Category Archives: Ascot

Ascot 2022 Day 4: Duke & Duchess of Cambridge

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made their first appearance at Ascot Racecourse this week today.

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The Duchess wore a new boater hat with shallow crown and extended brim  in chocolate, trimmed with sprays of white handmade silk duchesse and wire flowers.

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The colour is a surprise for Kate but works so well, the contrasting white silk flowers linking with the white and chocolate polka dot dress. It’s often difficult to balance proportions between a high-necked dress and a hat but the shallow almost bergère height crown on this design helps set superb balance. I love how the jaunty angle of the hat counterbalances the pleated ruffle on the dress. We’ve not seen Kate in a hat of this shape before and she carries it off so very well.

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Designer: Sally-Ann Provan. Dress by Alessandra Rich. 
Previously Worn:  This hat is new

The Duke repeated his black antique silk top hat.

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What do you think of the Duchess’ new hat today at Royal Ascot?

Images from Getty as indicated  

Ascot 2021 Day 3: Round Up

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Lady Sarah Chatto attended the races again today in her wide brimmed natural straw hat. No one does classic shapes better than Sarah! She is pictured arriving at Ascot Racecourse today with her husband, Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough.

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Members of the Greek Royal Family also took in the races today. Crown Prince Pavlos wore a black antique silk top hat and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal wore an ecru silk covered button percher with beige-blush floral spray. Their daughter Princess Olympia wore a black draped headpiece with open crown and side bow trimmed with a black tulle veil.

Notable hats at the races today with royal connections:

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Lady Weatherby and Louisa Russell, Duchess of Bedford in Dillon Wallwork

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Lady Carolyn Warren

These additional hats caught my eye today:

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Hat by Shandana de la Riviere of Atelier of Fashion and Art

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Lisa Tan in her own design; Emily Cronin in Awon Golding 


Zana Greenwood in Park Lady gown and hat by Farthingale Historical Hats

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Ana Pribylova in her own design (Ana Bella Millinery); Yuan Li in her own design


Carola Humphrey in Valerie Millinery Collections


Headpieces by Jessica Collins – Bombini Studio Millinery

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Gail Hayden-Staph in her own design; Rosie Tapner in Catherine Walker


Alexandra Bertram in John Boyd


Elena Brown in Yuan Li


Angela Huntington in Rebecca Couture Millinery


My dear colleagues at the British Millinery Association, Jane Fryers, Svetlana Faulkner, Tracy Chaplin, Ian Bennett, Beverley Edmondson and Katherine Elizabeth. Jane is wearing a hat by Ellie Vallerini while the others, hats of their own making.

That concludes Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot this year. Which hats stood out to you most today?!

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Ascot 2022 Day 3: Mike & Zara Tindall

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The Tindalls attended Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot today. Zara wore a vibrant green straw boater hat with unique triangular folded ribbon hatband. The design is trimmed with a fuchsia gravity-defying rose.

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The punchy green and pink scheme on the hat is so well balanced by Zara’s cream shirtwaist dress with fun buttons that linked to the hat and other pink accessories. The pieces combine again to make a standout overall look for Zara.

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Designer: Justine Bradley-Hill. Laura Green dress
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Mike Tindall repeated his antique black silk top hat and matched his fuchsia tie to the flower on his wife’s hat!

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What do you think about this pair of hats at the races today?

UPDATE: This appears to now be a Tindall tradition!

Ascot 2022 Day 3: The Princess Royal & Timothy Laurence

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Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence attended the third day of racing at Ascot Racecourse today. The Princess Royal repeated her oyster sinamay hat with shallow crown and sidesweeping brim trimmed with cream feathers and apricot and cream curling quills.

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I’ve previously described this hat as a great design with excellent proportions of  scale, shape, and such well balanced trim… and it’s true! I just wish Anne would go to milliner Amy Morris-Adams for all of her hats. 

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Designer: Amy Morris-Adams.  Dress by Shibumi
Previously Worn: Apr 9, 2022; Jun 19, 2018;  June 4, 2018;  June 20, 2017, May 20, 2017 

Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence repeated his antique black silk top hat.

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Thoughts about these hats at the races today?

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Ascot 2022 Day 3: Countess of Wessex

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It’s Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot! We start coverage of today’s royal hats at the races with the Countess of Wessex who wore a blush sinamay statement waved saucer trimmed with ombre dyed pleated crin.

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There’s a lovely airiness to the design and such wonderful movement from the shape. My only quibble is wondering of the crin binding might have worked better around the full perimeter of the hat instead of just around the top as an anchor for the pleated trim?

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Designer: Jane Taylor. Dress by Suzannah London.
Previously Worn:  This hat is new

What do you think of Sophie’s hat today?

Images from Getty as indicated