After a lacklustre millinery start to this week’s visit to Australia, Queen Máxima was back to her blazingly glamorous self today for the Melbourne Cup at Ascot Raceourse in Perth. On paper, a brown straw hat with simple embellishment reads as rather boring- something this hat is certainly not! In coffee coloured straw, the hat’s upswept ‘slice’ brim is a Máxima signature that is beautifully balanced with a simple rounded crown and monochrome grosgrain ribbon hatband that folds into a flat bow at the side. The hat’s simplicity is a perfect counterpoint to Máxima’s more elaborate beaded aqua Natan dress and the resulting ensemble is a dazzling success.
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Previously Worn: September 14, 2016; June 2, 2016; April 21, 2016; March 10, 2016
Royal Hats 
Much better (see my snarl about yesterday’s hat) but, boy, I still hate those shiny shoes! They look so cheap. Rest of the outfit is A1.
Absolutely lovely!
While I do love this look, it seems rather underwhelming for the Melbourne Cup, when I expect some crazy and fantastic millinery to be on display! (this hat would’ve been fantastic to bring out again for this occasion: https://royalhats.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/dutch-and-belgian-queens-open-sculpture-exhibition/) But I must say this hat is a big improvement over many of the odd sculptural headbands I’ve seen over the last days on Instagram at the races in Australia.
Yes, they’re everywhere this year. I kinda like (most of) them!!!!
They’re innovative and interesting, but a lot of them seem more suited to an evening event. But I prefer more substantial hats and headpieces for the races anyhow, so there’s my bias!
Much better than Day 1. Maxima looks fabulous. I was taken aback by her shoes — glistening.
Excellent pairing of a simple, but dramatic, hat with the embellished dress. But isn’t the dress a repeat? Which hat did she wear with it previously?
I answered my own question: it was the natural straw slice, as shown in one of HatQueen’s This or That features. Now I have to decide which I like better…
Yes- she wore this dress with the larger, lighter coloured version of this same hat style for the 200th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
I think she found a great combo and she’s is sticking to it-lovely as always 🙂
Great hat for the races.
terrific!
The hat’s best outing so far! Lovely and appropriate costume altogether.
For the race course in Australia, this hat is by far too tame and bland. Miss.
Mmmmmm I’ll have to think about your comment a bit longer absolutelyhats. My response is I agree…..sort of!! Yes, at the very highest eschalon of racing here in Australia and maybe on the East Coast in particular at this particular time of the year, ie the Spring Racing Carnival which is HUGE in Victoria…..but not at all race tracks. The Melbourne Cup is almost our National Day with every town, from the very smallest stopping to celebrate the day in their own and various styles and in recent years the coverage of the actual race meeting at the Flemington Race Course has escalated enormously, so I think that has really upped the ante and raised the profile in the style stakes. But…not everywhere and not every weekend. I’m not wishing to shoot you down in flames, apologies.
Therefore it will come as no surprise that I think QM’s choice of hat today was spot on…again. Classic, classy, relaxed and perfectly suited to the weather here in the West. After a long winter we are finally getting some sun and as everyone knows here in Oz, it has got some sting in it when it comes out, so I think the wide brim was appropriate and the hat definitely has enough of a wow factor to be a pass mark.
On both occasions I have to commend our favourite gal for her choices, it can’t be easy to judge the pulse and feel of a certain city and I think she has done that beautifully. I know, not the more out there Maxima that we all know and love, but that would have just made her look overdressed and perhaps feel uncomfortable. A great thrill, thanks for visiting WA.
Thanks for giving us some context for this event! It seems Maxima’s sartorial choices have been very thoughtful this week.
Lord save me from those ‘fascinators’ beloved by the race-going women who end up sprawled on the ground (or in a hedge). This is a classy hat worn by a classy gal. Not every hat has to be decorated like Great-Aunt Matilda’s tea-cosy to be ‘right’.
To be fair, fascinators do not always equate with the behaviour you describe.
Everyone- I know fascinators are not your favourites but enough with these wide sweeping character statements.
We have a winner! She looks amazing.
This is an outstanding ensemble!
I like how versatile this hat is
Stunning!