Category Archives: Japan

Royal Hat Catch Up

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Thanks, everyone, for holding down the fort over the past two weeks! I appreciate being able to step away from Royal Hats from time to time and leave it in your very capable hands. Thank you! Here are all the hats that were worn while I was away:

Friday, February 23: Princess Hisako attended the opening of the “Velázquez and the Celebration of Painting: The Golden Age in the Museo Del Prado” exhibition at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo. She wore a new large navy felt saucer hat trimmed with what looks like white silk flowers on the side.

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
Monday: February 26: Princess Kiko  in a white bowler hat with ruched blue hatband to send off the Japanese national Paralympic team for Winter Olympic Games

Feb 26, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I suspect the hatband is a new addition to a previously worn hat

Monday, February 26:  Queen Máxima and Princess Amalia in cozy ski hats for a photocall during their annual ski holiday in Lech, Austria

Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

Tuesday, March 6: Queen Elizabeth visited the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for its 70th anniversary in her repeated royal purple felt hat with square crown, upfolded kettle brim and dark purple velvet hatband, trimmed with silk irises and velvet leaves.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: Dec 7, 2017;  Nov 24, 2016
Wednesday, March 7: Empress Michiko repeated her small rimmed pale blue-grey saucer trimmed with a multi-looped silk bow for the 70th anniversary ceremony of the municipal fire-fighting system at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Sumida, Tokyo.

Mar 7, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Oct 29, 2017
Wednesday, March 7: Queen Máxima repeated her burgundy velvet calot swathed in black net veil  to open the World Horti center, an international knowledge and innovation center for greenhouse horticulture in Naaldwijk

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

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne
Previously Worn: Nov 29, 2016

Thursday, March 8: The Duke of Edinburgh in his well worn Panama hat for a carriage drive at Windsor Castle

It has been a very quiet two weeks of royal hats- something that will change next week with a Te Deum mass for the new Swedish princess born this morning and the Cheltenham Festival. In the meantime- any thoughts about these hats?

Photos from Asahi; Sankei; social media and Getty as indicated

Closer Look at Three New Designs

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Three hats came up in discussion in Saturday’s ‘extras’ post that I think warrant greater coverage and discussion here on Royal Hats. So here we go!

Last Thursday, February 1, Princess Margriet attended a ceremony at the Flood Museum in Ouwerkerk to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the 1953 flood caused by a storm tide across the northwest European shelf that caused massive flooding in the Netherlands and claimed 1836 Dutch lives. For this national commemoration, Margriet wore a navy blue felt trilby style hat with extended brim. Lengthening a trilby brim doesn’t always work but this one hits the mark and looks wonderfully stylish on Princess Margriet.

Embed from Getty Images

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new

Last Friday, February 2, Princess Ayako of Takamado and Princess Nobuko of Mikasa attended the 67th Kanto Tokai Flower Exhibition in Tokyo, both in black hats. Princess Ayako’s rounded crown design features a mushroom brim and unique flat fan bow bow on the side of the crown. Princess Nobuko’s brimess hat follows an asymetrical shape emphasized by wide velvet binding on the top and bottom, and is simply trimmed with a bow at the back. It’s a much bolder shape than we’re used to seeing on Imperial royal hats but one that Nobuko carries so well.

Feb 2, 2018 | Royal Hats

Feb 2, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer: both are
Previously Worn: I believe both hats are new

I think all three hats are a great example of style by shape- no exuberant trims are needed to make them stand out (perhaps, except Princess Ayako’s hat, which would look amazing with a large Lady Amherst feather wrapped around the brim!). I’m curious to hear what you think. 
Photos from Getty as indicated; Sankei; 

Princess Hisako At Football Championship

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Back on January 1st, Princess Hisako was at Saitama Stadium to present the winning trophy after the 97th All Japan Football Championship final. For this event, she wore an interesting new black hat. The design features a close fitting rounded crown (similar to a bowler or cloche) with upfolded brim trimmed with a hatband that appears to buckle on the side through a series of grommets. The brim is vented on one side, giving it  relaxed points and a lovely sense of movement around the hat.

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

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
We see so few royal hats with brims cut open the way this one is- a simple design feature that gives such a different look and energy to the hat. Thanks to reader Avery for bringing this hat to my attention!
Photos from Getty as indicated

Imperial New Year’s Poetry Reading 2018

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Last Friday, the Emperor and Empress hosted Utakai Hajime, which translates as ‘First Poetry Reading’, a gathering at the Imperial Royal Palace at the beginning of each new year where participants read traditional Japanese poetry on a common theme before a wider audience. Like the New Years Lectures, the dress code for this event is Court Dress, giving us another opportunity to see the Imperial royal ladies (except the hostess, Empress Michiko) in gowns with hats.

