Tag Archives: Countess of Snowdon

York Royal Wedding: Phillips and Armstrong-Jones Families

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We continue our look at the hats at today’s wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank with those worn by members of the Phillips family. Princess Anne repeated her emerald green straw blocked beret base hat trimmed with wide bow in the same fabric as her suit. While the hat base isn’t as refined as it could be, the colour is absolutely stellar on Anne.

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Designer: Amy Morris-Adams
Previously Worn: June 22, 2017

Autumn Phillips topped her emerald floral dress with a straw button percher hat trimmed with large straw bow, curling green quills, green open weave net veil and small, trimmed feathers in black, pink and green.

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Designer: Edwina Ibbotson. Dress by Suzannah
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Zara Tindall wore a grey silk covered button percher trimmed with a lavish spray of silver roses, grey feathers and leaves. The hat is a go-to shape and style for Zara- it works beautifully on her and made a great compliment to her bright blue coat.

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Designer: Juliette Botterill Coat by Claire Mischevani
Previously Worn: This hat is new

 There are extremely limited photos available of the Armstrong-Jones family- most visible is the wide cartwheel brimmed picture hat in pale pink felt worn by Lady Sarah Chatto. Sarah favours classic shapes such as this and while she often leans to neutral colours, this pink is so lovely on her. The Countess of Snowdon topped her bohemian printed dress with a delicate gold headpiece. It’s an unexpected pairing of dress and headpiece and I wish we had a better view. 
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Designer: Sarah’s hat is Stephen Jones. Serena’s hat is Rachel Trevor Morgan AW 2018
Previously Worn: Both hats are new
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones wore a in a navy button percher with veil printed with large dots. It’s a youthful hat that suits her well- the pompoms on the veil are charming!
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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan AW 2018
Previously Worn: This hat is new
What do you think of these six hats today at Princess Eugenie’s wedding?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Ascot Day 3: Earl & Countess of Snowdon

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How lovely to see the Earl and Countess of Snowdon at the races today. While the Earl wore his black silk top hat, the Countess repeated her basket weave white hat with button crown and short, cartwheel brim, trimmed in a pair of black and grey ombre pheasant feathers. The streamlined hat pairs particularly well with Serena’s royal blue Asian printed dress, don’t you think?

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Designer: Stephen Jones
Previously Worn: June 21, 2017
Photos from Getty as indicated

British Royal Wedding: Snowdon and Chatto Families

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We still have a lot of hats to look at so let’s get to it! The Countess of Snowdon repeated a wonderful textured white straw hat with curved mushroom brim, simply trimmed with a ruched white hatband. While I might have preferred to see the hat with a more vibrant pairing than the ecru silk shirtwaist dress Serena wore it with yesterday,  the look references the Dior New Look silhouette of the 1950s which will always make me swoon.

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Designer: Rachel Trevor Morgan
Previously Worn: June 5, 2012

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones topped her black piped white dress and jacket with a white percher hat trimmed with black feathers. It’s a fresh look for the teenager (who has matured considerably since acting as bridesmaid for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011!) and the black feathers give a bit of drama to the hat, keeping it from looking bridal.

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Designer: Nicola de Selincourt
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Lady Sarah Chatto wore my favourite hat of the day. In navy blue open-weave lattice textured straw, her hat features a shallow, slightly domed crown with wide, navy Petersham ribbon hatband and an oversize mushroom brim. Sarah’s hats tend toward the subdued but this one makes a statement with its wonderful patterned brim. I thought it was magnificent on her.

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Designer: Stephen Jones. Dress by Jasper Conran

Previously Worn: This hat is new

I thought this was a fantastic trio of hats. What do you think of them?
Photos from Getty as indicated

Phillips Wedding, Ten Years On: The Hats

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  After looking at the gowns and headpieces worn by the bride and attendants at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, ten years ago this week, we now turn our attention to the hats worn by the couple’s family.

Queen Elizabeth followed the same fashion approach she took nine years earlier at the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s wedding (also held at St. George’s chapel), opting for a feathered headpiece instead of a hat. Her bandeau of grey and bronze feathers pulled out the hues in her matching lace trimmed coat and gown.

