Category Archives: All About Design

Monday Multiples: Duchess of Cornwall

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Sometimes we see royal hats worn with dramatically different ensembles but other times, the changes between different pairings are more subtle. The latter is true of two outfits we’ll look at today, both worn by the Duchess of Cornwall and both paired with her Philip Treacy designed royal purple felt boater hat with pleated frayed-edge fringe trim and feather spray.

Look #1: With a purple A-line dress and fitted jacket with beaded v-neck collar worn seven times so far (October 27, 2009; October 27, 2009; March 8, 2010; October 26, 2010;  March 12, 2012; October 27, 2016; and March 13, 2017)

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Look #2: With a  purple dress coat with double fringe trimmed Peter Pan collar purple fringe collar worn five times so far (March 26, 2012;  December 25, 2012; March 21, 2013; March 3, 2015;  and November 11, 2018

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Which outfit do you prefer most with this hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Monday Multiples: Countess of Wessex

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One of many statement hats in the Countess of Wessex’s wardrobe is a black straw sidesweeping waved disk hat with pointed ends, anchored on a calot style cap and trimmed with a branch of black flowers. Sophie has paired this custom version on Jane Taylor’s “Lady A” design with three ensembles so far:

Look #1:  With a sleek black striped jacket and tailored skirt worn June 21, 2013 to Royal Ascot

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Look #2: With a red and black jaquard patterned Azzedine Alaïa dress worn March 9, 2017 to a memorial for members of the armed services who served and died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

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Look #3: With a vibrant green silk Suzannah tea dress worn for Trooping the Colour on June 8, 2019

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Which ensemble do you prefer most with this hat?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Hat Renovation Teaser

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During the summer, British milliner Amy Morris-Adams shared a photo of several vintage hats she was working on updating, mending and retrimming. I really appreciated her approach to this, sewing each hat’s original labels back inside after the work was done.

Interestingly, Amy offered Royal Hats a teaser not only that these hats belonged to Princess Anne, but that we should keep our eyes open for them, soon. Any guesses which hats from Princess Anne’s wardrobe these might be?!

Photos from social media as indicated 

Inventory: Queen Máxima’s Orange Hats

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While orange is among the colours we see least on royal millinery, it’s wonderfully fitting that the queen of the House of Orange embraces wearing this hue. Here’s a peek into Queen Máxima’s closet at her orange hats, in order of introduction:

1.     2.
Designer: both are Fabienne Delvigne 
First Worn: September 20, 2005; November 4, 2006

3.      4.
Designer: Fabienne Delvigne; unknown
First Worn: March 1, 2007; October 24, 2007

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Designer: both are Fabienne Delvigne
First Worn: November 5, 2009; November 2, 2011

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Designer: Fabienne Delvigne; Fabienne Delvigne; Bettina Thomas
First Worn: September 2, 2013; October 29, 2014;  May 20, 2015

I have heard Queen Máxima’s style described as bold, fearless, experimental and brave – descriptions that seem well deserved looking at this lineup of millinery. The restrained #5 is the only design here without some unique element, whether it be an unexpected brim fold, a quirky shape, or some vibrant plumage. This is what makes Máxima’s hats so fun to watch- there is an element of surprise in so many of them. It’s not always a successful surprise but it keeps us on our toes. I’m particularly excited about her recent hats from South African-based milliner Bettina Thomas, whose impeccably exectued bold shapes and trimmings suit Máxima so well. I certainly hope this collaboration continues.

What do you think of Queen Máxima’s collection of orange hats?

Photos from Mark Cuthbert, Sandra Mu, Burak Kara, Raveendran/AFP, Andreas Rentz via Getty; Corbis; The Asahi Shimbun and via Getty

Monday Multiples: Queen Elizabeth

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Thanks to Jimbo for providing the introduction and background research for the posts on Queen Elizabeth featured in this “Monday Multiples” series.

Jimbo’s Introduction: Queen Elizabeth is always pretty in pink when she is out and about. She wore a wonderful pink, brown and blue bouclé coat with two coordinating hats- straw on October 19, 2013, (perhaps the only photographed time for this hat) to the British Champions Day at the Ascot Racecourse and felt on February 2, 2014 to attend church in West Newton (She was spotted two more times wearing it for outdoor events – the Newbury Races on April 21, 2017, and the Braemar Games in Scotland on September 2, 2017). Whether her hat was straw or wool, the Queen always accessorized it with her charming smile.

Look #1: with the pink straw hat – textured parasisal on the crown and lighter sinamay on the mushroom brim – trimmed with a wide hatband bound in the same bouclé as the coat and coordinating feathers worn October 19, 2013 to Ascot Racecourse.

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Look #2: with a similarly shaped hat in pink felt trimmed with a braided hatband of scalloped-edge felt strips and blue and copper curled feathers worn February 2, 2014, April 21, 2017 and September 2, 2017

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Both hats were designed by Angela Kelly and made by Stella McLaren. The question is- which hat do you prefer most with this coat?

Photos from Getty as indicated