Purple hat

The man was standing near the bottom of the escalator at Warren Street Tube station and staring at the picture. He looked like a photograph himself: tall, but with stooped shoulders, dark black skin, a crumpled black suit - although he'd removed the jacket and was letting it droop onto the floor - and a glorious purple Fedora with a tarnished gold hatband. I had a quick scan, being certain I'd see a battered horn case too, but there was nothing.
He was staring and staring at a picture of Her Royal Highness Princess Diana as photographed by Mario Testino; a poster for an exhibition. There was Di, slightly bigger than life, in black and white with that come-hither-but-don't-hurt-me expression she was so good at. And he was transfixed, looking her bang in the eye and as still as the picture.
He looked so sad. I was transfixed myself, by him not her, and I watched him looking all the way up the escalator.