Jan 12, 2018 | Royal Hats

Princess Kiko repeated a pale yellow hat with double bumper brim in the same pale yellow silk as her gown. Princess Mako topped her turquoise gown with a matching bumper/pillbox trimmed with a bow at the back.

Jan 12, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Princess Kiko’s hat was previously worn:Dec 23, 2012
Princess Mako’s hat was previously worn: Jan 11, 2017 and Dec 23, 2013

Princess Nobuko of Mikasa wore the most interesting design of the event, a open crowned headpiece of dusty pink tulle wrapped around a wide rim. Her daughter, Princess Akiko, wore a cream hat with pleated crown and short brim covered in the same silk jacquard as her gown. I believe both of these hats are new additions.

Jan 12, 2018 | Royal Hats

Princess Hisako of Takamado topped her high necked bright blue skirt and jacket with a matching hat with white brim, trimmed with a spray of blue and white flowers on the side. Princess Tsuguko wore a peach bumper hat trimmed with large abstract leaves in the same hue while Princess Ayako wore a brimless design in pale seafoam green silk to match her  gown. I believe these three hats are new as well.

Jan 12, 2018 | Royal Hats

Photos of this event are scarce which is such a pity as there are numerous hats that would greatly benefit with closer views. Princess Hanako, who usually brings the most daring millinery designs to these New Years events, did not attend and was certainly missed. From what we can see here, what hats stand out to you most?
Photos from ntv.co.jp; The Asahi Shimbun, The Asahi Shimbun and The Asahi Shimbun via Getty as indicated

Imperial New Years Lectures 2018

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Yesterday, members of the Imperial Royal Family attended the Ceremony of Kosho Hajime (Imperial New Year’s Lectures)  at Imperial Palace in Tokyo. A tradition of royal enlightenment since 1869, these Imperial New Year’s Lectures saw experts in the field of human, social and natural sciences address the royal delegation in their respective fields. When the lectures began 149 years ago, the daytime dress code across royal courts for ladies reflected the prevailing Victorian fashions of the time- long gowns with hats. This event is one of a handful each year that maintains this dress code, giving us the rare opportunity to see hats with full length gowns.

Imperial Royal Family, Jan 10, 2018 | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Masako made her first appearance at this event in 15 years in a repeated Breton hat. Made of the same hint-of-blue silk jacquard as her gown, the hat features a pork pie style crown and characteristic rolled Breton brim.

Jan 10, 2018 | Royal Hats  Jan 10, 2018 | Royal Hats

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Dec 9, 2014; Dec 23, 2013; Dec 9 2010; Dec 23, 2009; Dec 9, 2006; Dec 23, 2005

Princess Kiko topped her celery green gown with a matching capulet style hat that I believe is a new addition to her wardrobe. Following a classic capulet shape (a calot with extended front combined with a bumper brim around the front and sides of the piece), the hat is trimmed with a small back bow and covered in the same lace that adorns the top of Kiko’s gown. Princess Mako made her last appearance at this event in a repeated navy velvet, rounded edge pillbox hat trimmed with a bow on the side in the same blue silk as her gown.

Jan 10, 2018 | Royal Hats

Previously Worn: I believe Princess Kiko’s hat is new. Princess Mako wore this to this same event in 2016  

The Mikasa and Takamado princesses also attended this event. Princess Nobuko wore a wonderful pale green pillbox trimmed with a giant ivory silk flower that I believe is new. Princess Akiko repeated a pale pink silk calot trimmed with lattice woven ribbon and pearls. Princess Yoko wore a majenta textured pillbox. Princess Hisako topped her elegant dove grey gown with a matching bumper hat with side feather trim that I believe is new. Pricess Tsuguko also went with a new design that looks to be a burgundy silk tam variation trimmed with flowers on the side. Princess Ayoko repeated her pale yellow silk jacquard gown and matching calot bandeau trimmed with silk flowers and leaves on each side.

Jan 10, 2018 | Royal Hats

These lectures always brings some millinery surprises and such is the case this year, even with a few repeated pieces. I missed seeing Princess Hanako, who always stands out at this event. What hats stand out to you here this year?