Until seeing the closeup of the hat above, I did not realize how heavily patterned the purple wool silk is- it certainly gives a strong sense of texture to this design. This view also confirms the feathers as dark mottled green, a much more interesting design choice (and one that links much better to the Queen`s green dress) than the black ones I thought they were. In the end, I`m left admiring the shape of this design but wishing that part of it was made of straw to give a break in the busy texture of the ensemble. While Queen Elizabeth wore the tartan shawl pictured above as a traditional plaid (pinned to her brooch and trailing down her back), the way it is draped in the exhibition photo shows how beautifully it ties the ensemble together. It`s a shame it wasn`t as visible when it was worn.

What do you think of this hat design, now that we’ve had a closer look?