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Princess Anne also opted for a fascinator and topped her chocolate dress and ivory brocade jacket with a feather spray in the same hues tucked behind her right ear. Autumn’s grandmothers are also pictured in the photo below- her paternal grandmother Mrs. Ivy Kelly wore a black hat with white hatband while her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Edith McCarthy wore a stylish design with cream sideswept brim and burgundy crown.

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The bride’s Kathleen Magas, wore a wide brimmed white crin hat trimmed with a large ruffle anchored with a pale blue hatband in the same shade as her suit.

May 17, 2008 | Royal Hats

Autumn’s stepmother, Lynne Kelly, wore a headpiece of charcoal silk roses set over cream and grey rings

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The Duchess of Cornwall wore one of her signature Philip Treacy curving bandeau feathered headresses in pale blue arrow trimmed feathers.

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Princess Beatrice wore perhaps the most memorable piece of millinery at this event, a statement Philip Treacy fascinator  of multicoloured monarch butterflies. Princess Eugenie also wore a Philip Treacy creation, a taupe metallic straw disc percher hat with gravity defying knotted bow.

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The Countess of Wessex did not appear on the front steps of St. George’s Chapel following the ceremony but is spotted at the front right of the group photo below- she wore the same large fascinator of grey silk roses, rings and feathers by Philip Treacy that she wore to Ascot a month later.

 

Viscountess Linley, as was her title at the time, followed the fascinator craze with another large piece from Philip Treacy in pale grey and taupe feathers.

May 17, 2008 | Royal Hats

Lady Sarah Chatto is visible at the top left of the photo below in a dove grey picture hat by Stephen Jones (she wore the same one to Charles and Camilla’s wedding at this same location in 2005)

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The Gloucester family was represented by the three Gloucester children and their familes. The Countess of Ulster, in the top right of the first photo below, wore a wore a turquoise headpiece.Lady Rose Gilman (scroll to the second photo) wore a large headpiece of black and cream silk roses that I would have preferred placed over her eyebrow instead of the side of her head. Lady Davina (scroll to third photo) topped her blue coat with a pleated silver grey hat on a cap-style base base (interestingly, her sister Rose would wear a very similar hat three years later to William and Kate’s wedding).

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Lord Frederick and Lady Gabriella Windsor represented the Kent branch of the family. Gabriella’s silver metallic button base cocktail hat, also by Philip Treacy, was trimmed with a large grey silk cabbage rose and sprays of grey silk leaves.

May 17, 2008 | Royal Hats
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While not yet a member of the royal family, Catherine Middleton attended the wedding (William was away in Africa at another wedding) in a black bumper cocktail hat with straw twist and  black tulle veil.

May 17, 2008 | Royal Hats  May 17, 2008 | Royal Hats

Looking back at these hats, I’m reminded how, in 2008, fascinators were at the height of popularity. The hats and headpieces at Peter and Autumn’s wedding reflect this trend and the relative informality of the event, which will be noticeably lower key than this weekend’s upcoming wedding. Looking back, which hats stand out to you most? Which hats have stood the test of ten years of changing fashion?
Photos from Getty as indicated; Hello

British Royals Celebrate Christmas: Part 2

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Continuing our preliminary look at yesterday’s parade of British royal hats for Christmas Day, we come to the York Princesses. Princess Beatrice wore a cocktail hat with oval button base covered in electric blue velvet, trimmed with a silk rose and pleated silk abaca bow twist. On Christmas Eve, Beatrice wore another percher from this same brand- both hats have beautiful detail and trimming and are a scale that Beatrice wears very well. I’m less enamoured with the styling of this ensemble- perhaps with a black coat, the blue velvet would have been a lovely pop of colour. With this combination of black base, grey coat, awkwardly open neckline and blue hat, everything just looks haphazardly thrown together. It’s a shame because this is such a beautiful hat and this ensemble does nothing to show it off.

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Designer: Juliette Botterill. It is the “Velvet Rose Oval Mini” design
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Princess Eugenie wore a black felt rounded hat with wide, cuff bumper brim, trimmed with a large bow on one side. The simple hat balanced her graphically colour blocked coat, making an interesting and eye catching ensemble. I’m not sure I actually like the coat… but it’s absolutely the right hat to pair with it.

