The Queen wears many hats. More than 500, at last count.
And with those hats come a number of dos and don’ts that her select group of designers must heed: Hats should give her an aura of formality and must never muss her hair.
“The brim has to be upturned, so that people can see her face and photographers can see her face,” her spokeswoman says. “And they usually are quite colourful so she stands out in a crowd so people can see her.”
And, of course, they must suit the occasion: white with a red adornment for Canada Day and a cheery butter-yellow one for her arrival in Halifax in pouring rain. Expect something a little more subdued Saturday when the Queen visits Winnipeg’s Canadian Museum for Human Rights site, and a spectacular look on Sunday when she attends the Queen’s Plate at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto – the biggest fashion event in the Canadian sporting calendar.
All eyes will be on her hat at Woodbine. “Her hats have a very classic look, but they are also very fashion-forward,” says Karyn Gingras, owner of Toronto boutique Lilliput Hats. “She exists in her own realm as a style-maker, as a trendsetter.”
Unlike many Hollywood celebrities who won’t be caught wearing the same thing twice, the Queen does reuse her hats and outfits. The outfit she wore in Halifax was donned for a garden party the previous week, according to her spokeswoman, and also at an another event last year.
She has a few designers, including one in-house – Angela Kelly, who designs the Queen’s dresses and most of her hats. And for visits like the one to Canada, she usually has a couple of choices that have been designed months in advance to reflect an event and the unpredictable weather patterns.
Nobody knows what the Queen will wear the next day, a spokeswoman said. In the end, “the Queen decides what she wants to wear,” her spokeswoman said Friday. “She is involved in the process.”
Like the Royal Ascot in England, known for its absurd hats, fashion is a key part of the Queen’s Plate.
Ms. Gingras says her store has been busy leading up to Sunday’s event, with regular clientele and new customers wanting to dress up. She created a hat for Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s wife and she spotted the mayor of Ottawa’s wife sporting one of her designs.
With Sunday expected to be humid, many are opting for wide-brim hats. But they will be colourful with bows, feathers, flowers and birds. Ms. Gingras, who is also attending, has designed her black hat with a series of large loops of ribbon and long, shiny feathers. She says Canadians tend to prefer more classic, tailored hats – but this year people are looking for more flair.
“This year, it’s just full on, lots of stuff, flowers, feathers, everything,” she says. “They’re going for really high drama.”
