with creative millinery shapes. With her streamlined blue coat, I think this ensemble is both interesting and very elegant (just different placement on that pair of brooches next time, please!)

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: May 28, 2015; June 12, 2010; February 4, 2009; June 2, 2007
What did you think of this quartet of British royal hats at yesterday’s all-female event?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Mathilde Awards Queen Elizabeth Music Prize

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Queen Mathilde of Belgium was at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo this morning to present awards to winners of the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition. For this function, Queen repeated a headpiece we have not seen in nearly three years. Some of you might remember this shell-inspired piece in rosy-beige pleated straw from its first appearance at the Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess’ wedding in October 2012. While I was not initially complimentary of this piece, I’m doing an about face thanks to today’s pairing with Queen Mathilde’s white eyelet dress and a less bouffanted hairstyle. While this headpiece is still is a little reminiscent of an underwater creature or folded napkin, it dresses down with a summer dress and neutral accessories so much better than it ‘dressed up’. Seeing it like this enables me to appreciate it for the pretty piece that it really is.

Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats  Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Queen Mathilde, June 2, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: October 20, 2012

We have seen the young queens of Belgium and the Netherlands experiment widely with brimless daytime hats and I think this piece’s organic and creative shape makes it a success. I adore that Queen Mathilde and Queen Máxima have both embraced daytime hat wearing and admire the personal spin and modern style they both place on this tradition.

Photos from Getty as indicated; Christophe Licoppe, Christophe Licoppe, Christophe Licoppe, Christophe Licoppe and Christophe Licoppe via Corbis

Day Two of Indian State Visit To Sweden

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Queen Silvia used the second day of the Indian state visit to Sweden yesterday as an occasion to début a new hat. The calot hat, which looks to be made of straw, was clearly custom dyed to match the Queen’s turquoise silk dress. We often see Queen Silvia in hats the same hue as her clothing and while this approach to hat wearing often creates a one-note, boringly matchy ensemble for other royals, Silvia carries it off well. Why? I think the keys are hair and hat shape. Silvia’s dark hairstyle creates enough contrast between hat and outfit, especially when the hat is a pillbox or calot style worn on the back of her head. This monochrome approach to daytime royal dress does not work for everyone but Queen Silvia seems to have it down to a successful science.

Queen Silvia, June 1, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Photo from The Swedish Royal Court