Lady Diana & Bangkok’s Gorgeous Hats

Not that BangkokDan ever had a weakness for Lady Diana. Not that he ever cared about any British royalty – once called a “geriatric circus” by a wise man. “Who cares,” my son would say. But somehow Colin McDowell changed all that.

Colin was in Bangkok the other day to present his Book “Diana Style” – a hymn to the Princess of Wales, one of the world’s most photographed women during the 1980s and 90s.

And Bangkok dedicated a whole special event to the shy, aristocratic nanny who had developed into a demure style icon who understood the subtle power of dress. Lady Di, queen of hearts – and of hats.

Lady Di “brought back the hat,” Colin McDowell told absolutelyBangkok.com at the Emporium’s “Gorgeous Hat at the Park” event.

In the honor of Diana Bangkok’s celebrities had dressed themselves up with their hats – and what a scene they created at the Emporium. An eager see and be seen, with tarted up high society mothers producing their ripening daughters. All with hats.

Colin McDowell clearly enjoyed the omnium gatherum of all these hats – as a most exotic revival of Lady Di.

With Diana Style he had written an engaging and sometimes moving celebration of Diana’s fashion journey. He had met her, talked to her designers, advisers and confidantes. His book is an intimate, evocative portrait of one of the most admired women of our times.

Who has nothing to do with Bangkok. But there she was, alive and ever-present in all the dressed up Thai Lady Dianas – testimony to the everlasting spirit of the princess-gone-wrong-somehow.

“I wrote the book because I think the balance has get to be redressed,” McDowell told absolutelyBangkok.com. “Lady Diana was more than a silly girl who loved cloths. There was so much gossip to so little truths.”

“My book is a celebration of Diana. All these women here wear hats because of her,” says McDowell and lets his gaze wander across the ladies with the grandiose hats.

“She brought,” McDowell says with a heavy voice, “she brought hats back.”

“Because,” BangkokDan asks, “because hats gave her more confidence in those difficult times?”

McDowell’s stares at me.

“She was not a sad person, but had her sad moments,” McDowell says. “It was not nice of her husband to admit adultery in front of the whole nation.”

Being a woman … adultery … sadness …

Diana has many sisters in the Land of the Free.