Monthly Archives: October 2022

Belgian State Visit To Lithuania

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King Philippe and Queen Mathilde celebrated a centenary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Lithuania with a state visit to the Baltic nation this week. For their arrival in Vilnius on Monday, Queen Mathilde wore a new turquoise felt saucer hat.

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The vibrant colour is fun and clearly intended to link with the blue in the brocade coat but I think this shade misses the mark and ends up standing out awkwardly in the context of the entire ensemble. The vertical placement is also slightly off and would work better tilted a little more over Mathilde’s head rather than hovering over the side.

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Designer: Reportedly Armani, who also made the ensemble.ย 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

On Tuesday, the Belgian queen repeated a bandeau headpiece covered in the same red crepe as her belted dress.

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These smaller headpieces work well for head-to-toe monochrome looks such as this. Photos here show this piece at closer view than we’ve seen it before, revealing lines that are far less smooth than they look at further distance. I appreciate beautiful draping but this is… well, lumpy and bumpy.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress and jacket by Natan.
Previously Worn: Oct 8, 2020ย 

For the final day of the visit yesterday, Queen Mathilde repeated an ochre orange silk pleated toque hat trimmed at the back with applique cutout flowers and leaves from the same fabric as her grey printed dress.

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We don’t see many hats embellished with applique and this shows how it can work well. This hat’s details- pleating and trim- and it’s colour give it presence despite its small footprint, allowing it to hold its own in the overall look. Colour contrasts can be hard to balance (as evidenced above!) but this ensemble gets it right.

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. Dress by Dries Van Noten.
Previously Worn: Oct 16, 2019

What do you think of this trio of millinery looks for Queen Mathilde this week?

Images from Getty as indicatedย ย 

Imperial Royal Hats Last Week

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The Imperial royals are the most frequent hat wearers these days. Here are the hats they wore last week.

On Monday, October 17, Princess Akiko wore a grey brimmed hat for a national convention.

 

On Tuesday, October 18, Crown Princess Kiko wore a streamlined black hat for a memorial service at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery while Princess Yoko wore an ivory hat with short brim for a visit to Yasukuni Shrine.

Princess Nobuko arrived in Fukui on Wednesday, October 19 in an ivory brimmed hat with navy hatband. Thanks, Prisma, for including a photo of the feather trim on the side of the hat!

For the National Summit on Agriculture on Thursday October 20, Princess Nobuko wore a vibrant green pillbox wrapped in net veil.

 

Also on October 20, Empress Masako repeated a hat covered in the palest blue silk jacquard to visit Empress Emerita Michiko on her birthday. Princess Akiko wore a textured white cloche hat trimmed with a fabric flower on the side for the World Tea Festival in Shizuoka.

 

On Saturday, October 22, Empress Masako wore a navy silk covered hat with upturned brim for a series of events in Okinawa Prefecture.

 

The same day, Princess Hisako repeated a pale ice blue bumper hat with side bow for an environmental convention in Tokyo.

On Sunday, October 23, Empress Masako attended a national Cultural Festival opening in an ivory short brimmed hat with double ochre hatband.

I love the fresh green of Princess Nobuko’s pillbox and Empress Masako’s ochre yellow ensemble above. Which hats here stand out most to you?

Images from social media as indicatedย ย 

This Week’s Extras

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On Friday, Zara Tindall attended the Cheltenham showcase in a purple wrapped headpiece by Camilla Rose.
On Wednesday, Princess Alexandra repeated a burgundy felt domed hat with velvet hatband and brim binding for a visit to the Royal Porcelain Works

Prince Joachim Murat, Prince of Pontecorvo and Yasmine Lorraine Briki were married on Saturday at the Cathedral Saint Louis des Invalides in Paris. They were married in a civil ceremony last year and and welcomed a son.ย  See photos of guests at Histoires Royales and photos of other wedding events at Royal Watcher

Princess Rebecca Victoria Romanoff repeated a veiled percher hat.
The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week (see the comments for more):


New portraits of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stรฉphanie released to mark their 10th wedding anniversary.

Two faces we’ve not seen for a while in new portraits also released this week, these to mark Empress Emerita Michiko’s 88th birthday. So sweet.

 

Images from social media as indicatedย 

The Millinery Lesson

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We have all admired the work of milliner Marie O’Reagan, who made hats for Queen Elizabeth II for several decades. Her story is beautifully told in Mike Southon’s short film, “The Millinery Lesson” which also gives an insightful view at the history of millinery over the past century. Watch it here.

