Error message

The requested page could not be retrieved. Please try again
British Tales

FOUR ICONIC FASCINATORS OF OUR TIME 

And other tiny hats perfect for the big day 

The fascinator is more British than a cup of tea. They are a one of the great conveniences of the wedding season, so much simpler than a full-blown hat with their ever-present pins and danger of flying off into your aunt Penelope’s face, and they also provide an ample opportunity to show off. So, in honour of this most flamboyant of confections, we bring you a list of the most inspiring fascinators to ever grace a head. And we’ve paired them with a scent to give you the courage to pull off something similar. And when it comes to choosing a fragrance to wear on the big day, don’t forget that some of our British Tales come with their own marvelous miniature millinery, too.... 

SHOP BRITISH TALES

Daphne Guinness at the wedding of Lady Mary Charteris

Daphne Guinness looked like a beautiful alien as she strode towards the church at Stanway House, her niece Lady Mary Charteris’s family home in Gloucestershire. Her shoes – heelless McQueen, her signature – sparkled, her grey dress looked like the stars. But the jewel in the crown was her fascinator, which seemed – at a distance - to have been crafted from tiny strands of delicate coral, some black, some white, some grey – all so very attractive. Wear Luna to become the moon goddess herself wrapped in orange, jasmine and soft rose.  
 

SHOP ON
wedding collection

Isabella Blow at her wedding to Detmar Blow

Hats weren’t so much a liking for Blow as part of her anatomy. The fashion editor – who worked everywhere from Tatler to Harper’s – was seldom seen without one of Phillip Treacy’s creations. And oh, what hats they were: lobster fascinators, a swarm of eyes, and once, pleasingly a full wooden galleon at sail on her head. For her own wedding, she chose what looked like thin channels of lava which had intertwined to create something beyond imagination and beyond beautiful. She is missed.  

Isabella Blow’s family, the Delves Broughtons, stretch back right in to Tudor peerage, so what better fragrance than Elisabethan Rose, our harmonious combination of rose, hazelnut leaf and vetiver.  

Shop On

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at the wedding of Prince Guillaume and Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg

Queen Maxima is known for her effervescent style and poise. At this royal wedding in Luxembourg, she chose one of the most maximal - as It were - fascinators we’ve seen. The feathered creation was a towering addition to an already statuesque lady. She looked like the queen she is.

Wear Artemisia to channel Queen Maxima’s poise – fresh nectarine and jasmine combine to create an elevated scent.

SHOP ON

Naomi Campbell at the wedding of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock

She is the face that launched a thousand fashion shows – one of the most towering beauties of her generation and a regular on the best dressed lists the world over. And her choice of headwear didn’t disappoint at these royal nuptials. The enormous peach-coloured flower wouldn’t work on most people but Naomi isn’t most people.     

Sensual, powerful and long-lasting, The Favourite is the perfect way to show your underlying strength.  
 

SHOP ON
ELISABETHAN ROSE EDP 100ML VA

ELISABETHAN ROSE

The Tudor rose: symbol of Elizabethan England, immortalised in this airy scent.

$235
ENDYMION EDC 100ML REPACK VA

ENDYMION

Bergamot dances off suede and geranium. An eau de cologne for the ages.

$180

Further Reading

STROLLIN' DOWN SAVILE ROW Anniversaries certainly do come around like buses or, more appropriately, Rolls-Royces when one is stood on the corner of Savile Row, Mayfair. A street steeped in hist...

Read this article

CARE FOR A TIPPLE? Far be it from us to lecture, but this much we know to be true: the ties they are a-changing. Being a very British brand we thought we could step in with some very Briti...

Read this article

Ah, Halfeti – the jewel in Turkey’s crown. With its wonderful mix of Byzantine, Armenian, Egyptian and Ottoman heritage. And a town well-versed in trading with the world, too. Spices an...

Read this article

Back in William’s day, any self-respecting London dandy could be found bouncing around between Jermyn Street and St. James's Street. Here, a gentleman’s every tailoring and grooming need could be tend...

Read this article

An intoxicating smell as one enters. Unrivalled care and attention from fragrance experts. Every one of our boutiques has its hallmarks, but there is nothing more distinctly Penhaligon’s than our icon...

Read this article

Have you ever paused to take in the scent of a fresh rose and felt instantly uplifted? This is no mere coincidence. Floral scents are scientifically proven to make one feel happier. A fragrance ca...

Read this article

It’s been a few years since the esteemed Portraits family took permanent residence in Penhaligon’s stores around the world. The ever-growing Portraits fragrance collection continues to offer something...

Read this article

Just as wild animals mark their territory, a person’s fragrance extends the personal space they inhabit. Indeed, perfumes smell different depending on the wearer, so one must choose a fragrance tha...

Read this article

Many a work of art is greater than the sum of its parts. A painting, with its carefully composed shades, hues and textures. A piece of music, with floaty highs, sinewy middles and deep basses, coming ...

Read this article

1. Londoners are not typically known as the romantics of the world. Did you know that St Valentine’s Day was the invention of a Londoner, Geoffrey Chaucer in 1343. The 14th February or Saint V...

Read this article