In Your Easter Bonnet

I love hats. I wish I could get away with wearing a hat every day. I wear a hat any time I get a chance. Like on Derby Day.

Or to a Roaring 20s party. 

But most especially, on Easter. 

If there is any woman who only wears a hat once a year, I can almost guarantee you that the one time she wears a hat will be on Easter Sunday. 

But where does one go to buy a dressy hat these days? Well, you might be lucky enough to find a local hat store in your area, or you might have some luck at a chain store like T.J. Maxx or Target or Macy's that carries a small selection of dressy hats, particularly around Easter. But if you can't find a hat you love at a brick-and-mortar store, you still have time for some online shopping. Here are a few links to some marvelous hats that will look absolutely stunning on you on Easter (or any other time) - in just about any price range.

Under $20

Most nice women's dress hats are pretty pricy, but you can certainly find some pretty but less durable hats that will be fine for once-a-year wear for very low prices. 

This pretty, lightweight double-brimmed hat is ornamented with a large flower. Available in blue, pink (which looks more like purple), and light brown, it's only $12 from Light in the Box. 

If you like the general style of the previous hat but prefer something a bit more substantial, this watermelon linen version features a gently ruffled brim and a long bow. $17 from Barkin' at a Knot. 

You'll hardly even notice you're wearing this white, lightweight organza hat with long, graceful trailing bow. $19 from Twinkle Deals. 

This vivid purple organza hat features a deep, curved brim and tall crown, and is trimmed with a huge flower. $15 from Amazon. 

I just adore this pert, polka-dot straw boater, with its black ribbon hatband and hint of netting peeking out just past the edge of the brim. It's a steal at $7 from DressLily. 

$20-$50

In this price range, you can find plenty of really good quality hats in dozens of fabrics and materials, and in every style under the sun. 

You can break out the white at Easter, and this feminine ruffly white organza concoction would be lovely with white or any delicate shade of spring pastels. $27 from JJ's House. 

If you like hints of vintage styling, try this retro satin ribbon-trimmed cloche with feather and bow accents. Available in blush and grey, it's $34 for grey or $48 for blush at Macy's. 

Is a casual look is more your style? This straw cloche is trimmed with a narrow sage ribbon and matching cascade of sage-green burlap flowers. $45 from ModCloth.

Perhaps you prefer a more substantial hat. This deep purple wool hat with upturned brim is embellished with a cluster of silk roses, a wide velvet hatband, and a few feathers. $48 from DressLily.

Another slightly retro style, this low-crown tan and black picture hat features a delicate net veil, satin flowers, and feather decorations. $27 from Poshmark.


$50-$100
In this price range, you can expect not only really sturdy construction, but all kinds of fancy embellishments and subtle, elegant detailing.

This frothy, pink and white picture hat is embellished with a long, curly ribbon encircling the wide brim, and a pouf of white feathers tucked in with the multi-looped bow. Available in feminine pink and white or dramatic black and white, $79 each at Nordstrom.

Fantastical without being completely outrageous, this lavender "ribboniere" hat features an unusual raised brim and multiple looped ribbons trimmed with rhinestones radiating out from a large glittery brooch. A real bargain at $80 from Especially Yours.

This vivid red wide-brimmed, low-crown, upturned hat, embellished only with an intricate bowknot, makes a statement with its striking simplicity. $54 from JJ's House.

Another striking but understated look, this white and gold satin ribbon hat is trimmed with a flat looped braid and a large gold and rhinestone brooch. $65 from Overstock.

Perfect to pop over an updo hairstyle, this yellow and black angle-brimmed straw hat features a striped brim and elaborate mesh and ribbon petals studded with rhinestones. $60 from Divine Fashion.


Over $100
Once you pass the hundred-dollar mark, hats become bigger, glitzier, and each one more unusual than the last. These are truly one of a kind creations!

It doesn't get any more elegant than this striking midnight blue spectator hat with half-upturned brim and feather cluster. $248 from Salmagundi.

Outrageous but still soft and feminine, this purple satin flower hat is accented with mesh looped bows, small rhinestones, and a large rhinestone brooch. $120 from JC Penney.

