The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited in Northern Ireland today where their program included attendance at a garden party at at Hillsborough Castle. For this, Kate mixed up her ensemble, pairing a well worn coat dress with a new percher hat. Described by the designer as “Swirls of pillarbox-red sinamay circle around a draped centre, inspired by the morning rose flower. The hat sits neatly on the side of the head with the tip of the teardrop shape adding elegant height to the wearer”, the design also includes a slim bow around the back of the hat. Kate’s hat appears to be a bespoke version in creamy gold straw.
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While I like this hat, I’m a little bored with this pairing. As reader Cepe insightfully commented about the ensemble on twitter a few minutes ago, “It’s all rather biscuit”. The hat is such an interesting, unique shape and I’m afraid its impact is lost in the monochrome colour scheme.
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UPDATE: Reader James was invited to the garden party and graciously shares these photos taken at the event. The photos show how pretty this hat reads in natural light. Thank you so much for sharing this experience, James!
Designer: Silvia Fletcher for Lock and Co. It is a version of the “Morning Rose” perching hat (pictured below) from the Couture SS 2016 collection
Previously Worn: This hat is new
I think I could like this new design but I would need to see it paired with another outfit. What do you think of this new hat on Kate today?
Royal Hats 
I appreciate that kate’s outfits can’t always be loved by us all but I am not a fan of this one. The coat looks to bulky and I don’t care for the rose look of the hat. Perhaps as someone else suggested maybe a different color would be better, say pink or red?
You know, I’m really surprised by the lack of love for this outfit. I think I’m on record for linking it when she re-combines outfits, and this is a gret use of that coat with a new hat (in fact over four hatted engagements recently, she has only sported one new dress and two new hats, I like that approach). I think it’s a great match, its very much in her style, and the hat is a fun shape. Seems I may be in a minority of one though!
I don’t like the coat, we’ve seen it way too many times now, it’s not well fitted and I’m tired of seeing it. There, I said it. 🙂
The hat is interesting, I quite like it, so it deserves a better coat to shine properly.
Thanks to James for sharing his photos, and congratulations on the recognition!
Not a fan of this hat at all. I’m not sure why I want to like it but I just dont. I think it’s because her whole look is all the same colour. I think it would be pretty with a blue dress.
You know, I just went straight for a win with his one. It’s the strategy again of mixing old pieces with new, and it’s working for me. I like it. Yes, it’s a lot of one colour, but I think it’s elegant, and I just love seeing her getting good use from her wardrobe and still creating new looks.
Since you mentioned this yesterday, I’ve been scrolling through my archives of Kate and you’re right- she occasionally repeats an entire ensemble (like the outfit from George’s christening to the BP garden party a few weeks back) but most of the time, she mixes and matches pieces. It’s a great approach to royal dressing but the downside is when you’ve worn a piece with something to great success (like this coat with the famous potato chip hat at Zara’s wedding), new combinations don’t always measure up!
I like the approach – the problem is that sometimes looks can be less than cohesive, but this one does it for me.
And I think I’m going mad – ice just commented exactly the same post again, I’d forgotten I had done that yesterday!
This outfit is typical of Kate’s usual monochrome style. I’m not a fan of her side bun here as I think it is only called for when the hat is on the opposite side and needs some balancing effect or if a big hat is tilted to the side and leaves no room anywhere else for a bun but the side. I’m not a fan of perchers but I think they look fine with long hair down, just pulled back from the face. Kate has a very traditional style, but a bun can easily tip the scales towards down right old fashioned.
I like the hat, I think for one of these percher type hats it’s a bit adventurous and different. I like the hat in red too. I have to say I do think the outift as a whole would benefit from a contrast or toning effect with a different colour, rather than all being this pale hue. This cream hat with a caramel coloured outfit, maybe? or the coat with the hat in an apricot shade?
I think the hat’s just plain ugly, doesn’t look particularly well made, and she can do so much better and has. Just why???? At least her hair is up.
I totally agree. I am getting to the point of hating perchers as much as I hate fascinators. I wish she would try maybe a french twist or something other than this low up-do. Reminds me of a lady who was a member of the church I attended as a kid – she was 92 at the time.
I think it was before her marriage that she wore a most wonderful light purple/blue coat. I would love to see them together.
Was it this coat? The hat would be wonderful with it!
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HatQueen!!! You’re a miracle, found with such a short description. Thank you so much for all the hat fun.
