Channel Some Meghan Markle-chic and Bring Back the Beret

Be like The Duchess of Sussex. Turn heads with stylish headgear.

Yes, the Royal Wedding was pretty spectacular. I loved Meghan Markle’s Givenchy dress with that classy bateau neckline, and her dreamy embroidered silk tulle veil that went on forever (okay, five metres to be exact). While her flowers did not steal the show, the spring posy was the perfect bridal complement, made sweeter by the fact that it included fresh blooms that Prince Harry handpicked from the Kensington Palace garden. Oh, and if you missed that “You-look-amazing-I’m-so-lucky” moment with the prince, you can watch it here.

Now let’s move on and talk about the marvellous millinery style of the newly minted Duchess of Sussex, shall we?

Hats. My British friend laments over having to wear one of those “silly things” on special occasions because decorum her mum demands it. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of headgear myself, but I am a happy owner of a modest collection comprising a bowler hat, a wide-rimmed hat, a newsboy cap, three baseball caps, and four beanies. Anyway, you don’t have to be a monarchist to enjoy the colourful procession of hats that always accompanies the royals, from petite pillboxes to feathery fascinators and the most elaborate of picture hats.

It’s early days yet, but already Meghan Markle has been seen in an array of stylish headgear. That blush pink dome hat she wore at her first royal engagement was rather fetching, but I’ve found myself most drawn to the berets.

The Duchess of Sussex has donned three distinctive berets: a snowy white piece by British milliner Stephen Jones at the Commonwealth Day 2018 celebrations; an elegant black Philip Treacy beret featuring a beaded dragonfly detail on Anzac Day; and a caramel-hued Treacy cap with a twist (quite literally) at last year’s Christmas church service. Three different looks; all on point. For the record, I’m most partial to the white.

Hats: Philip Treacy (in brown and black), Stephen Jones (in white). Images @Kensingtonroyal

Most commonly associated with French fashion, the round, typically soft, brimless hat has actually had a rather fascinating history. Word has it that the beret has been around for thousands of years, possibly dating as far back as the Bronze age. The beret finally got its name in the early 19^th century; the same time it gained political significance as the headgear of revolutionaries and military men in France and Spain. Then the 20^th century rolled along, and the beret became something of a uniform for artists, writers, performers, and hipsters over intermittent decades.

Well, the beret is definitely having its day in the sun again, sitting pretty on the heads of royalty, celebrities and runway models alike in the recent months.

It was tweed berets galore at Chanel’s Cruise 2018-19 show in Paris, and just two seasons before, Dior’s autumn 2017 show featured Stephen Jones’s black leather beret in all 68 looks.

So if you’re looking to expand (or start) your hat collection, get a beret. It is, after all, “the T-shirt of hats”, as milliner Stephen Jones calls it.

My top pick from Chanel’s Cruise collection? Definitely the white.

Related link:

Hat Tricks (and other Feathers) in your Cap