Anyone who has watched an episode or two of the popular Netflix series, The Crown, has seen what a hat can do for an outfit. Hats, which disappeared from fashion, for several decades are making a big comeback. It's not only the odd headgear designs one sees at royal weddings and the Kentucky Derby. Hats are back for all occasions. Hats are the ultimate head-turning accessory. They transform a fine, well planned outfit into a statement. Hats and the hatted engage in a pleasant give and take. Wearing a hat requires confidence and hats deliver confidence to the heads underneath. According to Alexandra Shulman, a writer for Vogue, some hat shops have seen sales jump 20 percent. As Shulman points out, a hat’s ability to enhance glamour is far more effective than a designer handbag or artsy necklace. From the most casual occasions to ultra-formal affairs, there is a style of hat that will fit.
If your closet only has room for only one hat, it should be a fedora. This classic style wide brim hat comes in all sorts of colors and materials. Fedoras are great accents for day wear such as jeans and a blouse, or simple summer dresses or skirts with blazers. Fedoras can be placed and shaped to fit one’s mood. If one feels open and friendly it can be worn on the back of the head with the brim up. For days when one does not want to be approached, a fedora can be worn forward with the brim shaped to cover part of the face. This versatility makes the fedora a great travel hat. Often associated with vintage Hollywood gangster and Indiana Jones, a fedora adds sophistication and mystery to a look.
The cloche is another classic style hat that is made in different colors and materials. The traditional cloche is a fitted wool felt with a bell shape and a ribbon around the small brim. A cloche hat protects the wearer from sun and rain. Sometimes called the Flapper hat, during the 20s and 30s, American women wore cloches day and night, throughout the year. A Simple cloche hats pair well with day clothes or casual dress. But a cloche designed with ribbons, beads or embroidery can also accent an outfit for more formal occasions. The brim, which reaches down and shades the eyes, gives the wearer a nostalgic look of mystery.
A fascinator is not really a hat that protects the wearer from the elements, it’s a small ornamental headpiece attached to a band or a clip. The designs one sees precariously perched on the heads of guests at royal weddings are fascinators. Typically decorated with feathers, sequins, rhinestones and beads, fascinators are usually worn at weddings, formal ceremonies and evening occasions.
For anyone who is new to the fun and power of hats, there is no better place to start than with a beret. A simple black wool felt beret can add an artsy, European touch to an outfit. A practical hat that will keep the wearer warm in winter, a beret outlines and accents a face. Berets can be dressed up with hat pins or other small ornaments or enjoyed as a simple accessory that adds definition to an overall look.
Flat caps are another style for hat novices. The small wool caps, which often come in tweeds, add a finishing touch of color and character to a variety of casual everyday looks. Flat caps have many different names such as newsboy caps, Ivy caps and Irish caps. What they all share in common is their simple style which adds a sporty and youthful bit of daring to a look.
