Tag Archives: Zara Tindall

Favourite New Royal Hat of 2019

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2019 saw some truly wonderful hats introduced into royal fashion- hats that awed, inspired and took our breath away. Throughout the year, dearest readers, you have narrowed down your favourite new hats and to a finalist list of nine standout and very beautiful designs. Here are your Favourite New Royal Hats of 2019:

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Queen Máxima’s tawny pink straw saucer covered in pearl-centered feather flowers by Berry Rutjes worn for her Royal Ascot debut on June 18

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Autumn Phillips’ sage green felt beret percher with flying bow and cut feather leaves by Sally Ann Provan, styled by Annie Miall, worn on September 9 to the Braemar Games

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Autumn Phillips’ lattice straw saucer with large silk roses and feathers by Sally Ann Provan.styled by Annie Miall, worn to Ascot on June 22

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The Duchess of Cornwall’s black rounded brimless hat wrapped in feathers by Philip Treacy worn on November 10 for Remembrance Sunday

Zara Tindall’s plum felt teardrop percher with quill and mass of cut burgundy and violet feathers by Juliette Botterill worn to the Cheltenham Festival on March 13
Sincere congratulations to British milliner Juliette Botterill, who claims ‘top spot’ for the first time with this beautiful hat, and to stylist Annie Miall who put this (and Autumn Phillip’s two looks) together. It is the first percher design to be chosen as your favourite new hat of the year, which is fun to see. Congratulations also to Sally Ann Provan, Berry Rutjes and Philip Treacy- you all are bringing colour and beauty into our world through your designs. We need this and we sincerely thank you for it.  
Jump over to this post to see the results in greater detail. So, dearest readers- what do you think of this parade of top royal hats?!
Photos from Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images; and Getty as indicated

Cheltenham Festival 2020 Day 4

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The Cheltenham Festival wrapped on Friday with a day of racing that saw numerous members of the British royal family in attendance. Princess Anne led her family in her pale green brushed felt trilby.

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We see Anne in so many dark hued hats during the winter, this paler one stands out as a lovely change. The stacked crown shape is an interesting design detail and the colour, which is lovely on Anne, works so well with her green printed coat, lightening and brightening the overall ensemble.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Dec 25, 2016; Nov 10, 2014;  March 16, 2012

Peter Phillips repeated a well worn chocolate felt fedora with slim ribbon hatband.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Mar 15, 2019; Mar 16, 2018; Mar 17, 2016; Nov 13, 2015 

Autumn Phillips topped her dark green coat with a wide-brimmed fedora in pale pink felt. The hat is simply but effectively trimmed in a dark green hatband under a slim band of black braid.

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The scale is lovely on Autumn and the shape, while a classic, feels as far away from stuffy or mumsy as one can get. The colour here is what stands out for me- not only is a great hue on Autumn, it’s not a shade we often see on a fedora which, soft and lovely as it is, makes it feel so modern and fresh. The darker hatbands are a wonderful contrast that link beautifully with Autumn’s outfit, the hat standing out amidst the dark green. And who doesn’t love a royal hat that becomes the shining focus of an ensemble?!

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Designer: Camilla Rose Dawn Fedora in pink and green. Coat and blouse by Really Wild. Styled by Annie Miall. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new.

Zara Tindall topped her plum coat with a matching felt percher hat trimmed with a large gold metallic textured flower.

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Again, there’s much to love here. The colour is lovely on Zara and the shape of the beret base, with a slightly elevated back to support that amazing gold flower, works so well against the funnel neck of the coat, drawing the eye upward and giving subtle lift to the look. Zara has not put a foot wrong in the style stakes this week and both she and her stylist get some applause from me.

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Designer: Sarah Cant. It is a bespoke version of from . Claire Mischevani coat. Styled by Annie Miall. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new.

What do you think of these final four hats at this year’s Cheltenham Festival?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

Cheltenham Festival 2020 Day 3

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Thursday saw just one royal hat at the Cheltenham races, a navy blue felt trilby with jaunty brim worn by Zara Tindall. The design is trimmed with a spray of handmade leather flowers that wrap around a curled navy quill on the right side of the hat.

