Monthly Archives: September 2018

Imperial Princess Takes on Presidency of Turkish-Japanese Archaeology Foundation

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Japanese Princess Akiko of Mikasa became the honorary president of ‘Prince Mikasa Foundation in Istanbul’ yesterday at a reception at Sakip Sabanci Museum. The foundation was established last year with the permission of the Turkish Government to provide continuous support for the study of Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology. For this appointment, Princess Akiko topped her pale, celery green silk dress and jacket with a white brimmed hat, trimmed with a celery silk hatband

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While the hat coordinates with the ensemble well, it also offers some subtle contrast through colour and its smooth, curving lines, which play well against the sharp cut of the jacket. Much was debated yesterday about what shape and scale of hat flatters Akiko best- I think this shape works well on her and ADORE that she placed the hat at a slightly jaunty angle!


Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: June 6, 2018; April 27, 2016
It’s been great to see more of Princess Akiko during this week’s Turkish visit- this hat is my top pick of the trio she has worn. What do you think?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Danish Queen Closes Summer Sailing Season

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The royal yacht Dannebrog delivered ​Queen Margrethe back to Copenhagen on Wednesday, thus officially completing this year’s summer sailing season. For this farewell, the Danish queen repeated a hat we’ve not seen yet this year- her red straw wide brimmed design with diagonal open weave crown overlay and brim edge, slim silk hatband and front bow.  These photos don’t show the hat in great detail (jump over to this post for a close look at it) but it’s been a workhorse for Margrethe and the mix of textures is an interesting one. For this sailing event, it tops a nicely tailored, nautical look. And I’ll admit- it’s much easier to admire this hat after an extended period of not seeing it!

After a dinner the Queen hosted for for officers of Dannebrog, the vessel is now en route back to her base in Frederikshavn where she will be cleaned, repaired, repainted and refitted over the winter. In early spring, she will set sail again.

Thoughts about Queen Margrethe’s textural red hat on Wednesday?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Imperial Princess Visits Turkey

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Princess Akiko is visiting Turkey this week, primarily to attend an event organized by her late father’s foundation at Sakip Sabanci Museum in Istanbul. On Monday, she began her trip in the capital, Ankara, where she visited Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as well as the Turkish-Japanese Foundation. She topped her navy and white suit with a prim white silk hat with short, kettle brim and straight-sided, domed crown, trimmed with a wide navy hatband

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: October 4, 2015 

On Tuesday, the young princess visited at the Naval Museum in Istanbul where she oversaw the the receipt of replicate of the Japanese Seiki warship that first visited the Ottoman Empire in 1878. For this event, she repeated a white (or palest grey?) cloche variation with wider, upturned kettle brim. The hat is trimmed in a wide dove grey hatband (the top of which shows a navy stripe close to the top of the crown) and a small bow in the same blue tweed as Akiko’s jacket.
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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: April 20, 2017
Perhaps not the most exciting of hats but it’s wonderful to see one of the young Imperial princesses out on a higher profile diplomatic tour. 
Photos from Getty as indicated

Queen Elizabeth’s Iconic Hats: Early Hats & Extras

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 Our search for Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic hats brings us to this last exploratory post.  As we think about which of the Queen’s hats are “widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence” are there any designs from the 1930s and 1940s that come to mind? Are there hats from any part of the Queen’s life or reign that we have not discussed yet that deserve the label of iconic? As always, feel welcome to link to articles, youtube videos or photo galleries featuring a particular hat but please avoid pinterest links and any hotlinked photos.

We have covered a LOT of hats in each of our discussions on this topic- are there any we have forgotten that you believe should be included in a gallery of Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic hats?

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Dutch Queen Opens Theater

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Queen Máxima was in Veghel today to officially open the theater de Blauwe Kei. Built in an industrial heritage complex on the canal, the theater completes a revitalization of the area into an arts and culture hub.  For today’s opening, the Dutch queen repeated her oyster straw hat with straight sided crown, wide cartwheel brim and slim silk hatband tied at the front in a bow.

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The hat’s classic shape and neutral colour is a great compliment to Queen Máxima’s delicate blue silk dress. While the ensemble isn’t one of the punchy ones we’ve come to associate with Máxima, it’s pretty and polished, which perfectly fits the bill for a royal day away. We’ve not seen this hat worn in five years and its great to see it paired with what I think is its best ensemble to date.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: Jul 8, 2013; Nov 3, 2011; Mar 11, 2011 
Thoughts about Queen Máxima’s hat today in Veghel?
Photos from Getty as indicated