Category Archives: Favourites

Favourite New Royal Hat: Royal Ascot

Posted on by

Of the 24 new royal hats we saw at Ascot this year, 13 were met with particular admiration, based on your comments. It’s now time to take another look at these baker’s dozen of millinery beauties and choose two favourites to put forward in our year-long quest to name Favourite New Royal Hat of 2019.

Click on any photo or caption to jump over to a feature post with additional views and discussion on each hat:

1.    2.   

Queen Elizabeth blue hat with peaked brim and velvet flowers by Angela Kelly worn on Day 1
Queen Máxima’s tawny pink straw saucer covered in feather flowers by Berry Rutjes worn on Day 1

3.    4.

Duchess of Cambridge’s wide blue straw saucer with underbrim flowers by Philip Treacy worn on Day 1
Princess Beatrice’s blue straw matador boater with tassels by Bundle MacLaren worn on Day 1

   5.    6.

Zara Tindall’s pale blue saucer with flowers and twists by Juliette Botterill worn on Day 1
Duchess of Cornwall’s pale aqua straw Philip Treacy picture hat with peaked crown worn on Day 2

7.    8.    

Queen Elizabeth’s silver straw hat with pleated crin brim overlay and gold flowers by Angela Kelly worn on Day 3
Princess Eugnie’s teal saucer covered in feathers with gold quill by Bundle MacLaren worn on Day 3

9.   10.   11. 

Princess Anne’s muted teal straw hat with sidesweeping brim, looping bow and deep teal hatband worn on Day 3
Autumn Phillips’ cream satin & straw percher with pink dyed silk ruffle by Bee Smith worn on Day 3
Zara Tindall’s deep teal saucer with ruffled back, flower and quill trim by Juliette Botterill worn on Day 3

12,   13.

Princess Michael of Kent’s ivory picture hat with black brim piping and bow worn on Day 3
Autumn Phillips’ lattice straw saucer trimmed with flowers and feathers by Sally Ann Provan worn on Day 5

This poll will remain open until next Sunday, July 7 at midnight GMT.   As usual for these polls, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Enjoy!

Favourite Repeated Royal Hat: Royal Ascot

Posted on by

To completely wrap up this year’s look at Royal Ascot, we’ve got one more thing to do- choose our favourite hats! While the races always bring us a parade of new royal hats, there are also a number of lovely repeated royal hats not to be overlooked. This year, we saw five repeated designs at Royal Ascot- which one was your favourite?

Click on any photo or caption to jump over to a feature post on that hat:

1.2019-06-18 Day 1 Ascot 9 250    2. 

Princess Anne’s almond straw cloche with upturned brim and feathers worn on Day 1
Princess Alexandra’s pink straw picture hat with bow and feathers by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn on Day 1

3.2019-06-19 Day 2 Ascot 14 250    4.2019-06-19 Day 2 Ascot 13 250

Princess Michael of Kent’s silvery white silk pillbox with ostrich plume by John Boyd worn on Day 1
Princess Anne’s navy straw hat with velvet hatband and gold horse pin worn on Day 2

5.2019-06-22 Day 5 Ascot 1 250

Queen Elizabeth’s cream starw hat with lime tweed wrap and silk orchid trim by Angela Kelly worn on Day 5

This poll will remain open until next Sunday, July 7 at midnight GMT.   As usual for these polls, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Enjoy!

Favourite New Royal Hat: April 2019

Posted on by

 

Racing, Easter, birthday and abdication events in April brought us a number of new hats. Before we are completely distracted by Royal Ascot, we’re going to take a minute and look back two months to choose our favourite.