The Duchess looks lovely and appropriate.
I think I could really like this hat with a different colour dress or coat but I don’t like it in red (especially after reading Mr. FitzroyOBE’s comment!!).
Kate has really taken to the side hair bun recently. Princess Mary of Denmark styles her hair often this way and it works really well for percher or diagonal hats. It also looks great on Kate.
I wonder if the hat could be prettier in another red though (like darker). Or pink. Someother colour that shows it’s intent as a rose 😛
Had the honour of being at the Garden Party today. Looked much better in real life!
Thanks for sharing, James! It’s always hard to tell if photos do a hat justice and it’s good to hear your thoughts having seen it in the flesh (or in the straw….?!)
Oh, how nice! Most things look better in real life when you dont zoom in on it and analyze it to bits. I’m rather jelaous!
James, you’re so nonchalant! Don’t you have anything else to report about this? Spill all!
It was a lovely afternoon. I was nominated by my Lord-Lieutentant to meet The Duke of Cambridge and had a great conversation with him. The Duchess was lovely and her hat was very pretty, though not one of my favourites on her. (Is it possible to share a few iPhone photos?)
Absolutely! If you are not able to embed them in the comments, simply email them to me and I can add them to the post.
Congratulations on this honour!
Thank you for the mention!
Is the problem with the hat what it is made out of? For me it looks brittle, whereas a rose (or cinnamon bun) is soft and flowing. I don’t think it looks good in red either.
The coat is tricky to accessorise as it is brocade with piping, lapels, pockets, buttons – lots going on. Best hat for it was the one at Zara’s wedding.
I agree with the “too much biscuit” comment. The red version of this hat would have been a great contrast with this coat dress. Then she could have worn her red pumps from yesterday…delicious!
Ooooh,that could have been gorgeous!
While the monochrome and Water Putty tone of the ensemble are a bit disappointing, if one overlooks the color she looks quite wonderful. MrFitzroy, while liking the idea of this hat, also is not at all a fan of the red version. It looks like a dollop of red sauce, or ketchup if you will….just waiting to have chips dragged through.
I’m not a fan of percher hats typically and this one is just sort of ho-hum to me – might be the monotone color as you suggest – but the shape of this one reminds me of a cinnamon breakfast roll vs a rose which it’s supposed to be.
YAWN. Next.
Surprisingly I liked all the beige with the fantastic potato chip/crisp hat, but here it’s just no good. I agree with @Gransgirl that it should be tilting a little more to the side for better placement. I would really like to see this in red since we know Kate can wear the color so well.
I am sorry the entire outfit is beyond pale. May I add her makeup is also far too pale . I love larger hats on her with some colour..
The first photos released of this event were very washed out- I have since replaced them here with newer and better ones that more accurately convey how the Duchess looked today!
To me it appears to be to upright. A little more tilt to the side woul help a lot. I agree with you, HatQueen, that this would be better paired with a brightly colored dress. I much prefer the “potato chip” hat she wore with this coat to Zara’s wedding.
If I recall correctly, she has worn four different hats/headpieces with this coat. After Ascot is over, we’ll have to take a closer look at them.
The infamous ‘potato chip’ hat is such a fan favourite. I wonder why Kate hasn’t repeated it? It would make the most wonderful hat for Ascot!
Oooh, I’m very much looking forward to that post 🙂
Bleugh.. but safe. Lovely coat, lovely hat ( not that I am at all a fan of percher hats) but somehow not together as all a bit same. Strange how D0Cambridge put all over red together yesterday to fab effect but looses it today in to much nothingness.
Not a fan of percher hats in general and this one is no exception. It makes me hungry just looking at it. I also don’t like the red version – it looks like a rose made out of putty. Maybe some embellishments would help – just something to drag the design out of its current state of meh.
I like this design better in the creamy gold than the red- imagine it paired with a vibrant blue dress? It could be really great.
This hat with a royal blue dress and cream accessories would be stunning! If only we could send suggestions to the royals!
This hat + cream dress + this blue coat = amazing
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Or with these blue coats
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I agree with the blue, but I’ll go for one of the lighter blue coats as Scout has suggested.
Or even better any of these dresses
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Some great choices there, Scout! The only one I question is the pale pink McQueen as this hat has a very yellow undertone and I’m never a fan of pale pink and yellow together. That being said, the rest all have potential to be stunning pairings!
It’s a bit meh. I would love it way more in the original colour. Not horrible hat, just… meh.