How2Wear: Hats & Fascinators

This is a very special How2Wear - for lots of reasons. The first because I'm linking up with Rachel from Garay Treasures to show you H2W Hats. Rachel is an awesome blog-friend, a mama, and a lady with tonnes of style - click on over to her blog to see H2W a hat with a boho vibe.

Two of my fave bloggers, Laura & Danielle also submitted some pics of themselves wearing super-cute hats to share with you - and you should totally check their blogs out. Because they're awesome too - I mean, obviously, otherwise why would I read them, right?

And the last reason why this post is so special is because I am going to show you some pics of the lady who has more hats than I have ever seen, and looks fabulous in every. single. one. That lady is my mother-in-law, Barbara - or as I call her, Mama. (And also some pics of my fabulous sisters-in-law, and a non-biological sister-in-law too)

Whew - that's a lot of special in one post - but you can handle it, I know it.

Hats and Fascinators can be tricky. I know, because I was really unsure about them when they first hit the scene. I always thought of hats and fascinators as being kind of British and also as being - frankly - weird. Like most things I think are weird/hard to wear/stupid at first glance (hello - remember when I thought peplums were dumb, ugh) however, it tuns out that I actually love them.

So here are some tips to try and sway you over!

Pick a Side:
I find that fascinators tend to look better if they’re positioned off to one side or the other. If you put a fascinator right in the middle of your forehead it can look costumey (kind of like a mask) or right on top of your head and it can look like you’re growing a feathered plant. It doesn’t matter if it’s the right or the left side, more towards the front or more towards the back – play around with a fascinator and then pick the side that suits you best!

 

A fascinator worn slightly off centre and at the back of the head.

 A fascinator on a headband - with the feathers strictly at one side of the head

A fascinator worn off centre at the front of the head facing slightly over the forehead.

PS - can you tell I'm passing my love of hats to the littles too?

Tilt! Play with your angles:

Hats can be tricky when it comes to placement too – no no, you don’t just plonk it down on your head and call it a day! Certain hats look better with a bit of a tilt (like the ever popular fedora), some look better pulled low on the forehead and others look better tilted back towards the crown of your head. Your best bet is to stand in front of a mirror and try repositioning your hat on your head several different ways to see what suits you.

 

Laura from I Do DeClaire wearing her cloche hat at exactly the right spot on her head. Notice how her hat hits her just above the brow, framing her face without cutting off her eyebrows.

 Mama (My mother-in-law) wearing a gorgeous vintage blue wool hat with a feather, you can see it's tilted to one side of her head, the low rounded brim sitting just above one eyebrow.

Danielle from the Goodwillista is rocking this fedora angled away from her face! It's a nice neutral colour and the shape of the hat frames her face and hair adding a bit of fun to her LBD.

 Mama again - showing how versatile her hat wearing skills are. You can wear a netted veil over your face without looking bridal - but this hat has just the right length and weight of netting. Again, it's ever so slightly tilted to the left side of Mama's face.

Style:

So, we’ve all seen the hats they wear to the Kentucky Derby, and the fascinators that get worn to the royal wedding – and if you think you can pull off 88 ostrich feathers on top or your head, or a sinamay wave that adds 3 feet to your height, then go for it…. But for the rest of us: try and stick with more traditional shapes and embellishments. Pillbox style hats, small pads, organza boxed hats with a medium sized brim, even sinamay hats with a ribbon style stand up bow on the front. You just don’t want to look like you’re trying to channel Lady Gaga (I mean, unless that IS what you’re going for).

 

Laura again wearing another cloche hat this one with a vaulted cap. A very sublte and classic style, the deep colour of the cloche compliments the neutrals in her outfit.

My sister-in-law, Kira wearing a classic, wide brim red felt hat. It's a great shape for her face, and the embellishments are the same colour and fabric as the hat: subtle and classy.

Rachel from Garay Treasures wearing a sleek floppy brim hat in a boho style. The brim is not overly wide or too super floppy, it frames her face and looks stylish (and a little bit sassy! love it!) 

Size:
As with most things: start small and start simple. 

Trying to work in some felt or wool hats in the spring and fall is a great way to add hats to your wardrobe. A simple cloche style hat with a ribbon, a fedora, a floppy brimmed felt hat, maybe even one with a feather or a flower accent are great ways to start off. Small fascinators that involve one large flower and a couple of feathers, even an embellished headband or comb can be a good starting point.
Making sure that your hats fit your head comfortably (not too lose that they fall off and not too tight that it cuts off the circulation to your brain!) is really important too.

 Jen showing a classic black hat with a bit of height. This hat draws the eye upward - 
to Jen's beautiful face!

Rachel again showing how a simple hat works into a unique outfit.

Colour:

The best part about hats and fascinators is that they come in every colour of the rainbow! As a general tip – I recommend sticking with the main colour in your outfit for your hat/headpiece. If not that, then a solid neutral (black, camel, navy, grey, white) or a strictly contrasting (consult your grade school colour wheel!) colour are all good ways to go. 

If you’re looking at a piece that has more than one colour, it’s best to stick with colours in the same family, unless they’re mixed with neutrals. 

Too many colours, or a strange colour to combine with your outfit quickly takes you from fashionable to costumey.

 Mama in a gorgeous black and white organza hat. Two opposing neutrals make a great colour combination for a beautiful hat.

 This tone-on-tone purple polka-dot sinamay hat shows how even colours from the same family can make a great bold colour-statement.

My other sister-in-law, Melissa - showcasing a gorgeous deep blue hat. Melissa's totally neutral outfit doesn't take away from the bright colour in the hat and is a great example of using a hat as a statement accessory!

Try it on for size:
The last, and obviously most important tip? Just try them out! Find out if there’s a fancy hat store in your neighbourhood, get some girlfriends together and go try on hats!  Find the hairpiece and fascinator section in your local jewellery store or artisan stand and ask their opinion. And then once you have one try it with straight hair, curly hair, a side ponytail, a braid, an updo…. really, the possibilities are endless! You’ll likely end up finding something you love!

Hats for Everyone!

I hope this inspires you to try a hat or a fascinator for your next church Sunday, wedding, or fancy event!

*photos used with permission
P.S. - I know, I know, The Top Ten Remix Tea? Well, I AM wearing the hearts necklace, and the cropped black pants in a few of these pictures! And I promise I'll do better for the rest of the month!

Link-ups!