Every year I am not in Paris in June, I feel a pang of regret at missing the Prix de Diane. It is a day of horse racing near the Château de Chantilly, 45 minutes north of Paris. The horses are three-year-old fillies, so it is appropriate that the Prix de Diane is also famous for its women spectators. This, if any, is the place to wear your fantastic hats. There was once a prize for the best hat, but even today, a woman in a hat gets into the races for free. (Here is a slideshow from last year.)
Since living in France, I have developed a taste for hats. I have a tête à chapeaux and now own several from the famous milliner Marie Mercié on the rue Saint-Sulpice. My favorite is a hat I had to beg them to sell me, because it wasn't meant to be sold-- it is a little straw hand that clasps your head. If you see me in it, say hello!
But some of my hats are so big that you can only wear them to a summer wedding, or to the Prix de Diane. I am missing the Prix de Diane, but luckily this year there are still a few weddings.
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