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I miss the days when a hat was a necessary accessory to your outfit. I have loved hats ever since I saw Audrey Hepburn, as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, emerge from her bathroom in her black cocktail dress and wide brimmed black hat. That black "mushroom" hat with the simple white gauze wrapped around it symbolized class and style to me. For centuries hats have revealed more about a person than any other form of communication. The way a hat is worn can convey the emotions of the wearer. A hat crooked to the side is considered stylish and worldly. A hat worn low shielding the eyes sends the message of someone who wants to be left alone. A hat can show status; Marie Antoinette would not allow any of the ladies of her court to have higher headdresses than her own. Religious preference can be expressed through headwear such as a yarmulke or a mantilla. Hats can be used to the extreme to make a political statement or just as easily be used to simply keep your head warm. Though the interest in hats has fallen considerably in the last few decades, they are still a beautiful and powerful item to have.
From the beginning of time humans have been putting something on their heads whether it was a tribal headdress or simply animal skins to shield their eyes from the sun. Hats originally were made of anything from straw, grass, animal hair or fur, but as the modern age emerged and milliners turned hats into a business, hats became exquisite pieces of art made of silk, velvet, leather, and tulle. Soon hats were decorated with ribbons, flowers, feathers, gauze and veils. Even fruit was a useful decoration for a hat-think Carmen Miranda. Hats were such a needed item with women that it is difficult to believe that hats would ever be considered out of date. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article The Love of Hats in Women's Fashion is owned by . Permission to republish The Love of Hats in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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