Hats: How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about.

This week Grace and I have had a few chats about hats. Grace is off to Glorious Goodwood and she needs to wear a hat but she thinks she does not look good in hats. I am the opposite as I love a good hat, that is one that suits me and makes me feel glamorous. I wish I could wear them more often as, like scarves, they do draw the eye away from the face and can be uplifting and enhancing.

Philip Treacy says, “Try on 100 different hats if you can, until you find the one that suits you best. It’s a trial and error thing.”

He is so right as it is trial and error but as Philip Treacy also said, “The personality of the wearer and the hat makes the hat.”

How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about. If you feel stupid in a hat then don’t wear it as you are better off going bare headed however if you feel good in a hat then you will feel a million dollars. A hat finishes off an outfit – it completes it.

Of course when you think of hats you automatically think of The Queen who is rarely seen without one even when she is inside a house. Etiquette used to dictate that a lady never wore brimmed hats after 5pm, a fashion rule that developed because she didn’t need a brim after sunset.

Up until the 1960’s most women of every class would not step outside their house without wearing a hat. For women, dress hats did not need to be removed when indoors. This rule of etiquette has developed out of the role of women’s hats as an outfit-specific accessory as opposed to a general one. Where men may have many hats available to match a variety of outfits, women may match only one hat with a single outfit. By a similar rule, women’s hats worn strictly for warmth should be removed when indoors.

Recently I went to a summer party at the Royal Academy where I met Jess Collins of Bombini Studio who was exhibiting and selling her totally unique hats. They were fun, flowery and so unusual. My husband bought me one there and then as he said it suited me so well. I was wearing a flowery shirt that matched it perfectly and the hat got so many compliments so I loved wearing it. I now need a pink dress to go with it. I am going to speak to my friend Katya at BombshellHQ who is queen of occasion wear dresses. To buy Bombini Studio hats click HERE.

Here is some hat style advice from Laura Apsit Livens, a London hat designer:

If you are petite – go for a delicate hat that gives you lots of height,

If you wear glasses choose an upturned brim style with glamorous layers of tulle

If you have a round face, a small headpiece or flower will elongate your face and make it seem longer,

If your jaw is square, opt for romance and flattery of a larger hat to soften your face,

If your face is long, balance out the length by wearing an elegant cotton beret on one side of your head.

To read the fashion article about BombshellHQ dresses click HERE.