Belgian Royals Wrap Up State Visit To South Korea

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King Philippe and Queen Mathilde wrapped up their state visit to South Korea yesterday with stops at a medical center, the opening of the Belgian Life Festival, and meetings on investment, mental health and well-being. For this final day of events, Queen Mathilde repeated her chocolate brown felt formed calot hat trimmed with a large spray of curling leaves on the side.


While I’m not so keen on the hat’s shape or tentacle-like leaves, its styling today with pear green dress and caped coat in a brown Prince of Wales check is unexpected but so smart. Queen Mathilde paired this hat with an all brown ensemble on its first outing that falls rather flat in comparison to this.


Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: February 18, 2014

It was a trio of brimless hats for the Belgian queen in South Korea this week- brimless but certainly not boring! Which hat stood out to you, most?

Photos from social media as indicated

Queen Elizabeth Visits Somerset

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Queen Elizabeth visited Somerset today, taking in an art gallery, King’s Bruton School and a racehorse stable. For this visit, she repeated the cream and spring green hat and coat many of us will remember from her 90th birthday.

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The cream straw hat follows the split crown design used on several other Kelly/McLaren designs, the same silk wool as the Queen’s coat wrapping half of the hat’s tall crown and edging the short brim. The hat is trimmed simply with a spray of silk orchids and a slim green bow at the side.

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The hat radiates spring from its colour and light floral trim. I’m less keen on the wide brim edging and fabric wrapped crown (slimming down both would do the hat well, I think) but these are familiar details for Her Majesty’s hats.

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Designer: Angela Kelly made by Stella McLaren
Previously Worn: Apr 21, 2016

I know several of you have been waiting to see this hat worn for a second time- have your thoughts about it changed after seeing it again today?

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Hat From the Past

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Royal Hats to this day in 1984 when Queen Elizabeth wore a beautifully stitched teal blue tam ‘o shanter hat with ostrich feather trim by Simone Mirman while on a state visit to Jordan. Queen Noor’s black and white floral turban made and equally strong millinery style statement.

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Photos from Getty as indicated

Belgian State Visit To Korea: Day 3

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The Belgian state visit to Korea continued today with a busy program that saw Queen Mathilde attend a seminars on sustainable development and climate change and visit the smart city Songdo while King Philippe participated in a business forum, a health care symposium, entrepreneurship networking and a taekwondo demonstration. For these engagements, Queen Mathilde repeated her red fabric-covered button percher hat, trimmed with a double looped bow and black quills.

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During its first outing, I didn’t appreciate how the hat’s pleats link not only with the skirt on this ensemble, but with the jacket’s pleated collar and cuffs. Yes, it’s a lot of red but the colour is fantastic on Mathilde and I think the smaller scale of this brimless hat makes it work. It’s polished and punchy- two good things for a royal hat on tour.


Designer: Fabienne Delvigne. It is the “Angela” bibi design.
Previously Worn: February 17, 2014

Thoughts about this hat’s second outing?


Photos from social media as indicated

Belgian State Visit To South Korea: Day 2

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While the first day of the Belgian state visit to South Korea yesterday did not see any hats, the second day today, which included visits to the Korean War Memorial in Seoul and an official welcome by the Prime Minister at his official office and residence Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House), saw Queen Mathilde in a new headpiece.


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The hat and jacket are both made of burgundy silk printed with a grey ikat floral pattern, the reverse of which is used on the ensemble’s coordinating dress. While the hat looks like a ruched toque or calot design from front view, it is more fluid design that wraps around the head as a sort of extended, pleated bandeau

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Queen Máxima recently wore an ensemble and hat made of this same fabric, in yellow and navy. The use of reversed pattern is an interesting one for a head to toe look that keeps things very coordinated but not overly one note. The jacket proportions had me initially raising a questioning eyebrow until the Korean jeogori jacket came to mind- I wonder if Queen Mathilde’s jacket is a play on this traditional garment? I mention this only because I think finding a hat to fit with the shape and the proportions of the jacket would be tricky and perhaps explain the more streamlined headpiece. I prefer the overall balance of the headpiece alone with just the dress but understand there might have been some more diplomatic sensibilities at play with this ensemble.

Designer: Fabienne Delvigne “Arielle” headpiece and “Virginia” clutch. Dress and jacket by NATAN.
Previously Worn:

What do you think of Queen Mathilde’s new headpiece?

Photos from Getty as indicated