Category Archives: Announcements, Extras & Millinery News

This Week’s Extras

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Queen Elizabeth attended church last Sunday in Scotland, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, in her ecru silk embroidered wool hat with diagonal crown and wired sequin flower trim by Angela Kelly.

Empress Michiko in a mushroom greige saucer hat with coordinating silver threaded plaid bow on Monday for the International Academy for Production Engineering General Assembly at the University of Tokyo

The Danish Crown Princely family in traditional costume Thursday on the first day of their visit to the Faroe Islands. On Friday, Crown Prince Frederik sported a smart plaid cap while Crown Princess Mary kept warm in a knit hat and the family looked very smart at a reception they hosted aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog


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Embed from Getty Images

Princess Beatrix opened a Huis Doorn sculpture exhibition Friday afternoon in a bright blue straw bumper hat

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

Mulberry felt percher beret covered in jewel centered orchids from British brand Jenny Roberts Millinery
Fascinators CAN be so pretty! Love the movement on this one’s pearl trim from Bristol milliner Annabel Allen
British milliner Dillon Wallwork showing that beige is not necessarily boring with this large, veiled straw design
Adore the colour blocking on this black, blue and plum jeweled fedora from US brand Lifted Millinery
Pink straw percher with beautiful white leather flowers from Yorkshire milliner Justine Bradley Hill
Striking black felt beret made by British milliner Claire Catchpole who specializes in vintage designs
Basket weave, heart shaped straw percher hat with veil from Danish milliner Susanne Juul
Perfect cream bow on this cocoa straw summer hat from LA-based brand Elmira Hats
Fuchsia lace headpiece with chartreuse feathers & curled quills from Australian milliner Neil Grigg

 Royal Hats

Our friends over at Luxarazzi linked to this  interesting Irish interview with Archduke Imre of Austria about his family’s imperial legacy.

Beautiful shots shared by the Swedish royal family of their summer vacations

Princess Estelle formally started school this week and looked to be taking the transition with an effortless smile

Prince Alexander of Sweden undertook his first royal engagement in Södermanland (his duchy) on Thursday to officially open his namesake walking trail and an observation deck at Gisesjön in Nynäs nature reserve park.

We wrap up this week with a rooftop view shared by the British royal family of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Guest Post: Stylist For A Day

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I’m trilled to pass over the reigns of Royal Hats to a longtime reader, Baxter, whose encyclopedic knowledge of Queen Elizabeth’s hats has helped me more times than I could possibly count. He’s going to have a go at the role of millinery stylist to Queen Elizabeth for the day! 

Greetings, fellow royal hat fans!  I have been reading this blog for several years, having found it shortly after it began.  As a fan of the old Mad Hattery blog I was thrilled that this subject was taken up by another blogger.  Back in 2013, after reading some comments here stating that the Queen did not redo any of her hats, I contributed what I think was the very first reader guest post – it features comparisons of hats that have been modified over the years.

I am so grateful to Hat Queen for all the work that she put into this blog so that we can share our thoughts about royal chapeaus.  If I had my way, the Queen would wear a gorgeous wide-brimmed Rachel Trevor Morgan hat for every outing, but of course that might get a bit boring.  Last summer I greatly enjoyed seeing all the guest posts and your selections of the Queen’s favorite hats which included many I would have selected.  These posts inspired me to dust off the old Photoshop and attempt to see what the Queen would look like in hats made by other milliners and in styles we do not see Her Majesty wearing much today.

Should the Queen don creations by Britain’s most famous milliner, Philip Treacy?  I think Her Majesty looks smashing in these designs.  Or has this look become too associated with the Duchess of Cornwall?

Here’s a natural straw hat by Lock & Co. with a lovely shape.  I think this is a nice change from seeing the same color from brim to hem, especially when it is very saturated.

This beautiful hat, the Dulcie from Annabel Allen Millinery, reminds me of hats the Queen wore in the early 2000s. Its shape is similar to some recent Angela Kelly creations but the trim is so much more elegant.

For the first five decades or so of the Queen’s reign we saw a wide variety of hat types but that has not been the case in the past few years.  Turbans, toques, pillboxes, and the like have all but disappeared from Her Majesty’s wardrobe despite still being made by many milliners today.

How about this modern felt turban from Jane Taylor?

In my opinion, this feathered pillbox from Rosie Olivia suits the Queen perfectly.

Another Treacy hat, but this one in a brimless design.  Perhaps a bit too modern?

This is the Scandal design from Lock & Co. It’s actually a headband but I have reimagined it here as a pillbox.  To be honest I am a bit undecided on this one, but I do love the idea of a hat made of a printed fabric worn with a solid colored outfit.