Please click on each caption or photo link to jump to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are the eight hats we most admired in April, shown in the order they were worn:

1.      2.
Zara Tindall’s navy felt percher with veil and leather flowers by Justine Bradley-Hill worn April 4
Princess Anne’s deep green felt formed beret with pheasant feathers worn April 4
3.    4.
Princess Eugenie’s navy straw pillbox with braided sides by Juliette Botterill worn April 18
Autumn Phillips’ navy straw hugger with cream roses & white veil by Julian Garner worn on April 21
5.   6.
Queen Elizabeth’s black straw hat with pleated hatband, white bow and brim edge stripe worn April 25
Duchess of Cambridge’s blue felt beret percher with curling pheasant feathers by Rosie Olivia worn April 25
7.   8.
Princess Benedikte’s lilac straw sideswept picture hat by Mathilde Thoe Førster worn April 27
Empress Masako’s ecru silk bumper hat with lace covered brim worn April 30
This poll will remain open until next Monday, June 17 at midnight GMT and we’ll peruse the results after Ascot. As usual, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Happy Voting!
Photos from Bruce Adams; Max Mumby/Indigo, Max Mumby/Indigo, Mark Cuthbert, Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty; Kelvin Bruce; Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty; Claus Fisker/Scanpix; Kazuhiro Nagi via Getty

Favourite Repeated Royal Hat: April 2019

Posted on by

 

A reader reminded me that it’s been a while since our last hat poll…  indeed, we’re two months behind. Before things get really busy next week, we’re going to look back at the top repeated hats we saw in April and choose a favourite.

Please click on each caption or photo link to jump to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are the eight repeated hats you most admired in April, shown in the order they were worn:
1.    2.
Queen Elizabeth’s green felt cloche with quills and celtic knot by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn April 13
Empress Michiko’s eggshell sparkling saucer with crin brim and silver striped bow worn April 17 and April 25
3.    4.
Queen Máxima in a black felt Philip Treacy teardrop percher with deep crease and quill trim worn April 18
Queen Elizabeth’s yellow straw hat with bows and colourful feathers by Rachel Trevor Morgan worn April 18
5.    6.
Empress Michiko’s pale blue-grey rimmed saucer hat with layered silk bow worn April 19
Queen Elizabeth’s pale blue silk and straw hat with fuchsia trim by Angela Kelly worn for Easter on April 21
7.    8.
Princess Beatrice’s copper straw saucer with curling feathers& pink roses by Juliette Botterill on April 21
Duchess of Cambridge’s grey felt Jane Taylor teardrop with organdie bows worn April 21
This poll will remain open until next Monday, June 17 at midnight GMT and we’ll peruse the results after Ascot. As usual, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. May your choice be victorious!

Favourite New Royal Hat: March 2019

Posted on by

March was a colourful month of royal hats with numerous striking new designs making debut appearances for Commonwealth Day, the Cheltenham Festival, St. Patrick’s Day among others. Twelve lovely new designs in calot, saucer, beret, percher, fedora and bandeau shapes received particular admiration- twelve designs we’ll revisit now to choose a semifinalist for Favourite New Royal Hat of 2019.

Please click on each caption link to jump to original feature posts with additional views, information and discussion on each hat. Here are the twelve new hats you most admired in March, shown in the order they were worn:

1.   2.

Queen Silvia’s ruched purple straw calot worn March 3
Duchess of Cambridge’s red felt saucer with bow worn March 11

3.    4.
Duchess of Cornwall’s purple felt brimless hat with feathers by Philip Treacy worn March 11
Zara Tindall’s teal Juliette Botterill felt percher with bow and arrow feathers worn March 12
5.  6.
Zara Tindall’s plum felt teardrop percher with feather trim by Juliette Botteril worn Mar 13
Zara Tindall’s navy felt beret percher with soaring grey feathers by Bundle MacLaren worn Mar 14
7.    8.
Autumn Phillips’ burgundy felt fedora with double braided hatband by Camilla Rose Millinery worn Mar 15
Zara Tindall’s Sally Ann Provan black felt percher saucer with red leather bow and quill worn Mar 15
9.   10.
Duchess of Cambridge’s green felt triangular beret with bow flowers from Lock & Co. worn Mar 17
Zara Tindall’s magenta felt percher with oversize flower by The Cotswold Milliner worn Mar 17
11.   12.
Empress Michiko’s lilac grey rimmed saucer with silk bow and crin underbrim worn March 26
Queen Mathilde’s ruched silk headpiece by Fabienne Delvigne worn March 26 
This poll will remain open until next Friday, April 19 at midnight GMT.  As usual for these polls, each computer or mobile device can vote twice per day for as many hats as you wish. Good luck!