Tag Archives: Princess Tsuguko

This Week’s Extras

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Last Sunday, Princess Akiko wore a pink cuffed cloche to award the Japan University Rugby Football Championship.

On Friday, members of the Imperial royal family attended the annual New Year lecture at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Art Deco inspired brimless vintage pink felt design with fluted crown by Czech milliner Jolana Kotabova
Raspberry felt pillbox with velvet side statement twist by US brand Mirabelle House Millinery
Love the origami hatband and vibrant rose on this green straw boater by British milliner Justine Bradley-Hill
Unique statement blue sinamay design with leather bougainvillea by Australia milliner Brenda Lui
Pink silk calot with flowers and unique veil of curled quills veil  by British milliner Edwina Ibbotsen
Headpiece of amber and gold silk abaca jeweled flowers by Ghanan milliner Velma Owusu-Bempah
Adore this saturated blue fedora with peacock feathers trim. By British milliner Louise Pocock.

Lovely muted pink silk abaca headpiece with leather flower and flying bow by British brand Pebelles Boutique
Striking shape on this cognac felt blocked beret by Italian milliner Monica Gamberale
Exquisite floral embroidery on this ecru felt hat with leather hatband by British milliner Julianne Holland
Neon felt cloche hats with size zipper detail by American milliner Jennifer Hoertz
Gold leather button with beautiful vine of ivy leaves by British milliner Nellie Pitts
Natural straw button with the loveliest leather anemone trim by British brand Silk & Straw Millinery
Unexpected use of plaid on this tall Kokoshnik headpiece with flower by Irish milliner Ailish McElroy

Wonderful floral embroidered hatband on this purple felt boater by Polish brand Lallu Chic
Lovely movement on this headpiece of ecru and trimmed peacock feathers by British brand Annabel Allen Millinery
Fascinating look at Dutch milliner Marianne Jongkind’s pink lace picture hat with two-level crown
Ecru silk abaca knotted headpiece studded with sinamay flowers by British milliner Awon Golding
Camel felt brimmed hat with whimsical embroidered dandelions by Australian brand This is BamBam
Blush wide brimmed saucer with statement pleated silk abaca trim by British milliner Georgina Blyth
Fantastic crocheted teapot hat by Canadian textile artist Alexandria Masse

 

 Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, Archduchess of Austria-Este, passed away on January 10. This series of slides shows her incredible royal family connections.

 

And we end with the most wonderful family portrait released by the Danish court on the occasion of Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee.

Images from Kyodo News via Getty Images and social media as indicated 

Catching Up Imperial Family Milestones

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In last weekend’s “Extra’s” post, we celebrated the December 5 official presentation of Princess Aiko following her 20th birthday, dazzling in a diamond tiara and necklace borrowed from her aunt, Sayako Kuroda.
Embed from Getty Images
It turns out that members of the Imperial royal family also gathered for this celebration, the ladies in hats as well! Princess Kako was seen arriving at the Imperial Palace in her pale sage green silk jacquard covered calot hat with cuffed bumper brim, trimmed with a spray of silk flowers on the side.

Previously Worn: Dec 23, 2019; Apr 10, 2019; 
Princess Hanako repeated her dark green velvet hat with clamshell-shaped bumper brim trimed with an ostrich plume and bow at the back.  Princess Yuriko wore a turquoise printed silk draped pillbox (or maybe a toque shape?) with rolled rose and leaves made of the same fabric, placed on the side of the design. 

 Princess Hanako’s hat Previously Worn: Feb 24, 2019; Jan 14, 2015;  Jan 10, 2014; Jan 4, 2011
Princess Nobuko looked to be wearing a new dusty pink silk covered pillbox high on the back of her head. Princess Yoko repeated her tall salmon pink silk covered pillbox wrapped in a double fringe of feathers in the same hue. Princess Akiko looked to be wearing a new cream hat with shallow crown and brim covered in a beautifully draped hatband that tied in a side bow.