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Zara’s first two hats at this year’s Cheltenham Festival were stunners (see here and here) and this one keeps her millinery streak a winning one! The colour is lovely on her, the dark hue standing out so well against her fair features and the paler blue coat (brilliant styling, again, to pair this hat with a coat in a different shade) and the angled brim giving such a saucy turn. The floral trim is fantastic in its detail and I adore how the shine of the leather stands out so well against the luxe nape of the felt. For me, this is effortlessly chic.

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Designer: Justine Bradley Hill. It is a bespoke version of the Edna Trilby from AW 2020. Coat by Pip Howeson, dress by The Outnet. Styling by Annie Miall. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new. 

While I’m a great fan of this hat for Zara, I’m curious- what do you think of this design on her? Stay tuned tomorrow for our look at the final day of this year’s races, and a great trio of royal hats.

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Cheltenham Festival 2020 Day 2

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On Wednesday, the second day of the Cheltenham Festival was attended by the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Annd and Zara Tindall. The Duchess of Cornwall surprised in a new charcoal felt wide brimmed fedora hat trimmed with a deep chocolaty-maroon hatband with fringed side bow, anchored with the milliner’s insignia.

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This is the first fedora we’ve seen on Camilla and it’s a treat! The scale suits her extremely well, the wide brim giving her that sense of millinery presence and gravitas that we so associate with her. The hat’s classic shape with subtle curves and restrained trim make for a much more streamlined and chic millinery look than we usually see on Camilla- one she carries very well.

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Designer: Philip Treacy. It appears to be a custom version of D26 from AW 2019
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Princess Anne repeated her fuzzy warm brown felt trilby with extended brim, slim darker brown hatband and spray of feathers on the side,

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: Sep 1, 2019

Zara Tindall topped her grey and cream houndstooth coat with a contrascting percher hat in burgundy felt. The hat’s base follows an upturned curve around the raised top and is trimmed with a cutout vertical bow and pair of arrow trimmed feathers.

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The pairing of this hat and coat (and burgundy purse and shoes) elevates both pieces, the colour contrast giving the overall look vibrancy and balance. The cutout rectangles on the hat’s bow give some wonderful texture to the piece without making it fussy, making me wonder why we don’t see more cutouts on felt hats?! It’s another strong look for Zara (and for her stylist!).

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Designer: Juliette Botterill. It is the bespoke Bow Percher (likely from AW 2020). Coat by Laura Green London. Styled by Annie Miall. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

What do you think of this trio of hats?

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Photos from Getty as indicated 

Cheltenham Festival 2020 Day 1

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This year’s Cheltenham Festival kicked off yesterday with “Champions Day” attended by three royal guests. Princess Anne led her family in a cozy orange wool coat topped with a chocolate fur hat in a rounded, calot shape.

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I appreciate how Anne’s scarves tie the orange coat and chocolate hat together. The shape of this hat is interesting- all of Anne’s other fur and faux fur hats follow square pillbox or cloche shape while this one follows a close-fitting, almost calot silhouette. It’s fine, but not very exciting.

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Designer: unknown
Previously Worn: January 28, 2018

Autumn Phillips  wore a black felt teardrop based cocktail hat trimmed with a trio of olive silk camellia blooms, and a mix of open wire and darker olive textured silk leaves.

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It’s a great hat for Autumn, who wears percher pieces so well. The hat’s olive trim pairs well with her jacket, the different materials giving textural dimension to the overall look and the colour linking solidly together against the other black pieces. The hat’s trim makes it sing, and the combination of dark hat, green trim and Autumn’s colouring is a winning one. After the recent announcement about the Phillips’ divorce, I didn’t expect to see Autumn at this event but it’s great to see her- she has played an increasingly strong millinery game over the past few years and I’ll miss watching for her hat at British royal family attended events such as these.

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Designer: Sally Ann Provan. It is a custom version of the Yoru Felt Pillbox. Coat by Really Wild, blouse by Temperley London, trousers by Jaeger. Styled by Annie Miall. 
Previously Worn: This hat is new

Zara Tindall wore a dark blue headpiece described by the designer as a “silk covered headband, adorned with cut feathers and a silk bow.”