These wrapped toques in shades of blue and rust are different but subtle, lying close to the head and with the ombre colors the only needed embellishment. $228 from Salmagundi.

This dramatic high-crowned hat features a hugely oversized, multi-looped bow trimmed with rhinestone ribbon and matching hatband. $140 from Especially Yours.

This scrumptious woven hat with upturned brim is trimmed with purple and deep rose satin flowers and the brim is edged with coordinating satin ribbon. $520 from Hats in the Belfry.


So go ahead and get shopping - and hats off to you!

A Piece of Magic is a Hat

I love hats. I love wearing them, I love when other people wear them, I love decorating them, I love shopping for them. I love looking back at the hats of other eras, and I love modern hats. But it makes me sad that not many people share my love for hats these days – or at least, not many people wear hats these days. The problem seems to be that many people aren’t sure when a hat is appropriate, what type of hat is appropriate at an event, and where to even buy a hat!

 I’d like to help bring back the hat with this handy guide for when it is appropriate to wear a hat, and what type of hat is most appropriate for a given occasion, and links to where to purchase a variety of types (and prices) of hats.

If you’re looking for a basic, practical hat to wear to the beach, gardening, or a backyard barbeque, a sun hat is the kind for you. A sun hat is a practical way to both keep your skin protected from the sun and keep cool. A sun hat should have a large brim, and should be of a relatively lightweight, breathable fabric or woven straw. A sunhat can be quite plain, decorated with only a simple hatband or occasionally a bow, or can be a bit more decorative, made from colorful straw or fabric or adding a small bow or pretty ribbon.

Here are a few examples of practical sunhats and where to find them:

 Crescent Beach Sun Hat from LL Bean, $29.95

 

 Ombre Straw Sun Hat from J. Crew, $34.50

 

 Ribbon Sun Hat from REI, $24.50

If you’d like something a bit dressier, but still practical for keeping the sun off, try a garden party hat: medium- to large-brimmed, but more elaborate or more decorated than a sun hat – in other words, it’s the more fashion-forward version of a sun hat. Both straw and fabric hats are appropriate.

 Ivy from Salmagundi Hats, $128

 Luxury Divas Hat with Big Flower from Walmart, $25.99

 

 New Lynda’s Church Hat from MensUSA, $65

The lavender hat above is lightweight and has a wide enough brim to keep off the sun, making it practical, but the elegant shape and satin flower also make it appropriate to wear for a slightly more formal occasion, say, an outdoor wedding or an Easter church service. Here are a few other hats that can be worn for dressier occasions. Keep in mind that if you’re at an event where guests will be seated, your hat should not be overly large, to avoid blocking the view of guests behind you. 

 Mr. Hi Straw Church Hat from Divine Fashion, $43

 Scala Ivory and Red Sinamy Hat from Bluefly, $17.99

Another nice option for any event when your hat needs to be kept to a minimum is a fascinator. A fascinator has a small base attached to a headband, pinned to the hair, or held on with an elastic, and can range in style and size from small and dainty to elaborate and ornate. Fascinators surged in popularity after Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, but they’ve been around for decades. They’re easy enough to make yourself if you’re creative and have access to a glue gun (or a stapler), but if you prefer to get one pre-made, here are a few lovely options.  

 Fabulous Floral Fascinator Headband from Nordstrom, $38

 

 Tilt the End of Time Fascinator from Modcloth, $39.99

 August Hats Begonia Fascinator from Macys, $34.99

Are these fascinators too simple and delicate for you? Are you dying to REALLY make a statement with your hat? Then here are the heavy-hitters of the ladies’ hat world: the Kentucky Derby hats. Now, Kentucky Derby hats do, in fact, include more traditional (and demure) styles such as church hats and fascinators. But the queens of the Derby Hats are the giant, elaborate statement hats. Hats like these (note: when you look at some of the prices, remind yourself that it’s not just a hat, it’s an investment):

 Organza Derby Hat with Ruffles from Greatlookz, $32.99

 Sinamay Hat Black-Ivory from Fit Rite Fashions, $100

 Dahlia from Salmagundi Hats, $128

 Buttercup from Salmagundi Hats, $208

And if you’d prefer to make a statement with style rather than size, how about a lovely vintage-inspired hat, perhaps one of these?