Princess Yoko’s hat Previously Worn: Mar 23, 2021;  Nov 8, 2020; Oct 25, 2019; Apr 10, 2019
Princess Hisako repeated a salmon pink velvet pillbox with indented pork pie crown, trimmed in pink, peach and burgundy velvet applique flowers that also embellish the neck and shoulder lines of her matching gown. An interesting note from Imperial family expert Prisma- while this ensemble dates back until at least 1992, it was worn, most recently, in January 2014 by Princess Noriko! Princess Tsuguko looked to be wearing a silvery blue silk covered pillbox that I believe is new.

Previously Worn: Jan 15, 2014 (by Princess Noriko); Jan 14, 1992
Sayako Kuroda was also in attendance in a pale green silk calot covered in a ruched dotted white veil.

On December 9th, Empress Masako celebrated her 58th birthday. She arrived at the home of her parents-in-law in a pale blue silk covered bumper hat.

Sayako Kuroda was also seen arriving at the Imperial Palace to greet the Empress on her birthday in a pleated ecru calot hat.

Which ones of these eleven hats stand out most to you?

Images from social media as indicated 

Imperial New Year’s Poetry Reading 2021

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Last Friday, The New Year’s Poetry Reading (Ceremony of the Utakai Hajime) took place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Closeup views of the hats worn to this event again show their beautiful detail, something which I thought warranted a second look!

Crown Princess Kiko Kiko repeated the pale lime silk jacquard floral gown with matching bumper hat she first wore last November for the Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-Gi. It’s an impeccably made piece with cuffed brim covered in wide bias alternating sections of  smooth and smocked silk, the same lime silk jacquard of her gown. Smocking is not something we see on many royal hats and it lends such textural dimension to the piece. Princess Mako repeated her turquoise silk covered bumper hat with, as this picture shows, a wonderful layered, striped silk bow at the back. Princess Kako repeated her lemon yellow silk jacquard bandeau trimmed with silk flowers on the sides.

Designer: unknown
Crown Princess Kiko’s hat was previously worn: Nov 8, 2020
Princess Mako’s hat was previously worn: Nov 18, 2019; Jan 11, 2019; Jan 12, 2018; Jan 11, 2017; Dec 23, 2013
Princess Kako’s hat was previously worn:  Nov 10, 2020; Nov 18, 2019; Feb 26, 2019; Feb 24, 2019; Jan 14, 2015

Princess Nobuko topped her denim blue beaded gown with a matching pillbox covered entirely in feathers and worn back on the crown of her head. It’s a lovely scale and colour on Nobuko and the movement and texture provided by the feathers makes it a fantastic piece to accompany her gown. Princess Akiko repeated her pale yellow bumper hat trimmed in a wrap of pleated crin and generous spray of silk flowers at the back.

Designer: unknown
Princess Nobuko’s hat:  I believe it is new
Princess Akiko’s hat was previously worn:  Nov 8, 2020;  Oct 25, 2019; Apr 10, 2019
 

Princess Hisako repeated her vibrant green low-crowned bowler hat with curved brim and slim hatband, trimmed wiht a mass of green feathers at the back. The different shades of green on the feather trim makes this hat come alive, linking with the green embroidery on Hisako’s gown and giving the monochrome ensemble lightness and lift.

Designer: unknown
Previously worn: Oct 29, 2019; Jan 16, 2019

The only new hat at this event was an ice blue, short-brimmed design on Princess Tsuguko. The small scale design gets visual impact from the trilby-esque curved brim and hatband of silk leaves that encircle it, linking with the vine pattern in the silk jacquard of her jacket and skirt. It looks to me like the hat is covered in plain silk and the leaves cut from the printed jacquard silk (same as the gown), a subtle touch that makes the all blue ensemble less one note.

Designer: unknown
Previously worn: I believe this is new

Again, these closer views of these hats show great detail and utterly impeccable finishing. They are so very, very,  beautifully made.

Which hats here stood out most to you?

Images from social media as indicated

Imperial New Year’s Lectures 2021

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The Imperial New Year’s Lectures (Ceremony of the Kousho Hajime) were finally held Tuesday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

Crown Princess Kiko repeated a grey-blue silk brocade gown with shimmering beaded bodice. Her half hat, in the same silk, features crisp pointed corners on each side and stripes of slim silver beads across the crown. Princess Mako repeated an ice blue silk jacquard and matching half hat with short, upfolded brim. The closeup photo seen below shows beautiful detail on the hat- tiny sparkling beads around the brim edge like those around the collar of Mako’s gown, and the loveliest white and blue silk flowers. Princess Kako rounded out the Akishino’s trio of blue in her deep royal silk gown and matching bumper hat with intricately beaded brim edge.

