Monthly Archives: January 2016

Imperial New Year’s Poetry Reading 2016

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Members of Imperial Family joined the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace yesterday for the Ceremony of the Utakai Hajime, the annual New Year’s Poetry Reading.

Imperial Royal Family, January 15, 2016 | Royal Hats

As she hosted the event in her home, Empress Michiko did not wear a hat. Princess Kiko repeated a cream silk covered bumper hat that looks to be trimmed in the same braided detail adorning the bodice seams of her gown. While impeccable, the demure ensemble is a little boring. Princess Mako was slightly more adventurous in a new pale blue calot hat with curved brim that rolled back closely around the hat’s crown. The hat is covered in the same silk as her floral gown and trimmed with two silk blooms at the side. It’s not an exciting hat but the shape looks great on Mako and works particularly well with her fringe.

Princess Kiko, January 15, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Mako, January 15, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princess Kiko, Princess Mako and Princess Hanako, January 15, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Previous Wearings of Princess Kiko’s hat: December 23, 2011

Princess Hanako of Hitachi stood out in a new vibrant blue gown in a coordinating hat. The hat’s domed crown was covered in plain silk while its small brim was wrapped in the same leopard printed blue silk as Hanako’s gown. It looks like the hat was completed with feather trim at the back. While the ensemble has a slight 1980s air about it, the bold colour and slightly racy pattern is such a departure from most things we see on the Imperial royals that I’m inclined to love it anyway.

Princess Hanako, January 15, 2016 | Royal Hats

Princess Nobuko topped her pale grey gown with a calot hat trimmed in a huge blossom on the side while her daughter, Princess Akiko, chose a simple calot in the same bubblegum pink as her silk gown. Princess Hisako of Hitachi wowed in a teal suit with lavishly embroidered sleeves and skirt. Her new pillbox hat looked to contain similar embroidery around the perimeter, making for a rather spectacular ensemble. Her daughter, Princess Ayako, topped her pale yellow silk jacquard suit with a matching new calot hat. While I’m all for a calot, the bows on either side of this piece lend a Princess Leia vibe (a vibe that is particularly ironic for a hat worn by a young Imperial princess!)

Princess Nobuko, Princess Akiko, Princess Hisako and Princess Ayako, January 15, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Previous wearings of Princess Nobuko’s hat: August 5, 2015
Previous wearings of Princess Akiko’s hat: January 9, 2015

I always enjoy seeing court dress and thought Princess Hanako and Princess Hisako knocked it out of the park at this event. What did you think of the Japanese royal hats at this poetry reading?

Photos from Asahi, ANN News and NHK

Your Winners! Best New Royal Hats of 2015

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2015 best hat small

After nine polls, ten finalists and more than twenty thousand votes, your favourite new royal hats of 2015 have been named. With no further fanfare, here are the top five winners (jump back to this post for a peek at all the finalists):

#5 Queen Mathilde’s red straw saucer by Fabienne Delvigne worn on June 25 in China

Queen Mathilde, June 25, 2015 in Fabienne Delvigne | Royal Hats

#4     Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s magenta silk flower and ribbon twist headpiece by Philip Treacy worn for the christening of Prince Nicolas on October 11

Princess Madeleine, October 11, 2015 in Philip Treacy | Royal Hats

#3 The Countess of Wessex’s soaring cream straw slice hat with lattice woven ribbon detail by Jane Taylor, worn for Ascot on June 16 

And by an incredibly slim winning margin of just twelve votes, your#1  favourite new royal hat of 2015 was Beatrice Borromeo’s natural straw hat with textured mushroom brim of unknown design worn at the christening of Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques on May 10

                         2015-05-11 Monaco Christening 49

It appears, dearest readers, that we have not completely joined in the current trend for cocktail hats but usually favour larger scale, dramatic hats with substantial brims. Thanks to everyone who cast a vote- you can review the detailed results of the poll below. And finally, if anyone can provide any design information about our winning hat, it would be greatly appreciated!

For those of you wondering about the best repeated hat of 2015, I think it’s safe to say that this Jane Taylor design on the Countess of Wessex (which won our Ascot 2015 poll) would likely win. It received far greater positive response than any other hat we saw last year.

Photos from Getty as indicated; Philip Reynaers/Photo News S.A./Corbis;  Patrick van Katwijk/dpa/Corbis; and Eric Gaillard / Reuters

Danish Prince Hosts Royal Hunt

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Prince Henrik of Denmark hosted a royal hunt at Gribskov in northern Zealand today. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t feature this kind of event in a post but I saw this photo and I just had to share, Not only is Prince Henrik’s white embellished papakah wonderful (especially with his cape and most regal of poses) but the entire hunting scene looks like it was lifted straight from the 19th century.

January 14, 2016 | Royal Hats

It’s fascinating how the royals manage to keep multiple layers of tradition (including hat wearing!) alive.

Photo from Mathias Løvgreen Bojesen/Scanpix via DR.dk

Imperial New Year’s Lectures 2016

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Members of Imperial Family attended traditional annual Imperial New Year’s Lectures hosted by the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace yesterday. One of the few royal occasions that still requires court dress, this event provides us a wonderful opportunity for hat watching every year.

As the Empress hosts the event in her home (and thus, does not wear a hat) and Crown Princess Masako did not attend, we’ll start off a review of this ceremony with Princess Kiko of Akishino who wore a pale grey-blue calot hat. The hat appeared to feature some sort of trim or contrasting fabric on the crown and an unembellished cuff brim around the front. While a fairly typical hat for Kiko, I would have loved to see some of the incredible silver thread detail on the bodice of her gown incorporated into the hat. Her daughter, Princess Mako, wore a simple black pillbox that I believe is a new hat for her.

Princess Kiko and Princess Mako, January 12, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Previous Wearings of Princess Kiko’s hat: January 15, 2014

Princess Hanako of Hitachi wore a new jade green brimless hat with pork pie crown and bow trim at the side. While the photo below suggests the hat was a slightly different shade than her lace gown, I suspect that in reality, the two were  a match. Princess Nobuko of Mikasa repeated a ruched toque hat with feather trim at the side made of the same grey silk as her structured gown. Her daughters both wore new hats with unexpected twists- Princess Akiko’s blue headpiece appeared to be made of blue and silver petals (or sequins) perched in a mass on the top of her head while Princess Yoko’s tall pink pillbox was trimmed in chevron stripes of matching feathers.

Princess Hanako, Princess Nobuko, Princess Akiko and Princess Yoko, January 12, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Previous Wearings of Princess Nobuko’s hat: January 16, 2015

The Takamado princesses were also in attendance. Princess Hisako topped her goldenrod yellow velvet gown in a brimless pork pie hat covered in the same fabric and trimmed in coordinating feathers. Princess Tsuguko highlighted the taupe sheen in her Victorian style suit with a taupe pillbox hat, also trimmed in feathers. Princess Ayako, who we do not often see as she has been studying in Canada for several years, wore a pale pink calot hat. The calot appeared to be trimmed in monochrome lace around the perimeter which I suspect may frame her face in a lovely way.

Princess Hisako, Princess Tsuguko and Princess Ayako, January 12, 2016 | Royal Hats

While this event often showcases the most daring of millinery worn by the Imperial Princesses, these hats fit with the more typically demure style we often see worn by the Japanese royals. Are there any pieces that stand out to you in particular?

Photos from Getty as indicated and ANN News