Hats Off!

It just wouldn't be fitting if I didn't write a little post about last Friday's Royal Wedding.  Apart from the beautiful and elegant Bride and the debonair and dashing Prince, the other most notable aspect of this particular Royal Wedding was for me, the multitude of millinery!  In the words of arguably England's greatest milliner Philip Treacy:

"You have to wear a hat ... Because it's tradition. That's what England's about."

David and Victoria Beckham (Philip Treacy hat)

Luckily for most of the men attending, they didn't have to be concerned with such frippery because they have it so easy!  A simple morning suit is all they are required to wear, adding a touch of personality to their look by their choice of waistcoat and tie (and the odd medal or top hat too.)

Claudia Bradby

"A royal wedding happens like this only every 30 years," Treacy said. "So [it] is the ultimate hat moment."

Miriam Gonzalez (this is my favourite hat of the day).

As hats are a tradition at English weddings, well you can just imagine the dilemma of choosing the perfect hat for a royal wedding - it can't be easy, and I think that on this occasion it would be safe to say that substance and size won over style and tradition.

 Guy Ritchie and girlfriend Jacqui Ainsley.

 HRH flanked by Carol Middleton and the Duchess of Cornwall.

 Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips wearing Philip Treacy.

 Prince William's cousins Amelia, Eliza and Kitty Spencer. 

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, both in Philip Treacy.

"Well, the British have an in-built understanding of hats I make... My customers are very conservative but they think my hats are normal." - Philip Treacy

I realise that the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been scolded by the press for their apparent lack of style but I wouldn't be being honest if I didn't tell you that I thought they looked fantastic!  Their choices were bold and unrestrained, typical of the Princesses and while most thought that Beatrice's Philip Treacy hat was more like an exclamation mark than a hat, well I don't agree.  The whole wedding was an exercise in restraint, which is typical of most British weddings, but one thing is for certain, they are all about the hat and if we look back on other royal weddings and the millinery that featured on some of those occasions, with Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones to choose from now, why wouldn't you make your outfit all about the hat?  Who notices the frock when the hat is such a showpiece?  I love the English for their ability to make no apologies for their style of hat and how they wear it.  If they looked a bit silly to us, well so be it - fashion is all about having fun, and at least it took our attention from the boring outfits, right?

H

Sources: People.com, abcnews.go.com