Here are some of the more than 200 hats Marie made for Her Majesty, under her own label as well as those of Freddie Fox and Philip Somerville.

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Images from Getty as indicated  

Catching Up… The Imperial Royals

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For an August 25 home show exhibition opening in Chiba City, Princess Hisako repeated her pale blue brimmed hat with muti-coloured feather trim on the side.

On August 28, Princess Hisako attended a calligraphy exhibition in Tokyo in an ecru hat with upturned brim and bow at the back.

On September 2, Princess Hisako wore a blush straw bucket hat with lattice woven brim to open a nutrition convention.

For the  150th anniversary of Japan’s modern school system on September 5th, Empress Masako wore an ivory short brimmed hat with wide hatband in the same butter-gold as her silk suit.

On September 12, the Emperor and Empress attended the 75th founding anniversary of the Japan War-Bereaved Family Association. For this event, Empress Masako wore a dove grey suit and matching hat with straight-sided crown and short brim trimmed with a pale, pleated hatband.

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On Saturday, September 17, Crown Princess Kiko wore a black bumper hat to see off the Emperor and Empress on their flight to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Princess Hisako wore a hat with white brim and purple crown on September 24 for a national sports event.

On September 27, most of the Imperial family attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister  Shinzo Abe

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On September 29, Princess Akiko wore an ivory hat with short brim and blue hatband for a milestone in the Shinto religion.

Saturday, October 1: Empress Masako wore a white short brimmed hat with indigo hatband for a sports festival opening.

Princess Hisako attended the National Sports Festival from October 3-5 in two chic hats.

On Wednesday, October 5, Princess Yoko wore a white hat with layered mushroom brim to attend events at the national Sports Festival.

On Thursday, October 6, three Imperial women wore hats for various events.  Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako marked the 150th anniversary of Japan’s railway system. Empress Masako wore an ecru hat with upturned brim trimmed with a latte stacked hatband and bow at the back.

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The same day, Princess Hisako topped a lovely blue and white printed dress with a shallow white hat while Princess Akiko attended the National Sports Festival in an ivory brimmed hat with layered hatbands in soft pink.

On Saturday, October 8, three Imperial hats were worn! Princess Hisako attended the National Performing Arts National Convention in a brimless lilac silk covered hat trimmed with sparkling beads studded on one side. The next day, she repeated a green pork pie hat with curved brim. Princess Akiko donned a grey hat with short brim and side bow to attend a wheelchair race while her mother wore a jaunty magenta mini percher pillbox trimmed with an crin ruffle and silk flowers for a conference in Oita.

On October 9 and 10, Princess Tsuguko and Princess Nobuko attended the National Sports Festival. Princess Tsuguko wore a prim ecru boater with wide toffee hatband while Princess Nobuko wore an angular take on a tam hat, in navy, with a bow around the back.

On Tuesday, October 11, Princess Kako attended National Sports Festival. She wore an ivory brimmed hat with fuchsia hatband overlaid in lace with and a spray of fuchsia flowers on one side.

 

The trim makes this hat! It’s a wonderfully vibrant look for Kako. Interestingly, the hat appears to have been upcycled from her elder sister’s wardrobe. I suppose that answers the question of what happened to Mako’s hats…

On Wednesday, October 12, Princess Hisako attended a tree planting ceremony. She wore a white hat with short brim upfolded on one side and trimmed with orange flowers and a slim orange hatband.

On Thursday, October 13, Princess Akiko repeated an ecru cloche with upfolded brim for a national self-defence awards ceremony. The same day, Empress Masako repeated an ivory brimmed hat with blush hatband and scroll braid trim to the an event in Tokyo.

On October 14, Princess Hisako visited an elementary school in Sopporo in an ecru hat with interesting crown made of overlapping sections in different textured fabrics.

On Saturday, October 15 in Kanai City, Princess Nobuko, opened a garden wearing a dark blue pork pie hat with extended brim trimmed simply with a lighter hued hatband. The same day in Sopporo, Princess Hisako attended a house festival in a black felt hat with upturned brim trimmed with a teal hatband and a teal bow with black beaded embroidery just as on her collar.

On Sunday, October 17, Princess Hisako wore a chocolate homburg hat with twisted chocolate and pumpkin hatband to present a football championship. This hat pairs so well with her suit and pumpkin turtleneck.

Images from Getty and social media as indicated