The Duchess of Cambridge attended Ascot for the second time today, also in cream from head-to-hem and also in a new hat! The cocktail hat is built on a cream base and trimmed with lattice printed crin bows that circles around to form a folded brim. The brim is anchored with pearl-centred floral lace trim that also cascades from the back, and cream silk flowers.
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Designer: unknown. Dress by Alexander McQueen
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Previously Worn: this hat is new
Prince William repeated his black rabbit fur top hat.
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Photos from Getty as indicated
Royal Hats 
Kate’s dress is just stunning.. I’m not 100% on her headwear, it’s a little bit too old fashioned for my liking! I would have loved her in a clean lined, Phillip Treacy headpiece with this dress, I feel the 2 are competing against eachother.
While this look is so very similar to last year’s it is in my opinion even better! Kate always looks stunning! Not a hair out of place. I wonder how the conversation goes….
Kate: I really loved what I wore last year. Can you make me another outfit just like it?
Designer: Do you think that is wise Your Highness?
Kate: Oh, no one will remember what I wore last year.
I like the hat and her hair. It is very pretty for a summer’s day.
Despite the fact that her overall look is similar to things we have seen in the past, there is no doubt that The Duchess of Cambridge looks flawless. The hat is a little fussy (the small flowers and pearls feel very 1980’s) but the workmanship is divine and the use of the hatch crin is fresh and fun. I also think the silhouette of the hat is great with her high lace collar, we still see her face and the height brings is fantastic. She looks beautiful and relaxed, everything you would want a princess to be.
We’re seeing more and more of this hatch crin and it’s really lovely. You’re right- this hat is a little fussy but I think it still works.
I agree that this look is less bridal wear,but more Edwardian, as Sara and Liz say. An modern My Fair Lady if you like:
https://i0.wp.com/media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fc/53/a2/fc53a2b794169d7f106c6706df87ac6e.jpg –which makes it appropriate too! Usually I would consider a hat like this to be too saccharine, given its concentration of pearls, bows and flowers, and i might not have given it a second glance– but in this ensemble the hat is not the star, it is working as a partner to the dress, reinforcing and extending the dress’s complex of pattern, layers and shadows – and I find the entire effect compelling.
And unlike most of Kates’ lace day dresses, this dress actually does Kate justice. The high scallop-edge collar which is so much more flattering to Kate than the ubiquitous crew neck, the bracelet-length sleeves, the waistline actually on Kate’s real waist, the gathered skirt accentuating her curves, the hemline just below rather than above the knee, the peplum and the underlay creating strategic horizontal lines–this dress looks like it was designed for her alone. It’s a worthy partner for this hat.
I’m looking forward to the day the Duchess breaks out in a totally different style. There are so many fabulous designs out there with so many wonderful fabrics that with her enviable figure she could really excel. No lace,no percher hats.
I think this is one of the prettiest hats Kate has worn! I just love it, especially the bows! I was shocked to see another lace dress and a little disappointed. But wedding-like didn’t come to mind. It seems to be the fashion this year. Check out Helen Mirren tonight in Monaco and what about Tatiana at King Harold’s birthday party(the second night without tiaras). Now those are wedding dresses!
Loving the lattice crin on this hat! It’s really beautiful, but I think the floral lace trim, particularly because it hangs off the back, takes it into bridal territory. (Is it covering a seam around the front?) Paired with a white lace dress and it’s definitely posh register wedding. I don’t hate it, but was hoping for a little bit more than another lace dress. William looks more comfortable in the top hat than he did last year. I love his tie.
Kate looks very happy, relaxed and engaged with the other members of the Royal family, and her outfit is very well coordinated. However the Duchess of Cambridge does appear to favour wearing ‘uniforms’: white and navy outfits with nautical theme for any nautical related events; monochrome perfectly turned out outfits for arrival and departure of international tours and formal events like Trooping of the Colours, and coat dresses for most other engagements!! It looks like cream and lace dresses is going to be her uniform for Ascot!
Beautiful hat with such an attention to detail. Love it! But seriously, enough with the lace. I feel like this hat would look fabulous with a simple dress in bold color, like navy. It would pop.
