Last Wednesday, Prince Masahito and Princess Hanako of Hitachi attended the Japanese Society for Disabled Children’s 35th annual Art Exhibition. Princess Hanako wore a smart ivory hat with Pork Pie crown and mushroom brim trimmed with a taupe bow wrapped around the back of the design.
On Monday, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako attend a symposium in Tokyo commemorating 60 years of Japan’s membership in the United Nations. Princess Masako topped her burgundy suit with a matching felt hat trimmed in a wide velvet hatband with bow at the back. The brim on this piece is slightly wider than we see on most of Masako’s other hats and both the elevated scale and saturated colour work beautifully on her.
While Imperial royal millinery style usually sticks to its own set of more conservative rules, these pieces both feel more modern and fashionable- what do you think of them?
Photos from Sankei and Kyodo News via Getty; and Sankei
Royal Hats 
Both of these are perfectly attractive but really conservative and would seem boring in other contexts. Within the ultra-conservative world of the Japanese imperial family, though, these are both a cause for rejoicing!
My favorite part of the white hat is the back where the brim turns up. It’s kind of pert like a wren’s tail.
The maroon hat is pretty much perfect. It’s a beautiful color and material, both appropriate for the winter season. The size and proportion are perfect for the wearer. It’s what I would call a basic, generic hat, but lovely. I wonder why Queen Elizabeth doesn’t wear more hats that are simple, basic hats like this one. Her shoes are simple and either plain pumps or pumps with buckles; her handbag is nearly always the same; her hairdo hasn’t changed in years; she has a uniform set of jewelry for everyday; her clothes while colorful could be said to be variations on a theme. Maybe the hat is the one thing where she says to her designer: ok go wild.
I love princess masahito’s hat! It is so different, and she wears it so well! And so nice to see princess Masako looking very chic..her hat is beautiful, I love the style and her makeup is flawless..those eyebrows…Nice!
Hanako’s hat reminds me of a more subtle version of Dior’s “New Look” hat, and it suits her oh so well!
While the shape of Masako’s hat is not quite as innovative and modern, it is still stunning because of the color and how excellent the proportions are for her. As I’ve said before, saturated colors really suit Masako, and hope we do see more of them soon.
I agree with you hat a Queen, Princess Masako looks great in bold colors and looks particularly lovely in this slightly more modern hat with a broader brim than she usually wears. A contender for best hat for the month of December?
Princess Masako looks beautiful. That burgundy hat superb. Thanks HatQueen again for all the hard work.
A big cheer to both ladies for pushing the envelope of the Imperial Household-approved styles. Masako looks beautiful in this color.
love them both, distinctive style well suited, merry x-mas everybody!