Following up yesterday’s post on the Duchess of Cambridge’s pink hats, we’re going to continue down this millinery path today with a look at her hats in darker and fuchsia burgundy shades. Here’s what a look in her millinery closet reveals:
1.Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images 2.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Jane Corbett; Philip Treacy
Introduced: December 25, 2011; October 12, 2018
3.Embed from Getty Images
Designer: Jane Taylor
Introduced: December 25, 2018
It’s a small group (so far!) but an excellent one. Many of us continue to admire the stunning trilby (#1)from Christmas 2011 (and wish for it to make a repeat appearance) and velvet percher she wore to Princess Eugenie’s wedding this fall (#2) is a semi-finalist for Favourite New Hat of 2018. Kate wears these deeper jewel tones so well
Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Seeing that trilby again fills me with joy! Imagine how much happier I’d be if Kate wore it again. It’s one of the most perfect hats that ever hatted. Sigh.
The rich colour and fabric of the trilby and the folded details at the back are the winners for me. I am less impressed by the view from the front, where to quibble, I find it rides a little too high to really thrill me. Number 2 the raspberry/ruby red beret design was such a good colour for Kate and the flowers and the net added allure. I thought it was one of the best hats at the wedding. Like others (in the wedding post) I would like to see this hat as worn by Philip Treacy’s model with the flowers over the left eye. Number 3 is perfectly acceptable but a bit ho hum. I prefer the colour of number 1 on Kate and this is still only a dressy headband in my book.
Some top hats here. I wish she’d repeat her hats a bit more, she has some stunners but often only wears the more interesting ones once (whereas she has one or two plainer workhorses). I agree wholeheartedly, the first two are breathtakingly good. Let’s hope for a repeat soon.
The first two are two fo the best hats she has worn especially that amazing trilby.
The Jane Taylor hat in number three works for me because she wears tilted back on the crown at an angle like a pill box hat. I remember seeing pictures of a similar fashion in the 90s on some Belgian Royal ladies but they wore the hats pulled down across the forehead with the head poking out so it looked rather comical (IMO) like they had punched their head through the top of their hat
Did a quick Google search and I got the decade wrong: it was the 1980s. Hat Queen did a feature on the headband hat the late Queen Fabiola wore to Princess Astrid’s wedding in 1984: https://royalhats.net/2017/09/21/hat-from-the-past-167/
And this gif from the wedding of Princess Astrid shows many more of these hideous hat/headband hybrids: https://j.gifs.com/mQJLyA.gif
(I hope the links work!)
I definitely prefer the way The Duchess of Cambridge wears them.
Thankfully, the 1980s headband phase didn’t last long. The Duchess of Gloucester wore this memorable one for Trooping the Colour in 1984.
But back to the topic at hand- I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. These open crowned designs seem to look most flattering when their design allows them to be worn as a pillbox, off the face yet framing it nicely.
@Hat Queen: Thank you for replying.
I can’t believe that is the Duchess of Gloucester! She’s always gone for the more classic looks. Like many things from the 80s I’m glad that particular look stayed there.
All shades of pink, both the light and the dark, are so flattering on the Duchess that I hope we see much more of it in the future. I even, after seeing these two inventories, like that crownless Christmas hat much more now than I did when I first saw it.
That trilby is still a knockout! I absolutely love that hat and entire look! The velvet percher is a stunner. Two fabulous looks that I hope she will repeat again.
Along with the tone-on-tone medium pink yesterday, the dark pink percher with veil (#2) are my two favorite docam hats ever. Really wonderful. #1 is nice too, a fun and slightly unusual shape and I’d love to see it again.
Hear, hear. My thoughts exactly!
If #3 was a pillbox, I’d love all three here, but unfortunately the odd bandeau/circlet design doesn’t do it for me despite the beautiful color. It’s an absolute shame #1 has yet to be repeated, and I hope the same fate doesn’t await #2!
Truly…..I remember the joy I felt when I saw her wear that glorious Trilby on her that first royal Christmas! I loved it then and I love it now!
I can’t love that trilby despite its georgous color. Not a fan of trilby designs in general and the intricate folds in the back look like some of those weird mushrooms growing on trees. It’s interesting that the DoCam can wear pastels and jewel tones with equal success. Pastels are in the lead but I think the jewels are about to catch up.
I love that confident early trilby and I like the look of the darker lip colour with it.
These rich berry and plum colours look so great on Kate. More, please!
These three are (in my opinion) some of the Duchess of Cambridge’s best hats ever – she wears these colors so well!
The first two of these are among my favourite hats ever, so I hope they both get more outings in future. I’m not particularly fond of the current fashion for the crownless shaped headpieces, but the recent Christmas Day one for me is a really good example of the trend, and one I can actually like.