I hope everyone enjoyed the Royal Wedding this past weekend, because it’s the last one we’re going to get for a long time. Yes, there are other countries with royal families, and yes, there are even other royals within the British monarchy, but let’s be real…nobody really cares about anyone outside of Queen Elizabeth and her immediate family. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and brand new Prince Louis will most likely be next up to get married and that won’t be for decades.
There have already been hundreds of words written about Meghan Markle’s dress—I thought it was timelessly elegant—but my favorite part of these events are always the hats and fascinators. Outside of church and the Kentucky Derby, two things I never attend, Americans haven’t worn hats for the past half century or so, which makes seeing them on everyone an amusing novelty.
As someone who watched the wedding sans makeup and sweatpant-clad, my judgement of the attire of people who were invited to such a prestigious event while I sat on my couch is of the highest validity. Of the literally hundreds of hats at this thing, there were a few I thought were particularly fantastic.
Oprah
I had no idea Oprah was supposed to be at this wedding, but when I saw her arrive it wasn’t that big of a surprise. This was a massive event, so really, why wouldn’t she be there? That’s just what Oprah does. She went full on hat in lieu of fascinator, and instead of choosing between flowers and feathers, decided to go with both. Again, it’s Oprah.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams sported (Get it? Sported! Because she plays tennis!) the kind of fascinator that I would always want to wear but would absolutely never be able to pull off. That flame/flower hybrid shape of the swirl was so sophisticated.
Honorable Mention- Choir Director Karen Gibson
The rosy blush color that both Oprah and Serena wore was very popular, and one person wore it better than everyone else. This list is about hats, and even though choir director Karen Gibson wasn’t wearing one, she looked so phenomenal that she’s getting a spot on it anyway. The Kingdom Choir’s performance of “Stand By Me” was a one of the standout moments from the ceremony, and the way the sunlight came through the church windows and shined on them was stunning. But the sleeves on Karen Gibson’s dress…THE SLEEVES! Has any sartorial feature ever risen to the occasion so perfectly?
Queen Elizabeth
Liz rocked margarita green head to toe with some purple accents—girl loves her bright colors.
Doria Ragland
I was in awe of Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland (this piece about her in the New Yorker is worth a read) for the entire wedding. She was so far away from home, in a situation I’m sure she never thought she’d be in, with the eyes of the entire world on her. I would have been a nervous wreck, but she was so poised the entire time. She was dressed in a more pastel green than the Queen, and it looked beautiful on her.
Joss Stone
I have a special fondness for the poofy floof style fascinator. Not even attempting to resemble a hat, just a little tuft sticking out off the top of your head like a dandelion.
Harry’s cousin Lady Kitty Spencer
This might be my favorite look of the entire wedding, and it’s exactly what I would have worn if I had gone. I love jewel tones, especially when so many other people wore pastels. That shade of green, the pops of orange, the florals. Her fascinator was sleek and simple, with just the one interesting detail. I’m kind of obsessed with everything going on here.
Amal Clooney
Marigold is very on trend right now, and this monochromatic look was another favorite. I don’t know whether to classify her headpiece as a fascinator or a hat, since it has qualities of each. I’ve seen it referred to as both in various outlets. Whatever it was looked lovely against her dark hair, and she was such a showstopper that her husband George Clooney was at least partially cut out of the frame in almost every shot I saw of her. (I highly doubt he’s losing sleep over it, he seems to know that he married way up.) Try a hat next time, buddy.
