Category Archives: Japan

Imperial Royals visit Nagoya

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On Sunday,  Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan visited the Akasaki Institute at Nagoya University. The Empress wore a new white saucer hat trimmed with a wide twist of the same slate blue silk crepe as her suit. The twist is a bolder trim than we usually see on Michiko’s hats and brought a sense of whimsy to the piece.

Empress Michiko, July 26, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: this hat is new

Yesterday, Their Imperial Majesties attended the opening of the XIX INQUA Congress, held this year in Nagoya.  For this event, Empress Michiko repeated her black hat with bronze bow. She does not wear many metallic hats and this one, which coordinates well with her suit, is a nice departure from her go-to grey.

Empress Michiko, July 27, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: June 17, 2015

I’m always happy to see the Empress take even tiny step of experimentation with her millinery and these two pieces are slightly different than what we usually see her wear. What are you thoughts on these two hats?

Photo from Sankei and Sankei

Princess Akiko In Niigata

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Princess Akiko of Mikasa has been in the Niigata region this week to take part in the awards ceremony at a cycling race. On Monday, she visited a facility in Tsubane that makes hand hammered copper products. For this event, she wore a palest blue hat with tall, flat crown and downward facing brim. The hat appeared to be wrapped in a light layer of crin (or similar material) that lended softness around Akiko’s face. It’s a much larger hat than she usually wears and it’s nice to see her experimenting a bit with millinery.

Princess Akiko, July 20, 2015 | Royal Hats  Princess Akiko, July 20, 2015 | Royal Hats

Photos from Kenoh

Imperial Family Attend Birthday Concert

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Last Friday, members of the Imperial Royal family gathered at the Peace Flower Music Hall inside Imperial Palace to attend a concert in celebration of the Empress’ birthday. As might be expected, the Imperial Princesses wore a bevy of petite hats in light colours.

Imperial Royal Family, June 26, 2015 | Royal Hats

Crown Princess Masako topped her pale beige suit with hat in the same hue (presumably, made of the same fabric!) The crown of the hat, with straight sides and a domed top, was surrounded in a tightly upfolded brim. The only embellishment on the piece was a wide stripe of silk ribbon which edged the brim and gave the piece subtle contrast.

Crown Princess Masako, June 26, 2016 | Royal Hats

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

Princess Kiko wore a white silk calot hat trimmed in a wide pleated cuff and flat bow at the back. Her youngest daughter, Princess Kako, wore a pale blue bowler style hat trimmed with a white band and back bow around the base of the crown. Both hats are overly sweet for my liking but are very much in keeping with these Princesses’ millinery styles.

Princess Kiko, June 26, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Kako, June 26, 2016 | Royal Hats Princess Kako and Princess Kiko, June 26, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Previously Worn: I suspect both hats were new

Princess Hisako (below right, behind Princess Kako) wore a white bowler-style hat with upturned brim around the back. The jaunty brim, similar to that on a Trilby, downplays the dowdy shape of the bowler crown and gives the hat some personality. Hisako’s daughter, Princess Tsuguko, wore a simple apricot coloured hat with embroidered band around the base of the crown. The colour of the hat is quite pretty with her colouring.

Princess Tsuguko and Princess Hisako, June 26, 2016 | Royal HatsDesigners: unknown
Previously Worn: Princess Hisako wore this hat July 3, 2014. I believe Princess Tsuguko’s hat is new

We can usually count on Princess Hanako and Princess Nobuko to bring some variety to the Imperial royal hats and they did not disappoint. Both wore hats with lace overlays –  Princess Nobuko’s lilac-grey toque style hat was covered in the same grey lace as was used on her dress while Princess Hanako’s pale sage green hat featured a flared brim wrapped in monochrome lace. The use of lace on the brim of Hanako’s hat gave it some much needed textural contrast from the rest of her ensemble and the unusual shape of her hat was a welcome surprise.

Princess Nobuko, June 26, 2016 | Royal Hats  Princess Hanako, June 26, 2016 | Royal Hats

Designers: unknown
Previously Worn: Princess Hanako first wore this hat May 19, 2015. I believe Princess Nobuko’s hat is new.

What did you think of this group of Imperial royal hats?

Photos from FNN News and Asahi

Swedish Royal Wedding: Royal Guests

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Royal Hats A number of other reigning royal houses were represented among the guests at Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist’s wedding yesterday. Queen Mathilde of Belgium topped her blue gown with the bandeau bottom piece of the Nine Provinces tiara. The simple scroll motif and low height of this tiara make it a more modest piece but in combination with her diamond and pearl drop earrings and diamanté studded off the shoulder gown (in what is THE most perfect shade of blue on her), Mathilde looked classically beautiful.

Queen Máxima wore her Mellerio Ruby tiara, a piece made up of three large scrolls connected by suspended diamond swags. With a matching necklace and bracelet, the tiara makes a grand but very light, delicate statement. I thought it was the perfect piece to pair with her embroidered lace Jan Taminiau gown, a gown many of you will recognize from her and King Willem-Alexander’s inaguration in April 2013. As she often does at such formal events, Máxima looked incredible.

Queen Máxima and Queen Mathilde, June 13, 2015 | Royal Hats

The Countess of Wessex wore her Aquamarine tiara made up of diamond scrolls around a central aquamarine. It was beautifully paired with small drop earrings, an aquamarine pendant and a grey lace dress by Czech designer Taťána Kovaříková. While some might be underwhelmed by the streamlined gown, it was exactly the right cut and shade to show the aquamarines to greatest effect and I thought Sophie looked very elegant.

Countess of Wessex, June 13, 2015 | Royal Hats

Princess Hisako of Takamado wore a diamond tiara with small pearl drops that, like the tiara she wore for Princess Madeleine’s wedding two years ago, I assume is one from the vast Japanese Royal collection allocated for her use. This piece is a perfect proportion for petite Princess Hisako; it appears that it combines with her earrings and delicate necklace to form a diamond and pearl parure. Throughout the video stream yesterday, Princess Hisako seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, wearing a wide smile and looking most lovely in her pale green, gold embroidered gown.

Just two posts remain in our coverage of the Swedish royal wedding- royal representatives from non-reigning royal families are up next.

Photos from Splash News,  Patrick van Katwijk/dpa and Patrick van Katwijk/dpa via Corbis; Getty as indicated

Emperor and Empress Attend Sailors’ Memorial

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This morning, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the 45th annual memorial service for the 66,000 civil sailors who perished during World War II.  For this event, the Empress repeated her grey double saucer hat trimmed with a simple grey bow. When it comes to demure dress and hats, no one tops Empress Michiko and her ensemble struck just the right chord for this event.

Empress Michiko, June 10, 2015 | Royal Hats Empress Michiko, June 10, 2015 | Royal Hats

Designer: Likely Akio Hirata
Previously Worn: May 16, 2015

Photo from Asahi