Dec 25, 2017 | Royal Hats Dec 25, 2017 | Royal Hats Dec 25, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer: Whiteley
Previously Worn: I believe this hat is new
The Countess of Wessex topped her Erdem floral coat with a bespoke calot style headpiece circle of leaves in navy and pink felt. It’s great to see Sophie experimenting with new hat shapes and on its own, this one is a unique and pretty design (the midnight blue velvet is a beautiful contrast with her hair) but it is completely overshadowed by the floral coat. I think this coat needed a larger brimmed hat with strong lines and presence to balance the ensemble. I also think some patterns are best left to the drapery…

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Dec 25, 2017 in Jane Taylor | Royal Hats

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdIT6dtH0C5/
Designer: Jane Taylor
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new
Lady Louise Windsor topped her burgundy collarless coat with a small black and burgundy cocktail hat. The visible, flat base on this piece officially disqualifies it from consideration as a fascinator even though it is anchored to Louise’s head on a headband. Embellished with burgundy and black (or navy?) crin twists, the piece remains light and airy despite its dark hues; it is a great compliment to Louise’s coat and looks very smart on her.

Dec 25, 2017 | Royal Hats   Dec 25, 2017 | Royal Hats

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Designer: my guess is custom Jane Taylor but this remains unconfirmed
Previously Worn: This piece is new
Princess Anne wore what I think is a new hat… but with Anne, our favourite royal hat recycler, one can never be entirely certain. A square crowned cloche in grey felt, the hat is trimmed with a triple pleated black hatband, sidespray of feathers and cascade of overlapping feathers over the downward facing brim. Anne has introduced several feather-covered hats into her wardrobe over the past few years and the colour scheme, scale and feather placement on this one makes it more successful than some others. The hat showed especially well on this outing against Anne’s streamlined navy coat and black boots.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BdIqp3QjZh0/

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Autumn Phillips topped her red-piped navy military styled coat with a red velvet cocktail hat featuring a large, round button base, multi looped bow and jewelled picks. The starburst pleating on the velvet which covers the base adds a beautiful background pattern to the piece and the colour, which  looks great on Autumn, paired perfectly with her coat. We don’t see many red hats at extended British royal family events (presumably, not to take focus away from the Queen) which is a shame because this one is fantastic.

Dec 25, 2017 in Emily London | Royal Hats Dec 25, 2017 in Emily London | Royal Hats

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Designer: Emily London
Previously Worn: This hat is new
The Countess of Snowdon wore a black (or navy?) hat with flat, linear crown and brim encircled in overlapping feathers. Lady Sarah Chatto ventured away from her go-to saucer shape to a new hat in midnight blue felt with wide, downward facing brim trimmed with a slim navy hatband and flat center bow. Both are statement pieces I wish we could see from multiple angles for a better view. I fear Lady Sarah’s hat is slightly too large a scale on her but will wait for its next outing to make a final assessment. I like the unique brim shape, which is visibly wider in front than in back.

 Dec 25, 2017 | Royal Hats

Designer of Serena’s hat: unknown
Designer of Sarah’s hat: Stephen Jones custom version of ‘Facetime’ from Miss Jones AW 2019
Previously Worn: I believe both hats are new  
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones rounded out the royal delegation in a classic Italian made fedora in slate blue felt. The hat is trimmed with a classic navy ribbon hatband and side bow. I wish Margarita’s coat better matched the hat but custom hats for minor royals (who we see wear hats once or twice a year) isn’t a realistic proposition and the different blues do coordinate fairly well. The scale of this piece is great on Margarita, who suddenly looks so grown up in it.

Dec 25, 2017 in Borsalino | Royal Hats

Designer: Borsalino
Previously Worn: This hat is new
There are not many royal events which see nine new hats (not including the additional four new pieces we already reviewed in this post!). I’m curious dear readers- which hats here have caught your eye? Which hats do you think work particularly well for their royal wearer?
Photos from Geoff Robinson Photography/REX/Shutterstock; Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock;  Chris Jackson via Getty; Ward/WENN.com ORG XMIT: wenn33520360; Ward/WENN.com ORG XMIT: wenn33520361; and Getty as indicated