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Zara’s colouring makes blue a great colour on her and this deep shade contrasts beautifully with her light hair. This bandeau shape is successfully augmented with the spray of cut feathers which gives wonderful dimension, height and movement to the design. The ensemble is also so well styled, the dotted print on the dress giving some pattern and interest a small but high impact way.

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Designer: Juliette Botterill. It is the “Silk Feather Bow Band” from AW 2019. Coat by Guinea London, dress by Rebecca Taylor. Styled by Annie Miall.
Previously Worn: This headpiece is new

That wraps up day one- what do you think of this trio of hats?

Photos from Getty as indicated 

This Week’s Extras

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On Tuesday, January 14, Princess Margriet arrived at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam for the annual New Year’s reception in a casual, navy hat (she and other members of the Dutch royal family changed into formal attire inside the Palace!)
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Burgundy felt brimmed hat on Empress Masako for the the 40th anniversary ceremony of the National Rehabilitation Center for Disabled People & the National Occupational Rehabilitation Center on January 22. The windowpane pleated silk on her lapel is repeated on the hatband for an interesting touch.
Fun connection made for Princess Tsuguko’s burgundy hat- it seems to date back as far as 1993
Zara Tindall in a heathered grey felt fedora with darker grey hatband today at the Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse
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British milliner Jane Corbett shared this photo of a bespoke hat she created and was shipping off to a lucky client. Many of you will recognize it…
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Packing a hat for sending to client in the USA, never made any duplicates of this royal Christmas hat at the time but years on I am happy to do just that and it’s a delight that has stayed in so many peoples minds as a lovely hat, always a favourite of mine, my signature shape and such a gorgeous rich colour. Cradled in tissue paper this classic ‘Jane Corbett’ is almost ready to go, safe travels! milliner #millinery #millinersofinstagram #hat #felt #sculpturedfelt #britishstyle #britishdesigner #couture #couturemillinery #duchessofcambridge #signaturestyle #aswornby #kate #happymemories #lovemyjob #burgundy #classic #classichat #royalfashion #hatdelivery #styleinspiration

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The following new millinery designs caught my eye over the past two weeks:
Layered black and red sinamay straw hat by Zambian Dutch milliner Alice Ng’andwe Vermeulen
Stunning headpiece in purple and pink hand rolled organdie by British milliner Bee Smith
Beautiful bugle bead embroidery on this cherry red felt calot by Tasmania-based milliner Meghan Briton
For our dear gents, this handsome chocolate fedora with silk hatband by Danish brand Hornskov København
Deep claret felt beret percher with very fun feather pompoms by British milliner Awon Golding
Pink and purple felt fedoras with lovely pleated hatbands by German brand Bedacht Millinery
Love the sparkle on this sequin covered beret percher by Texas-based brand The Mad Duchess
Australian milliner Jill Humphries’ feather covered percher with flame twist in midnight blue
Beautiful colour and shape on this claret red felt fedora from British brand Christys Hats
From Dutch milliner Eugenie van Oirschot, this showstopping hat in navy and royal blue silk that leaves me at a loss of words to describe.

 

I suspect I’ve missed a number of noteable royal events and hat outings over the past week but trust you’ll share them here to catch me up!

Photos from social media as indicated

Zara Tindall At Gold Coast Raceday

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Mike and Zara attended the Moet Marquee Magic Millions Raceday at the Gold Coast Turf Club today. Zara wowed in a pink silk dress paired with a percher hat covered in orange feathers. The hat is trimmed with a vertical wave that rolls around the back contour of the base and is covered with orange feathers on the front and bubblegum pink on the back.

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I love this look for multiple reasons. The hat is wonderful on its own, the vertical wave giving some architectural gravitas and elevating it way beyond a basic percher and the feathers giving wonderful texture. The colour scheme is so fun and pairs wonderfully with the dress. Bubblegum pink can tend toward the twee but the orange hat pulls the look away from saccharine to sophisticated. It’s a fantastic look for Zara. I’ve long admired Jill Humphries’ millinery work (many of us have!) and I’m thrilled to see one of her pieces atop a royal head.


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Designer: Millinery Jill (Jill Humphries) It is a version of Feathered Flame. Dress by Rebecca Vallance
Previously Worn: This hat is new

I adore this hat on Zara. What do you think of it?!

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Photos from Getty as indicated