 Pure Edith Hat from ModCloth, $44.99

 Feather & Veil Pillbox Hat from Village Hat Shop, $40

 Large Bow Wool Cloche from Dahlia, $29.95

 Elegant Bowknot Wool Felt Hat with Veil from Choies, $25.99

 Satin Pillbox Hat with Veil from Overstock, $38.99

Still not convinced of the wonderful role hats could have in your life? Here are a few more thoughts on hats from some people who are wiser (or at least more famous) than I.

“You can put it on and say, "Hey you, person without a hat! I've got something you don't! How did I get it? Probably by being worth more to society.” (Alice LeGrow)

“Wearing a hat is like having a baby or a puppy; everyone stops to coo and talk about it.” (Louise Green)

“A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothes and wearing a costume; it’s the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it’s the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat.” (Martha Sliter)

“...For when a woman puts on a hat, A transformation oft takes place: Self-confidence and self-respect, Show in the lady's face. She accents her femininity; She stands tall, with shoulders back; Even when her derriere, Is clothed in jeans or slacks. I think tomorrow is a say-something-hat day.”  (Vida Boheme)
 

Here’s my “say-something hat.” Where’s yours?

Does Anyone Still Wear a Hat?

My husband and I love dressing up. And Easter is an ideal time for dressing up, especially if you like coordinated family outfits. And especially if you love hats. I do love hats, but unless you’re unusually fashion-forward or unusually good-looking, the only occasions when you can get away with wearing a hat are Easter and the Kentucky Derby. So this year, my daughter and I wore our Easter bonnets to church.

Our congregation includes a number of older ladies who are always stylishly dressed, so I was quite surprised (and a bit saddened) to find that the two of us were the only ladies at church on Easter Sunday who were wearing hats. I had been looking forward to admiring some lovely Easter hats!

When I was a little girl, the excitement of Easter was not just the promise of candy left by the Easter bunny, but of a whole new outfit that included a dress, white shoes, white gloves, a white purse, and a hat. I always felt so grown up and elegant in my outfit, mainly because of the hat and gloves.

Another early hat memory is also from my church. I was raised in a large Baptist church in a city with a number of other Baptist churches, and once a year all the Baptist congregations would have a combined service at our church, since we had the biggest sanctuary. It was always a fascinating service for me, since it was so different from our usual Sunday service. My church was quite conservative and sedate, a style that I would learn in college to refer to as “back-seat Baptists.” No-one ever sat in the pews closest to the pulpit, the pastor never said things like, “Can I get an ‘Amen’?”, the choir sang arrangements of 100-year-old hymns, there were no instruments other than the organ and occasionally the piano, and no-one ever stood up or raised their arms or said anything from the pew other than a polite murmured, “Good morning,” in response to the pastor’s greeting. But when Calvary Baptist joined us, the church service was a whole different animal. Calvary was a Southern Baptist, mainly African-American congregation, and they ROCKED. There was clapping. There was a constant chorus of “Amen!” and “Hallelujah!” and “Praise Jesus!” and “Preach it, brother!” – even while the pastor was talking. ESPECIALLY when the pastor was talking. There were raised arms and people stepping out of the pew. And if the pastor asked a question and you didn’t answer it loud enough, he would ask it again and again until he got a loud enough response. To a small child, it was fascinating and intimidating all at once. But the best part of all was the hats.

The Calvary ladies would not have dreamed of going to church without a hat. It was as unthinkable as showing up in your underwear. Or even worse, PANTS. I loved to look at the ladies in their beautiful jewel-colored suits and their magnificent hats. To my small-town eyes, they looked like flock of beautiful, exotic birds.

 

 

 

My simple, white garden hat adorned with a single pink flower doesn’t even attempt to match the striking stylishness of the hats of my childhood. But I will continue to dip my toe in the pool of millinery in the hopes that others will join me in attempting to bring back the hat. Derby Day is coming, and maybe I’ll be brave enough to wear something closer to the church ladies’ hats of my memory. Maybe something like this?

 

Hmmm, I think I might not be ready for that one quite yet.