I first saw American milliner Karen Morris’ designs last year when several readers here suggested her hats in our royal birthday posts. This short documentary takes us behind the scenes to see more about what inspires her and how she puts her wonderful pieces together. Enjoy!
Yearly Archives: 2015
This Week’s Extras
The Norwegian royals attended an outdoor memorial for last week’s attacks in Paris (Norwegian Royal Court)
The Imperial royal couple celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (Imperial Family of Japan)
Princess Hisako wore a smart pillbox to open the JAPANTEX Interior Trend Show (Imperial Family of Japan)
The Duchess of Cambridge spoke at a conference for children’s mental health (Crown Chronicles)
Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark showed off his curling skills, throwing the first rock at the European Curling Championships in Esbjerg.
Monaco Royals Celebrate National Day
Members of Monaco’s royal family celebrated their country’s national holiday today with a Thanksgiving Mass at Cathedral Notre-Dame, a parade in the royal palace courtyard and a greeting from the palace balcony.
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Princess Charlene chose a new hat for these celebrations, a sleek cloche in claret wool trimmed with a grey birdcage net veil that encases the piece. The classic 1920s shape and style of the hat is made current and modern by the veil and a side slit in the cuffed brim. This is not an easy hat to wear but it works so well with Charlene’s face shape, new pixie haircut, flapper-esque dropped waist dress and demure jewelry. I think this is vintage-modern royal millinery at its best.
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Designer: Akris
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Caroline of Hanover and Monaco topped her Chanel coat with a fascinator made of black feathers formed into flowers. While I would have preferred her in a more traditionally shaped hat with this outfit for this occasion, this fascinator frames her face nicely and she wears it well.
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Designer: unconfirmed. Likely Chanel
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new
Beatrice Borromeo topped an elegant black and beige suit with a beige felt moulded beret worn on the side of her head. The hat has an air of austerity about it that was balanced well with Beatrice’s drop earrings- while I would have loved a feather or some sort of trim on the hat, it fit very well with her elegantly streamlined ensemble.
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Designer: Likely Philip Treacy.
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a long time friend of Prince Albert often spotted at Monaco royal events with her husband Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, was her characteristically bold self in a black and white ensemble. Camilla’s white pillbox-style hat featured an open crown, black stripes, and black feather trim. I’m not usually a fan of open-topped hats but this one seems to work well with Camilla’s upswept hairstyle and bold dress and coat.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new
Previously Worn: I believe this headpiece is new
Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy (Prince Albert’s first cousin, the daughter of his father’s sister Princess Antoinette) wore a grey felt Garbo style hat with floppy brim and side pouf trim. Her daughter, Mélanie-Antoinette Costello de Massy wore a black felt hat of similar shape trimmed with a brooch pinned at the side. Princess Stephanie wore a simple black headband.
It looks like a lovely day was had by all in Monaco although the hats might have been overshadowed by a certain pair of royal twins who appeared on the balcony! What do you think of the royal millinery spotted in Monaco today?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh Visit Birmingham
Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were in Birmingham today where they braved drizzly weather to open a dental hospital and the newly renovated train station, take part in a dedication for a war memorial and visit a tram extension. The Queen stood out against grey skies in a repeated bright pink straw hat with teardrop shaped crown, curved brim and feather trim.
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The Queen’s choice of this hat surprised me- we seldom see her in this kind of light, bright, summery straw past October. While the shape of this hat’s crown is still not one of my favourites, its saturated colour is lovely on Her Majesty and her ensemble cast a very bright note on a rather dull day.
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Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: May 28, 2015; March 21, 2014; May 14, 2011; February 17, 2011; April 27, 2010; May 21, 2009
Previously Worn: May 28, 2015; March 21, 2014; May 14, 2011; February 17, 2011; April 27, 2010; May 21, 2009
Photos from Getty as indicated
Princess Beatrix In Hoofddorp
Princess Beatrix was in Hoofddorp yesterday to open a child abuse support centre. For the event, she repeated a woven black oversize pillbox hat trimmed with a large organza bow at the back. The texture of this piece is most interesting and I think the large scale of this hat (typical of Princess Beatrix’s millinery) actually works in this case. What doesn’t work, however, is the bow. This addition makes the piece looks like a relic from the 1980s and that is never a good thing.
Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: April 9, 2012
While I have found one previous outing of this hat in my archive, I suspect it has been worn a few more times. Does anyone remember this piece at another event?
Photos from Rpe/Albert Ph.Van Der Werf/dpa/Corbis; Rpe/Albert Ph.Van Der Werf/dpa/Corbis; Rpe/Albert Ph.Van Der Werf/dpa/Corbis; Rpe/Albert Ph.Van Der Werf/dpa/Corbis and Rpe/Albert Ph.Van Der Werf/dpa/Corbis
Royal Hats 