Designer: unknown
Crown Princess Kiko’s hat was previously worn: Jan 12, 2016; Jan 15, 2014
Princess Mako’s hat was previously worn: Jan 16, 2020; Apr 30, 2019; Jan 15, 2016
Princess Kako’s hat was previously worn: Jan 16, 2020; Oct 29, 2019; Apr 30, 2019; Jan 9, 2015

Princess Nobuko paired her terra cotta pink gown with an oversize silk floral headpiece. It’s a departure from much of the Imperial millinery we see, making it a favourite for me!

Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Oct 29, 2019

Princess Akiko Princess Yoko repeated pillbox hats, Akiko’s in lime-yellow silk with beaded detail on the side and Yoko’s in salmon pink with layered stripes of feather trim.

Designer: unknown
Princess Akiko’s hat was previously worn: April 30, 2019; Jan 14, 2015; Jan 10, 2014
Princess Yoko’s hat was previously worn: Nov 8, 2020; Oct 25, 2019; Apr 10, 2019

Princess Hisako wore a deep purple stylized bowler hat with ostrich plume at the back. The lattice printed silk of her gown is repeated on the hat’s wide hatband. Princess Tsuguko repeated her green silk jacquard covered pillbox hat with layered sash across the top of the hat embroidered with the same vine pattern as on the collar of her gown. The lily-of-the-valley blooms that originally embellished this hat have been removed, a detail I’m a little sorry to see.

Designer: unknown
Princess Hisako’s hat was previously worn: I believe this hat is new
Princess Tsuguko’s hat was previously worn: Feb 23, 2020; Oct 25, 2019; May 4, 2019

The views of these hats show more detail than we usually see and my, are these details impeccable. The beading is particularly fine and makes me wish we could see all Imperial hats at close view simply to admire how beautifully they are made.

It’s been a long while since we had such a group of hats to admire- which designs here stood out most to you?

Images from social media as indicated

This Week’s Extras

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Princess Tsuguko wore a chic green hat with vibrant feathered trim on February 27 to attend a UN Youth Forum in Tokyo.

Princess Hisako in a large black beret on Wednesday to open a photo exhibition and a purple silk jacquard covered hat today for the first day of the UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto.

 

The following new millinery designs caught my eye this week:
Scarlet tall-crowned trilby covered in guipure lace by Norwegian milliner Mona Strand
Fantastic felt fedora in the juiciest shade of orange by British milliner Dillon Wallwork
Exquisite headpiece of beaded white rolled sinamay leaves by Dutch milliner Wies Mauduit
Black woven leather halo bandeau with back bow by Australian milliner Sophie Allport
Beret percher covered in ombre folded ribbon with feather trim by UK milliner Louise Pocock
Chocolate fedora with bias stripe hatband, stitched star and leopard underbrim by Danish brand Hornskov Hats
White paper sparterie  hat with triple layered brim and cotton organdy ruffles by London milliner Anna Stefanou

Stunning bumper and percher designs both with leather flowers from Australian milliner Jill Humphries
Adore the braid trimmed brim edge on this acid yellow design with feathers by Norwegian milliner Ingrid H. Braten
Three toned pink and white sinamay hat with Dior brim and bow by US brand Amy Jo Original Hats
Striking red take on a cloche shape with high upturned brim by Estonian milliner Emma-Elfriide KĂźbarad
Mint straw hat with pleated crin brim overlay and fan by British milliner Sarah Ross
Such a creative scalloped petal crown shape on this aubergine felt cap by American milliner Mamie Raynaud
Quirky shape on this navy trilby with avocado hatband by British brand Little Sister Millinery
Wonderful autumnal ombre statement in this dyed sinamay design by German milliner Ulrike Strelow

 

Sweet snaps of Prince Oscar released by the Swedish Court to mark his 5th birthday

 

Nod of respect to the Duchess of Gloucestershire who are walking 11,000 steps each day this month to highlight prostate cancer

Commonwealth day message from the Queen

Images from social media as indicatedÂ