Category Archives: Vintage: Hats From The Past

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to this day in 1942, 78 years ago, and a wonderful array of hats worn to the christening of Prince Michael of Kent. Princess Marina (holding her son) and the Queen Mum’s jaunty brimmed designs are particularly wonderful and add an air of lightness and fun amidst the military uniforms and tragedy that would soon befall this family (the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael’s father, would be killed in an airplane crash just 21 days later).

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Special thanks to reader Jake for sharing this photo.

Photo from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats 48 years ago to an August 2, 1972 visit to the Isle of Man when Queen Elizabeth debuted a turban/bucket hat hybrid entirely covered in white silk petals and lily of the valley blossoms. Up close, the detail is astounding (see bottom photo) but from a distance, I’m afraid it’s an overturned flowerpot.


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Photos from PA/PA Archive/PA Images and Getty as indicated 

Hats From the Past

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Some wonderful Imperial hats worn during the 1950s. Emperor Emeritus Akihito looks particularly dapper in his fedora in the third photo and you may recognize a young Prince pf Hitachi, with sisters Princess Atsuko and Princess Takako in the first. The bottom photo shows Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako looking relaxed in summer hats worn to catch shellfishes at a beach outside the Hayama Imperial Villa in July 1963.


Photos from social media as indicated and The Asahi Shimbun via Getty

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats 60 years to the April 1960 state visit that saw Queen Elizabeth welcome Charles de Gaulle in a most interesting hat. With a hybrid lampshade cloche shape, the hat’s flat crown curves in an angular hourglass curves to a short brim. Wide silk ribbon is used for a hatband and for the brim’s binding, which is unusually tied in a side bow. My thanks to reader Mary for suggesting this fascinating design!

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Photo from Getty and The British Monarchy as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to July 21, 1928 and a Belgian National Day look decidedly more glamorous than we see these days. Princess Astrid, as was her title at this point, celebrated her country in a shallow crowned hat with wonderful curved brim that, I sense, would look as fashionable now as it did then.

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