British milliner Sara Grundy trained with Stephen Jones and is now a partner in Sorenson-Grundy Millinery. Her designs show outstanding creativity that takes millinery completely out of the box. Enjoy!
Category Archives: All About Design
Closer Look: The Royal Blue Mother of the Bride Hat
Buckingham Palace opened its segment of the exhibition, “Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe” recently, adding to exhibitions already open at Holyrood House and Windsor Castle. There are some truly spectacular pieces, including the Norman Hartnell coat and coordinating Simone Mirman hat Queen Elizabeth wore for Princess Anne’s first wedding in 1973.
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The 1970s saw the Queen in a lot of turban shaped millinery and while many of us prefer to forget this era, I think this piece was one of the more successful designs in this shape. The strong lines of the turban shape in this case are softened with a veil-like addition of purple lace and royal blue silk taffeta ribbon ruched into the shape of flowers. In the close-up video below, you’ll notice the complexity of this embellishment, complete with hundreds of minuscule and very neat stitches where it is attached to the main helmet shape of the hat.
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While our focus here at Royal Hats is always on the hats, our peek at this particular design, however, is incomplete without looking closely at the coat worn with it. The softness of the veil on the hat contrasts with the angular lines of the coat’s diamond cutouts- two feature that in theory, would compete but in reality, are a beautiful compliment. The perfect construction of the inset diamond panels on the coat is also something to marvel.
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These photos and videos provide the clearest and closest views of this hat and coat than we have seen before and leave me in awe of the masterful construction evident in both pieces. This is an incredibly beautiful ensemble, worn for an important moment in British royal history, and I’m so thankful the Royal Trust has provided this better view.
What do you think of this ensemble, now that we’ve had a closer look?
Photos from Getty and the Royal Collection Trust as indicated
Closer Look: Queen Elizabeth’s Childhood Hats
We have discussed many of Queen Elizabeth’s hat styles here on Royal Hats and peeked at her fashion during almost every decade of her life. We have not, however, looked at the hats she wore as a child.
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The exhibition on the Queen’s wardrobe, ‘Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe’, includes pieces she wore as a child. The Royal Collection Trust recently released this short video and photo of a pale pink bonnet trimmed with handmade velvet flowers, made by Smith & Co. in London, now on display at Holyrood House. Queen Elizabeth wore it in the mid 1930s and there was likely a matching mate worn by her younger sister, Princess Margaret.
The hat is a simple cloche with the brim slightly raised around the face. This look makes me wonder both how much millinery techniques have changed in the past 80 years (such an unevenly finished brim wouldn’t pass the muster for a royal hat today!) as well as how many past techniques have been lost in the tides of changing fashion (we seldom see velvet flowers such as these). It’s a sweet design that I’m so glad has survived for us to admire today.
Photos from Getty as indicated and The Royal Trust
Blue Hat or Blue Hat?
On the second day of Royal Ascot this year, The Countess of Wessex debuted a new ensemble in head-to-hem vibrant blue. Her Emilia Wickstead dress appeared again last weekend in Germany, paired with a different blue Jane Taylor hat. This quick mixing and matching of blue hats with this new frock deserves a closer look, don’t you agree?
Look 1: Royal Ascot on June 18 in the new dress and a new blue percher hat by Jane Taylor with unique woven chevron detail and upfolded back.
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Look 2: Attending the farewell parade of 5th Battalion The Rifles in Germany in a repeated straw percher hat with lace and curling quill trim
For context, this hat originally appeared at Ascot 2013, paired with another Emilia Wickstead dress in a much darker shade of blue.
I’m curious, dear readers- which one of these hats do you prefer with Sophie’s new dress? Which ensemble do you think works best?
Photo from Getty as indicated; Dominc King, Army Press Office; and Westfallen-Blatt
Closer Look: The Green Mirman Flowered Turban
Another one of Queen Elizabeth’s instantly recognisable hats from the past is her green turban with kerchief draped back, studded with white silk flowers made by Simone Mirman.
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Initially worn during a 1977 trip to New Zealand, the hat is now part of ‘Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe’ on display this summer. The Royal Collection Trust recently released this short video of it:
This video gives the first clear view of the back of this hat I have ever seen- a back I imagined would be much different (more flowing folds and less awkward bumps). While the shape of the back is a bit disappointing, it’s a great look at this famous piece of royal millinery.
What do you think of this design, now that we’ve had a closer look?
Photos from Getty as indicated
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