Princess Eugenie has paired her green floral Erdem ‘Bernette’ dress with two different hats. As we offer belated wishes for her 31st birthday last week, let’s peek back at the hats paired with this frock:
Look #1: With a black panama straw boater hat with vented brim trimmed with white silk duchesse origami flowers by Sally Ann Provan worn June 21, 2018 to Ascot
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Look #2: With a Juliette Botterill designed navy straw pillbox hat wrapped with a silk abaca plait worn for Maundy Thursday service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 18, 2019
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While high, ruffled necklines can be tricky to pair with a hat, the open vent on this boater and brimless nature of the pillbox make them both work. Which hat do you prefer most with this dress?
Images from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Maybe it just doesn’t photograph well, but I think the combination of the vented brim and the flowers looks muddled and surprisingly fussy on the first hat. I think I’d have preferred it with something sleeker by way of trim. The pillbox is a really charming pillbox. Having said that, I think the dress is quite a difficult one to find a successful hat partner for!
Both hats are beautiful but it’s the wrong dress for both hats. The dress is too short and the frill makes it appear unbalanced. The boater would have looked so much better with a solid colour.
I understand the other commenter saying the York sisters often appear to be playing dress-up. They don’t seem to have developed a cohesive style. Sometimes their choices have been too trend-driven at the expense of elegance.
I had high hopes of Beatrice back in 2011 with the Valentino outfit worn for W&K’s wedding. The colour and cut were beautiful, she looked extremely elegant (the hat not so much but I like that she took a risk). Eugenie in a Westwood evening gown looks sublime. Westwood really understands tailoring and curves – I wish Eugenie would stick with more of her outfits for day and evening. The dress with the deep neckline for the Ellie Goulding wedding looked great – the length made her look taller and the neckline reduced her bust – everything looked sleekly proportionate.
I don’t know many young women who have “developed a cohesive style” – the fun of fashion is trying new things and one’s 20s and 30s are all for experimenting. I suppose this might make things look “too trend-driven at the expense of elegance” but I don’t see this as a problem at all. It’s interesting- there’s a social perception that royals need to look elegant but when I look at the hats and ensembles that receive the most excited responses here, they are often ones we might consider more bold (or risky) than elegant. We criticize Princess Anne for a wardrobe that isn’t up-to-date but we also criticize the York princesses for being too trendy. It sometimes feels, to me at least, that there’s no possible way for these women to win. I can’t imagine what this does to one’s personal confidence.
Well said!
I prefer the pillbox with this dress because the vented brim and flower trim seems to be competing with the busy pattern of the dress. It would be great to see this hat with a less-patterned dress, perhaps this one? https://royalhats.net/2017/06/20/royal-ascot-2017-day-1-princess-eugenie/
I would love to see the vented boater reworn with this dress from 2017 mittenmary! Has anyone heard any news about Ascot this year? I hope it doesn’t need to be canceled. Keep getting those vaccinations everybody!
I remember having read somewhere that in Paris, in the interwar period, there were two milliners for every three seamstresses. Women bought several hats to go with one dress or one suit, to get the best out of this garment.
I think those two hats of Princess Eugenie are the perfect example of how to style a dress for two totally different occasions, just by changing the headwear. Bravo Eugenie!
By the way, I totally agree with the comments about the neckline.
I quite like the first hat because it’s unusual for a boater to have that opening space between the crown and brim. It’s a fun and funky design. The second pillbox hat is also lovely and sleek, but my choice is still #1.
Both sisters still look at times like they are little girls playing dress up with their choice of hats. This pillbox on Eugenie hits just the right note and looks wonderful on her.
I’m curious, Karen- can you explain more? Is it that Eugenie’s millinery choices feel overly mature to you?
They’re both lovely hats, the first in particular is stunning. It’s the dress I have an issue with, Eugenie always looks a bit constricted in these high necklines. The first one is competing with the hat, the second does give it more room to breathe, but I don’t think either is a great match.
JamesB, what do you think of this combination? I think it’s an improvement, with no matronly buttoned up high collar.
August 31, 2019: Ellie Goulding wedding
It’s really important that when possible, we link to photo sources that are credited.
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Oh that’s SO much better. In summer open necklines look lovely on Eugenie, so much more flattering, and allow hats to shine.
Jimbo, while realizing that we’re “supposed” to be looking at one dress/two hats, not one hat/two dresses, but I do actually like the combo you posted (the Ellie Goulding wedding) better than the pillbox with the high-necked dress included in this post for the reason stated — I think Eugenie in general looks better in dresses with a more open neckline than the high buttoned collars.
Agreeing with all comments and nothing more to add, so I’ll go off on a slight tangent with a different hat for this dress.
Katharine, Duchess of Kent: May 19, 2018 Harry/Meghan wedding
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Though hatless, Kate Middleton liked this same dress also.
May 20, 2019: Chelsea Flower Show
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I’m agreeing with k2classroom that each hat suits its own event. Both go with the floral dress well enough.
I often think the royals don’t quite rise to the occasion with Ascot hats, so I’m going to vote for the sassy vented crown and flower trim, as an excellent Ascot wear/
I think each of them look great for the event they were worn. I love the edginess of the vented boater for ascot and the simplicity of the pillbox for church. The pillbox doesn’t fight with the pattern of the dress, so maybe it is slightly better.
Good point. These occasions were very different and the hat choices are well suited to each of them.
Not sure what style I would suggest. The dress pattern is busy and a bit overwhelming.