 

Finally, strictly for laughs, I could not do a photoshop post without seeing what the Queen would look like in the most infamous royal hat of recent times, the Philip Treacy concoction worn by Princess Beatrice to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding.  I am not sure Her Majesty would be quite so amused if presented with this design!

Please let me know what you think of these suggestions in the comments.  During the Queen’s summer break I am planning a couple more posts.  One features tweaks I would make to hats already worn and another will show hats I would like to have seen on major occasions.

Thanks again to Hat Queen for allowing me to share my ideas with you all!

No Baxter- thank YOU. Many of the hats Angela Kelly designs for the Queen are covered in fabric (especially the winter ones) and I really love the idea of a patterned silk on the hat contrasted with a solid colour on her outfit, rather than the same fabric head to hem. Your suggestion to break up saturated coloured ensembles with a natural straw hat is also a fantastic one I wish we’d see happen. This has been such a fun post- my sincere thanks to Baxter and his amazing millinery imagination!

Queen Elizabeth’s Iconic Hats: 1960s

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 We continue our search for Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic hats with a peek into the 1960s. When you think about this decade, which of the Queen’s hats fit the criteria of “widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence”? As always, feel welcome to link to articles, youtube videos or photo galleries featuring a particular hat but please avoid pinterest links and any hotlinked photos.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Prince Joachim and Princess Marie visited to the army school Haerens Sergentskole in Varde on Tuesday. Joachim graduated from the school 30 years ago and his eldestson, Prince Nicolai (second from the right, below), enrolled in the school earlier this month.


Also on Tuesday, Infanta Elena donned one of her trusty fedoras to attend a bullfight with her father (Getty Images)

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia participated yesterday in an annual car rally on the island of Öland, the king driving is 1946 navy blue Volvo PV60 as he has in years past. For the event, Queen Silvia wore a cream brimmed hat with red trim while the king wore a brown felt trilby. There are some great additional photos at this Belga gallery.

Very interesting radio interview with couture milliner Rachel Trevor Morgan and couture turban designer Donia Allegue Walbaum about their craft, brands, creative perspectives and experiences as milliners of famous clients (BBC)

Philip Treacy shared this archive photo of the Queen of Soul in one of his amazing designs. My sincere thanks to reader Shannon for passing on this great interview with Detroit milliner Luke Song, who shares memories of working with Aretha Franklin and the hats he made for her. I found the story behind the iconic one she wore for President Obama’s inauguration to be particularly fascinating.

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:

Very dapper orange, blue and grey plaid newsboy cap from Stetson Europe
Luxurious merlot peachbloom felt fedora with pewter rose hatband detail from Jane Taylor
Natural straw hat with a swooping twist from Munich-based Nicki Marquardt
Love the icy bit of silver trim on this lilac button base percher from Irish milliner Teresa Nugent
Leopard print percher with pheasant feathers from Australian brand Jill and Jack Millinery
Headpiece of pastel foam circles from the creative mind of British milliner Stephen Jones

And from Australian milliner Meg Rafter, a beautiful wide brimmed, cream straw fedora and wide, monochrome Petersham ribbon hatband. Clean, simple, effortless, wearable and so, so chic.

 

 Royal Hats

Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako and Princess Aiko travelled to the Imperial family’s seaside home in Shimoda this week for a holiday. Several great photos of the family were taken on the beach (see here, here and here) including this great shot that proves even royal teenagers cringe at their dad’s jokes.

Great photo montage shared by the British royal family this week on the occasion of Princess Anne’s birthday

Queen Margrethe was all smiles on Thursday at her French home, Chateau de Caix, where she welcomed journalists for an annual interview and photocall. This home was well known to be Prince Henrik’s escape and a personal favourite of the couple- as such, these photos on the first summer following his passing feel particularly poignant.

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

We sign off this week with another breathtaking photograph of nature from the lens of James Ogilvy. Summer weekends are coming to a close- enjoy this one!

Queen Elizabeth’s Iconic Hats: 2000s

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 We continue our quest to identify Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic hats with a decade I think you will enjoy- the 2000s. When you think about hats the Queen wore during this decade that are “widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence”, which ones come to mind? As always, add your voice of support to suggestions made by other readers and feel free to link to articles, youtube videos or photo galleries featuring a particular hat; please avoid pinterest links (original sources please!) and any hotlinked photos.

What hats from 2000 to 2009 do you consider to be iconic looks for the Queen?

 Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Photos from Getty as indicated