There is a LOT going on with this hat. It is beautiful…..but when combined with the lace dress, it’s too much, too bridal, too like her outfit last year, and given this may be her only appearance at Ascot this year, too bad. The dress is lovely, and would have been served well by a picture hat. The hat is pretty, and would have benefited from a plainer dress.
I do like Kate’s overall look, although I’m quite surprised that thematically it should be so similar to Kate’s only other Ascot appearance, ie white and lacy. I think the hat is a a perfect summery Ascot hat – it’s a little too sweetly decorated to be suitable for some occasions, but here a good fit with the event.
Love the hat (and yes, it could be bridal but I think it works well here), love the earrings … really dislike the dress. Looks like it’s been whipped up from some net curtains! And why isn’t she wearing a petticoat or slip?
I agree. It is rather see through.
Regardless of context, this hat is elegant and timeless.
This hat is about the prettiest I have ever seen. Bridal? Yes, but if you’re a princess, why not dress like a little girl’s dream. The high neck and long sleeves aren’t what I’d wear on a hot day. But I have no complaints about the hat : the circling bow softening the shape, the lace decorated with pearls, cascading over the hair, silk flowers…exquisite.
It’s just a different take on a shape that we see Kate in every week. I was hoping for more…..
The hat and outfit are prettier than last year’s Royal Ascot outing, but I’m bored with this lace look.
What made me love this hat the most was the side view with the small flowers peaking from underneath in the back. I love the look; it is a modern take on Edwardian fashion.
I agree, that it is a modern Edwardian look. The chignon makes such an improvement with the hat.
Kate looks cool and summery, which seems just right for a warm day at the races. This would also work at a garden party. I hope that her next time at Royal Ascot she might humor us with some bold color.
She looks gorgeous, and I am looking forward to seeing what she wears on her next outing. She likes lace and she looks fabulous, so I can’t complain.
William’s hat 🎩 is just a tad too big, I think, and I’m quite disappointed in Catherine’s bridal look. I love the dress but it needs a tailored hat, or that adorable hat needs a tailored dress. I think she’s lovely in the heat but it is very, very bridal.
She looks lovely and all, but it’s practically a rerun of last year’s outfit. How many lace dresses can one woman need?! I’m kind of bored. I also can’t get over the fact that she looks like she’s dressed for her second marriage. She could have mixed it up a bit. No, she could have mixed it up a lot. Sigh.
This hat is very pretty, and looks beautifully made, but the whole ensemble reads a bit too “bridal” for my taste. The tiny lace flowers are somewhat twee. I’d love to see this paired with a more tailored dress. Given the heat I don’t blame her for wearing head to toe ivory, though!
That hat is gorgeous but I totally agree the whole look is too bridal. Didn’t Kate wear a lace dress and a cream hat last year?
She absolutely did. The hat is really pretty but it seems odd to buy another couture cream lace dress to wear with it. It could have been so pretty with a floral frock.
Not for the first time, I wish this blog used softwear that would allow us to click upvote to agree with a statement.
Yes, this is a near repeat of her cream outfit of last year.
I’m in the “too bridal” camp, too. The hat is a little too fussy for me, but I think it could work with a more streamlined or floral dress.
This is a truly beautiful hat. It may be top of the list for me right now insofar as the Duchess’s hats go. Her entire ensemble is so very lovely. Well done! So far HM is the only one showing us some colour. I know there’s more on the way. I am trying not to peek!
Kate looks gorgeous in this cream/white ensemble! As she does wear color, she gets a pass for this monotone look (take note Camilla!), and the details on this cocktail hat are stunning, which is what makes it a true winner! I would like to see this hat again paired with a colored dress/outfit for something different.
William looks well-polished, but his top hat always looks too wide.
Jake, I agree with you on both points – Kate looks great, even though that’s a LOT of lace! It looks like a short wedding dress to me. I think the top hat is a skosh too big, also.
And by monotone, I mean monochrome!
I agree, William’s hat has always looked a little too big to me. But, he has a long, narrow face. He is very tall. The crown of the hat is very tall. I’m thinking he asked for little wider brim so as not to look like a telephone pole. (Do they still have such things?)