Queen Maxima may have resembled a Barbie princess at the state dinner in Ottawa this week, (arriving by horse-drawn carriage certainly helped), but when something other than a ball gown and tiara were called for, she earned her reputation for sartorial glamour with her choice of ultra-wide brim hats. The fact that Hello Canada described these as oversized, (a negative connotation for sure), speaks to the undervalued and misunderstood reputation that millinery continues to receive.

This summer, women would do well to follow the Dutch queen’s lead and protect their skin from sun damage by choosing one of these modern ultra-widebrims over the ubiquitous ball cap or all too common bare head. I have my heart set on a new Maria Curcic asymmetric widebrim she calls Tea Party Envy.