Get Thee to a Milliner!

Cloche Hats

 OK...I love hats. If it were socially acceptable to wear hats year round, I totally would. Actually, I already DO wear hats year round. My daughter seems to have inherited this fancy for head wear, and I couldn't be more proud.

Hats have a pretty rich history in fashion arena. Humans have always covered their heads as a means of protection from the elements. Early man grabbed the first furry pelt at-hand and voilà- the hat was born. For perhaps less practical purposes, the ladies' hat as an adornment came into fashion in the late 17th century. The first milliner was recorded in 1529 when a haberdasher from Milan brought products to England. Hats were popular because they brought immediate attention to one's face. And who doesn't want attention brought to their beautiful face?

Fast forward to the early 20th century, and we observe the downfall of the hat as daily wear. Ready-to-wear clothing was made available to pretty much everyone, causing milliners to take a backseat. Next up was the War, when many women headed into factories. No cute pillbox hats were found on assembly lines. To make things even more difficult, the 1960s and '70s were all about wigs (shudder).

The Fedora

Yet here we are in an age when hats are again viewed favorably. They show up on run ways, store mannequins, school kids, subways and churches. Here is a neat little article about the top hat trends for Winter 2012/2013. I'm a personal fan of Cloche hats. LOVE them. I have several, and they seem to add much class to even the most casual outfits. Mind you, I live in a cold climate, where time is spend outdoors. Cold weather is no excuse to curtail your self-expression. :)

You'll note fur hats are the #1 trend. How in the world did that happen? I guess to each its own. Also, the most versatile, and probably most popular, is the Fedora.

To sum up: Get your head in the game! Pick out a hat and rock it like nobody's business. Game on.