Since I've started watching Downton Abbey, I've really come to love the Edwardian style and I've been fortunate to find some great modern-day clothes that reflect that style.
A few weekends ago, my daughter and I were shopping at JCPenney. We wandered over to the hat section for fun and I started trying on some hates. My daughter has a way of telling if something looks good on me or not, so I trust her judgement. When I put on a cloche-style hat, she gave me the thumbs up. So, after seeing that it was on sale, I bought it.
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| My hat |
Wearing the hat out in public, however, is another thing altogether.
Not very long ago, women and men wore hats all the time. It was part of your outfit. Our society lost this particular style icon sometime during the cultural revolution of the '60s and 70's, but I am starting to see a slight resurgence (baseball caps don't count). Of course, I doubt we'll get back to those wonderful, flowery hats that used to be so popular during the Edwardian era.
Yesterday, we needed to run to the mall again to get my daughter some jeans, and I put on my hat and wore it the entire time I was at the mall. *gasp* Yes, in public, walking around strangers!
I felt quite proud of myself, and now I'm thinking of getting more hats, though I don't know that I'm brave enough to wear this one...
Do you like to wear hats? Would you like to see a renewed popularity for wearing hats such as we had in the '40s and 50's?
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What a fun read! Just in the past week or so I've been thinking a lot about hats that both women and men used to wear in, say, the 1950s and 1960s. I woke up this morning (for whatever weird reason) thinking about how women used to wear fancy little hats that had veils for their faces. In fact, as a teenager, I wore a few myself, before styles changed.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has, over our 40+ years of marriage, bought me a few hats and says I look good in them, but I am like you -- I don't feel all that comfortable wearing them. Maybe your example will give me courage to try it again!
Linda
Go for it, Linda! I say life is too short not to wear hats. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe went out to dinner-at a nice restaurant-on Saturday, and I was lamenting the not only casual attire of the other diners, but the downright sloppy appearance of some of them. To top it off, a couple were seated right in my line of vision-and the guy had on a beat up stocking cap that he kept on. I thought about those gentlemen in days gone by, and their dashing hats-that they took off in restaurants, etc.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, lately I've seen more and more young guys in town out and about in Fedoras! I love it!
I'd love to see hats come back-and I'm proud of you for wearing yours! I bet you look smashing!
We've also gotten hooked on Downton Abbey, although I get frustrated with the weak Lady C and her nasty lady's maid.
ReplyDeleteAs for hats, I love them and used to try on my grandmother's collection when I was a kid. On the other hand, I rarely wear them. The cloche hat in your photo reminds me of the cover art on J. Winspear's book "Pardonable Lies" ... part of a terrific series about a woman detective in post-WWI London.
I love hats, though I seem to have a hard time finding one that looks good on me. I do have a few summer hats, though I haven't worn them as often as I'd like to. Must do something about that this summer! I'm definitely one of those who wishes for the good old days when everybody wore hats - in fact I was just thinking about it the other day, after having watched several 1940s movies recently.
ReplyDeleteI love hats, unfortunately my head and face don't. I don't look good in them. I can't even wear a simple baseball hat.
ReplyDeleteValerie - Oh, I lament the passing of the fashionable person. Now I will dress down on the weekends, but I refuse to wear slippers out of the house!
ReplyDeleteJasmina - Oh, I agree about Lady Cora and O'Brien. Lady C. needs to stand up for herself with that nasty woman!
Elisabeth - There's something about a man wearing a fedora.... Y'know, it's funny...people probably looked at you strange back then if you WEREN'T wearing a hat!
Patti - I don't think I look the best in hats, either, so I always have to bring someone with me to tell me "yea" or "nay"!
Oh, by the way, your new blog background is lovely!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm glad you did it. A lady wore a hat to church on Christmas day--she is younger than me and looked great.So go for it~
ReplyDeleteOh how fun! I'm sure you look just dandy in your hat :)
ReplyDeleteI've owned a few in the past, but like you, never had the guts to wear them out.
But...you're getting brave now. So proud of you! Maybe I'll try it to :)
Ah hats are fun indeed. When I was working in the UK a few years ago, I went to a wedding with the old man I was caring for and every lady had a hat on, it was delightful. Wear your hat and have fun!
ReplyDeleteI never go out without some type of headwear. Usually anon counting baseball cap, but on occasion a cowboy hat and even rarer a bandanna. This leads many to think I am hiding a bald head but I actually still have a full head of hair I just feel naked without something on my head.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTerri - I think I shall! :-)
Kelley - Go for it!
Clare - Oh, the Brits know how to wear hats. I've always wanted to go to an English wedding just so I could wear a fancy hat!
Travis - May I humbly suggest a fedora? ;-)
What a great hat! I don't often wear them but I love seeing other people wear them - great post Melissa!
ReplyDeleteI'm a looker and not a wear-er either. But I think this would look adorable on you!
ReplyDeleteCatherine Denton
Flower - Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCatherine - Aw, thanks. :-)
What a fantastic hat! I love seeing hats on other people. The only time I wear one is when I'm taking the dogs for walks in the winter. If I look ridiculous, they're too polite to tell me. ;)
ReplyDeleteShirley - I bet you don't look ridiculous at all. I bet you look adorable! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that I left you awards over at my blog!!
Pop on over and get em' :)
I would love to see the return of hats to our culture - my mother used to wear them all the time and I have always enjoyed trying them on for fun:-) You look great in yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kelley!
ReplyDeleteMom - I still have one of Grandma Lee's hats - I wish they would make a comeback, too!
I don't think I could pull off the fedora look.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE hats. I HATE hat hair! I would love to see hats come back. Maybe I'll get brave like you!
ReplyDeleteChristine - Yeah, hat hair isn't any fun. I guess they avoided hat hair back in the day by never taking them off when they went out!
ReplyDeleteIt's truly looking one of the elegant information about hat. The fabulous contents and features of this source are really looking just fabulous about it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete