Hat of The Month !

In an occasional series we bring you an example of How To Wear a Hat and stand out in the crowd with this clear winner. Whispers is sure readers will agree this gentleman carries off this example of superb male millinery with great aplomb and style.
He was a guest at this week's New York Hat Lunch hosted by the women's committee of the Central Park Conservatory held on a superb Spring day in the Big Apple.

This should send Australia's hat making fraternity scrambling back to the drawing board as you can see said gentleman had some pretty stiff competition.
We would hope they'll be inspired for this year's Melbourne Cup and produce their own glorious examples for a local event where a hat is a must.

Perhaps less of the dreaded 'fascinators' that have become popular and some more examples of colour and some larger brims which are probably far greater protection in our skin cancer inducing sun.

Below are some more of the wonderful colour and movement. And let's not forget some whimsy as seem below at Royal Ascot in a creation worn by our own fashion royalty Dame Edna Everage and a late great friend of Whispers Mrs Gertrude Shilling. That creation was designed by her son David Shilling (pictured with his mum) who Whispers imported to Melbourne to be a special guest many moons ago at The Cup as he judged the Fashions in The Field. David's final verdict was : "could try harder".

Jessica needs some good advice

The dramas over Jessica Mauboy's aborted plan to sing the national anthem at the Melbourne Cup could be an indicator of  the professionalism of those advising her. Jessica's no show was passed off by her management with the following statement :

“There was a lot going on yesterday and there was miscommunication with her styling team, unfortunately by the time it was resolved the call time had been missed.".  The Victorian Racing Club responded : "contracts for paid appearances at the Cup are easily understood and it is paramount that paid guests understand the importance of respecting paid sponsors"
Whispers should know. Many moons ago we organised the visit of the famous British milliner David Shilling who was a star guest at the Cup. VRC reps are nothing but courteous and experts in handling visiting celebrities such as Shilling with no stone left unturned during his 3 day stay in Melbourne as they guided him through a tour of personal appearances with their various sponsors like Myer.
Mauboy is currently promoting her new perfume which has had a less than stellar impact. Perhaps it's something to do with the organisers of her launch in Kings Cross a few weeks ago. A top publication sent their photographer to the small launch (guests : the usual newsreaders etc one saw at a function the week before) only to have a snooty publicist proclaim that they would choose what photographs  that the magazine could publish.

Just to show they had no hard feelings, the magazine editor ditched the entire idea of covering Jessica's launch. It's sad as Jessica is a sweet lady and a terrific talent. But as always, you must have the right team to promote you or it can all go pie eyed.

David Shilling at Ascot

Royal Ascot, Royal Secrets

Please watch the video first as an introduction : that's a command from Her Maj, Queen of Australia (UK, Canada etc etc and so on) who is seen in our exclusive snap arriving at the pollies' Mid-Winter Ball in Canberra last week.

           It's very chilly in Sydney with a wind howling down from the snowfields but in London it's bright and sunny and that time of the year for Wimbledon, Windsor Polo and the races at Royal Ascot. Plenty of pics have been published of famous Aussies in the VIP Box at the tennis but here are our exclusive snaps of ritzy Double Bay hairdresser Joh Bailey who has taken Ascot by storm. And doesn't he look elegant? (no idea who the lady in top hat is but she looks great)
 Joh is a fine horseman himself so he has a great interest in the beasts and when he isn't tending to the locks of Sydney society matrons or visiting celebs like the Duchess of York or movie legend Jane Fonda- seen with Joh in our snap - he's appearing at gymkhanas and horse trials. At present he's moved on from the grand Belgravia mansion he was staying in and is now in Paris. Ain't life grand for some !

## The Shuttle has attended Ascot twice. Many moons ago we traveled in style in a Range Rover with a good friend Stephen Barry who worked at Buck Palace.  Amazingly, Barry's car was waved through at blocked intersections by police as they spotted him bearing down on them. They held up traffic as we sailed past. It's then we learned the car was owned by Barry's employer Prince Charles and he had borrowed it for the day. Being painted a special blue supplied by British Paints, a colour reserved for the Royals (right), it's how we discovered that all British police are trained in spotting the special coloured cars to ensure smooth passage of VIPs. Like us.
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          Below is a pic of the Windsor Polo and the Cartier Cup. It's a splendid snap and we love the lady in front. Apparently in one of our snaps is a royal impersonator and in our other snap it's a genuine Royal. We can't tell which is which, perhaps you can!

Hats Off To Royal Ascot

The sensational win by Black Caviar in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the Royal Ascot races has brought local attention to the annual British racing season. Ascot was made famous by the film My Fair Lady and the outfits and hats featured in the movie set off a trend that has just gotten more and more over the top over the decades.

One who set a standard that most have struggled to top was Mrs Gertrude Shilling. She was the mother of one of the UK's most inventive and famous milliners, David Shilling whose hats are now featured in the Victoria & Albert Museum.

 He was the guest of Myer at the Melbourne Cup one year  (courtesy of the Shuttle) where he judged fashions.

Here are some of the most over the top toppers that appeared this year and some pics of Dame Edna Everage when she arrived one year in the 1980s wearing an homage to the Sydney Opera House complete with circling sharks and up-staged Mrs Shilling.

Gertrude & Ronald Shilling at Ascot

Her husband Ronald Shilling was furious as the press flocked around Dame Edna taking photographs : "at least my wife is a real woman" hissed Ronald to the throng.

"We can't all be perfect" responded Dame Edna
right : David Shilling & his mother Gertrude