Queen Máxima was in Leiden yesterday to officially open the Asian Library of the University of Leiden. For the event, she repeated the largest of her black ruched calot hats.
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Made of black silk abaca, the hat follows a simple bowl shape and is simply trimmed with a free form fold of pleated abaca. The bowl shape is where things go wrong here- there’s not much to work with in terms of placement options and the hat ends of looking like a large piece of pottery perched atop Máxima’s head. Thank goodness that lovely black and white Carolina Hererra dress takes centre stage, making the hat fade into the background.
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When I find myself thankful a hat has become a background accessory, that’s all the confirmation needed to label it unsuccessful. What do you think on this hat on Queen Máxima yesterday?
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Beautiful dress but the hat is not!
Oh I really dislike this hat. Yick! Q.Maxima looks lovely and gracious as always, but that hat is not a good look for her. I also think the fairly structured silhouette of the lovely dress would look much better with a slightly larger brimmed hat.
I think it looks terrible.
Not a bad calot, but the shape, as you say, is too hemispherical to be a real success in my book.
It looks ok from the front view but the back view is not good. I confess that I like these kinds of hats (ruched calots) in general though; I guess I like the texture and the way that they complete an outfit by having something on the head, but without being a hat.
I remember this one from years ago, and while it’s not my favorite (hence why it didn’t make my list), I actually like this one. For a calot, this one has more volume, allowing it to be seen from the front (which isn’t always the case with calots). But I do agree the back especially is not refined unfortunately. Overall I thought this was a great black & white ensemble, and I would rather see this hat any day over the fuzzy coconut, which she has repeated more than it ever should’ve been repeated *shudders*.
Shhh… Maxima will hear you and I guarantee the coconut will be on her head in the next month
It looks very awkwardly situated on Max’s head, as if it’s at least a size too small.
It makes me think of a melted Hershey Kiss.
This may not be the worst hat ever, but it has to be in the top three. It looks like a papier-mâché project gone horribly wrong. The dress is wonderful, but the hat and earrings should have stayed home.
if a hat doesn’t flatter or compliment a look, leave it, she should have left it , a classic pillbox would have been nice. I hope this one doesn’t get a repeat
brrrr
Its cute and she carries it off, it is an accessory to the dress and as such one can allow its rather unsatisfactory appearance.
From the front it’s nice enough but it all goes wrong at the back and as you say the bowl-shape just looks all wrong and it’s made worse by the loud and garish earrings.