Belgian National Day - Te Deum: HM The Queen of the Belgians
Yeah, Paola, I'm confused, too. You're wearing -- a lopsided, lacy ring of Saturn?
Yep, definitely a lacy ring of Saturn made of plastic that she left in the car on the hottest day of the year and melted. (Wow. Is that the weirdest hattery description I've ever done or what?)
Photo Credits: 7s7 Belgique
I believe it is, yes
I don't think that Paola knows her own age. This would look hilariously good at Ascot (heck, anything looks good at Ascot- it's Ascot!) on a Yorkie or Zara, but last time I checked, Paola wasn't in her 20s.
Why can't she find a hattery style that suits her and our hattery tastes!?
It's quite a fabulous hat, but I'm not entirely sure that it's exactly Paola. You need to be quite smiley to pull something like this off...
Love the jacket though.
I think this smiliness thing (or lack thereof) isn't helping Paola here. If she looked a little more flirty and lighthearted then it could come off, but as it is she just looks a bit mutton. It's a funny thing, because she was one of the most beautiful princesses in her day - seriously she was a stunner - but she's not aged so well. She never looks that happy really.
A good attempt, but perhaps would have been better left to Claire or Mathilde.
I really like this hat. I love a good bit of sculpture on a lady. Granted, she probably is a tad old for it, but who's going to have the balls to tell the Queen of the Belgians she's mutton?
I like the structure but not in lace, and in a darker gray. She just looks too sour sometimes to pull it off.
I agree: Paola's too old to wear something as crazy as this. Would love to see this on Máxima . . .
I'll go out on a limb and say the hat looks great on her. And age appropriate!
I agree that Maxima could carry it off. Let's face it, Maxima could carry off a hat made of old burlap!
I just don't care for her whole outfit.
I think I'd like the hat better if it was symetrical. This lopsided hat simply looks off.
But overall I like Paola's appearance. I can't stand the nipped, tucked and botoxed look. Paola seems to be comfortable in her own skin, and I admire her for it.
She had too much sun in her early days, I guess.
I don't like the hat. It is also no match with the rest of her outfit. Love the jacket, though. Must have been expensive. May be Armani?
I saw some other pictures of her outfit. They should have made the jacket a little bit longer and her skirt a little bit smaller and a little bit shorter. The way they now made the total outfit, it makes her look older.
I like it. Good for her!
I love the fact that a 70-something, northern European Queen would choose this beautifully designed hat. Her royal Italian taste and daring shines through. Can you imagine QEII wearing this ten years ago? Never mind Bea. Megs would try somthing but it might not be this classy. Plaudits.