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Friday, July 22, 2011

The Hat's Have It

I have wanted to blog about hats for few months now. I love hats and I was certainly all about hats during our most recent royal wedding. Personally, I tend to wear hats for a purpose and not necessarily for fashion. I mostly wear the baseball style hat for tennis because I find it is helpful with the sun and glare. I also have more feminine hats to go with the bathing suit look or maxi dresses when I know I will be outside and really need to protect my hair color. Oh yes, and a cowboy hat when I traveling out west when I know I'm all that. Did I actually just confess to coloring my hair and feeling the need to look like I belong in a particular scene? Of course!

Back to why I am finally blogging about hats. This morning I was running through JC Penny, looking at a new contemporary line for another project, when I suddenly stopped to look at their large hat display. WOW!!!! JC Pen'a, as I call it, has awesome hats. So now let's get real about hats. Here are a few facts about hats to keep in mind:

  • Before you decide you want to incorporate hats into your wardrobe, be sure you are definitely going to wear them.
  • Consider the shape of your face. If you are tall, look for a hat that has a shorter crown and wide brim. Avoid angles and narrow hats. If you are smaller in size, do the exact opposite. If you are full figured, check out wide and large brims. These guidelines are similar, of course, in dressing. It is all about the balance.
  • Try on hats in a three way mirror and make sure it looks good in proportion to your height, frame and overall silhouette.
  • Consider the shape of your face. If you have a long face, choose hats that have a wide, floppy or curled brim. If you have round face, choose hats that have angular shapes and high brims. Avoid hats that are circular or floppy, as you may begin to look like a clown! Lastly, if you have an oval face, the world is yours. Buy whatever you like, because it will probably fit your face.
  • Make sure you buy the right size and evaluate how it feels on your head. Go up or down in size until it fits. As a rule of thumb, most women wear between a 21 and 22 inch hat.
  • Keep in mind your hairstyle. Hat head is not very stylish, and you do want to be able to wear your hair styled as you normally do.
  • Color and fabric of the hat should be considered with your skin and hair color. Too much contrast will be unflattering and too much pattern will leave people wondering if you are dressing in costume.
The Five Most Commonly Selected Hats

Baseball Caps: Sporty, great for workout clothes (tennis gear for me), simple t-shirt and jeans, or a bad hair day. A serious no-no for a business casual look!

Beret: The French beret rocks with dresses, jumpsuits, shorts, jeans and can be found in a variety of colors, fabrics or jewelry embellishments . The beret is best worn on various angles set on the head which is a statement itself, particularly when paired properly with your wardrobe. A beret tends to be more of a fall/winter look, although I have seen many worn this summer in lighter weight fabrics.

Cowboy hat: Great look if you happen to be living in an area that has the country feel but in most other areas the cowboy hat doesn't translate as well. Cowboy boots have been widely accepted in the fashion scene, but hats tend to look somewhat out of place if not in the majority. The one exception to that is when the hat is made of straw. A smaller brimmed straw cowboy hat is great with white jeans, rompers, sundresses, shorts - anything more fitted. I would definitely avoid activewear, as the fashion police will probably come a calling!

Fedora: Originally made of felt, but is again found in cotton, suede and patterns with feathers, beads and pendants. I love this look, as it is very stylish. and can be as trendy or not as you wish! Jeans, fitted dresses and skirts, shorts and anything with a vest or long boyfriend cardigan and scarf are perfect items to pair together with a fedora.

Sun hats: Usually made of straw with some sort of ribboning along the skull area. Great for the pool, beach or paired with a sundress, long or short. If you are wearing it for protection make sure the brim is wide enough to cover your face and shoulders.

A final tip: Make sure the hat you choose is not only a good fit, but one that fits your personality and style, as well. Hats are not for everyone, but a great way to pump up your style and generally an inexpensive fashion fit! As for me, I am heading back to JC Pen'a for some hat shopping!

1 comment :

  1. In summer many companies put their collection of hats in market. But I always like to buy panama hats. It gives me comfort and relax in hot sunny day.

    Men Hat

    ReplyDelete

 
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