Why the headband is the social set’s accessory of choice

To mark Anzac Day on 25 April, a designated day of remembrance for Australia and New Zealand, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a special Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. Kate re-wore a beloved wardrobe staple, the elegant Alexander McQueen coat dress she donned for Princess Charlotte’s christening back in 2015, pairing the look with a chic monochrome headband by milliner Jane Taylor.

A favourite among the social set in recent years, the 1980s-esque headband is sure to crop up once more at weddings this summer – and with this style staple, as with many, it seems that the bigger the better.

First spotted on the runway at Prada’s SS19 show, the hairband’s re-emergence was swiftly embraced by the fashionable crowd. When celebrities and royals flocked to St George’s Chapel for Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s 2018 wedding, intricate headgear took centre stage. The bride’s sister, Princess Beatrice, lead the pack in a royal purple design, with Cressida Bonas, Pippa Middleton and Irene Forte all following suit, adopting styles that spanned sumptuous velvet and veil detailing – in a nod to more traditional wedding millinery. The rise of the hairband has continued with the help of the Duchess of Cambridge, who flaunted an oversized, floral, appliqué cream headband for Prince Louis’s christening in July 2018.

Across the pond, at Jean-Christophe Napoleon Bonaparte and Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinnerberg’s glamorous wedding in Paris in 2019, guests continued to champion the trend. Long gone are the days of being restricted to a ‘sensible’ hat. Fashion-forward royals such as Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece, Alessandra de Osma and Princess Claire of Luxembourg swapped their tiaras for padded velvet, jewel-encrusted, vibrant headbands.

And the trend is still very much in full swing. Whether you have taken inspiration from these stylish socialites or you are looking to upgrade your winter accessory collection, Tatler have found a few dazzling headbands to slip on – perfect for wedding season and beyond.