Looking back 25 years ago to this day in 1991 that saw a trio of British royals attend the Ascot Races (Queen Elizabeth’s hat by Philip Somerville). I suspect that based on this photo, most of us will feel very grateful that fashion has changed!
Photo from Getty as indicated
The final day of Royal Ascot saw the Queen’s horse Dartmouth win the Hardwicke Stakes, bringing this week of horse racing to an end on a royal high. For the races today, the Queen repeated a turquoise straw design with pleated crin overlay and a royal blue silk rose at the side.
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Fiona: A nice bright colour palette again today these are great colours on the Queen. I like this hat, the pleated crin softens the whole look around her face and makes her look far friendlier! The crin is not perfectly sitting, but that is the nature of the pleated crin and I admire the milliner for using it in this fashion. Sometimes I wish we could see the dresses she wears underneath, in this case its only possible to see the peep of aqua blue with the royal blue neckline, but the whole ensemble is very nice – probably up there with yesterdays coral pink outfit.
Christie: What an interesting hat! She’s gone away from her angular crown to a rounder shape and the crinoline is an different addition indeed. I feel like, if the flower was placed just a bit lower, that this look might just work. I do applaud Queen Elizabeth in constantly being open to mixing up her style.
Jill: I do like the color of this hat although I wish her jacket was a bit more open so we could see the dress for which the color was matched. The brim of this hat is perfect, the shape is very nice on her and I think the wide straw edge and the pleated crin overlay all work nicely. The crown unfortunately does not work in my opinion. The crin gives it a bit too much width and the trim seems an afterthought, popped on to make it work with the coat. Thankfully she has that gorgeous broach to divert my attention from this unremarkable hat!
Royal Hats: I have warmed to this hat since we first saw it last year and really like the pleated crin simply because it’s something totally different. It’s a great hat that I’m afraid falls a bit placed with another awkwardly designed neckline on the Queen’s dress and coat.
Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: June 23, 2016
We have not seen this hat in almost a year, dear readers- have your thoughts changed about it since its first outing?
I am so honoured to welcome back our three guest royal milliners, Christie Murray, Fiona Mangan, and Jill Courtemanche, to share their thoughts on the hats worn today on the fourth day of Royal Ascot! We’re going to lead off with the Queen , who wore her fourth new hat this week in coral pink straw. The design features a slightly indented crown with domed centre, a short upturned brim, straw curls at the side and a sweeping bunch of feathers in mixed shades of pink.
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Jill: Queen Elizabeth looks divine today, this color is splendid on her! This is my favorite hat of the week on her and definitely my favorite hat of the day. I particularly like the trim on this hat, it works beautifully with the angered shape of the crown and the profiled brim. This hat walks the line between tailored and feminine beautifully.
Christie: I love this colour so I’m already biased going in to this look. What a gorgeous hat. I love her Majesty with an upturned brim, and the feather work is just to die for. I wonder if they could have snuck the tiniest white accent in to the hat somehow? But otherwise I just love this.
Royal Hats: I also love the colour, the scale and the brim shape. It’s such a fantastic hat and I dearly wish it was shown more effectively with a better tailored coat (a coat with a small collar, please). This ensemble has potential to be amazing and it’s disappointing to see another ill-fitting coat drag down such a beautiful hat.
Fiona: This is my favourite look of Queen Elizabeth so far, the coral is a great colour on her. Loving the feathers, there’s a lovely structure to them yet they appear to have movement creating just the right amount of drama. Not mad on the spiral of sinamay – these never cut it for me, but the detail on the coat cuffs, pocket edges and covered buttons pick up the elegant patterned dress beautifully.
Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: This hat is new
Do you join in our collective love for this hat?
It is my great pleasure to welcome back our three guest royal milliners, Jill Courtemanche, Christie Murray and Fiona Mangan, to chat about the hats we saw today at Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot! We’re going to start again with Queen Elizabeth, who eschewed the odds-on favourite guess that she would wear a blue hat today and appeared in very unexpected orange! Her orange straw cloche hat features a diagonal wrap around the crown and is trimmed with straw bows, orange silk roses and blue feathers.
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Jill: I applaud the Queen for trying new things and continuing to add fresh styles to her repertoire! This is a very fun look and I like the spirited colors. The crown on this hat is very interesting with the inset piece which is fun and different. I love the looser trim on this hat and the overall look is very pleasing and happy.
Christie: This crown shape is a bit different for her Majesty! It references her favourite shape but is achieved through a draped sinamay piece. Clever. I’ve never particularly liked orange on Queen Elizabeth as I feel it’s not the best on her skin tone. But I love her in blue, and the the little burnt ostrich feathers creeping out from the trim balance the pattern in her dress nicely. I like how the draped sinamay comes out of the flower trim, it is well balanced and elegant. And did you notice that cute little sinamay hat pin at the front? I wonder if it’s servicing a structural or aesthetic purpose..
Royal Hats: This is the fifth version of this unique hat shape Angela Kelly has made for the Queen and I think, the most successful. The trim is fantastic and the balance of colour between the blue and the orange is absolutely perfect- no small feat! Orange is certainly not my favourite colour on Her Majesty but this is a beautiful hat all the same.
Fiona: A really nice bright contrasting look for the Queen today, very fitting for ladies day and for the Gold Cup race in honour of her 90thbirthday. The asymmetrical shaped outer piece over the rounded crown is interesting, though the finish to the inside edge is not very tidy. I would have preferred that there was no visible edge. Saying that, this cleverly finishes the joint of crown with brim very well indeed. I love the sinamay rolled leaves and the blue feathers are wispy and clean cut but the rose is a little meager. Overall her outfit is very cheery and colourful.
Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: This hat is new
This is one of the bolder new hats we have seen on Queen Elizabeth recently- what do you think of it?
I am so honoured to have royal milliners Christie Murray, Fiona Mangan and Jill Courtemanche join me for day two of Royal Ascot. While we did not see as many royal hats as we saw yesterday, there were two major royal firsts and less rain than on Day 1- we’ll call that a success! Leading off our review of the hats worn today again, is Queen Elizabeth. She wore a new hat in pale pink straw with an hourglass crown and mushroom shaped brim edged in a wide stripe of white straw. Pale pink winter berries and white straw curls finish the design.
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Christie: I love Queen Elizabeth’s outfit today. I wonder if the trim makes more sense with her dress underneath? I can see that it’s referencing her coat buttons but it feels like a bit too much for me.
Jill: I am not a huge fan of the crown on this hat, it feels a little extreme to me but I applaud the Queen for continuing to take chances on her hat choices. It is nicely balanced with the trim and as always, very well matched with her outfit. I find the trim a bit tight on this hat, I would like to see a softer look to balance the shape of the crown.
Royal Hats: If it weren’t for the wonky shape on the crown, I would love this hat. The colour is so pretty and the winter berries are such a nice change from all the feathers and silk flowers we see.
Fiona: She can carry most colours, though I do find this pink a little pale for her colouring. The hat is beautifully detailed. Those branches of berries in the trimming pick up the pattern in her dress beautifully – they are so realistic! I do prefer an upturned brim on the queen but the white binding on the brim edge softens the down-turned brim, so it works. Loving the vertical edge seams of her coat, that raw edge gives it a nice contemporary twist.
Designer: Angela Kelly
Previously Worn: This hat is new
What do you think of this new hat on Her Majesty?
Royal Hats 