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Wedding

7 MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO WEAR A HAT OR NOT (Part 2)

11th June 2019 by Fiona Mobbs

JOINT BLOG, THANKS TO LYNN LEACH, Portsmouth Milliner, “LMJL Millinery” Facebook page. Telephone number 07803 316146

This blog is part 2 about formal hats, and is going to address the similarities and differences for men and women when deciding whether to wear a hat, what type will suit, and hat etiquette.  If you missed part 1, you can read it here.

Similar considerations for men and women:

1. SIZE – OF HAT AND YOUR HEAD

The size of hat that suits your outfit and your head will vary.  This is partly due to your unique body shape and head size, and partly what image consultants call your “clothing personality”.  Head size/shape does not have anything necessarily to do with clothing personality. A person with drama in their personality would likely need a big size/shape hat (but not necessarily have a larger head size), whereas another person may suit a petite hat or even a fascinator to show them at their best.

Another consideration is your height.  The taller you are, the more you will suit a bigger brim.

If you are getting a hat made for you, it is likely that the milliner will want to measure your head, in order to get the correct fit, and they will discuss what they think would suit you and the outfit.  Plus, they will discuss with you the type of attachment required for the size and shape of the hat, plus for your comfort.

2. HAIR (OR NO HAIR) AND HAIRSTYLE

Whether you have any hair, or fine or thicker locks, plus your hairstyle and length of hair will have a bearing on your hat.  Also, you should think about how your hair will look once you take your hat off, if you will be taking it off whilst still at the event. (See “etiquette” later.)

If you have fine, thin, or no hair, you may also like to think about the material of the hat, in case it would be irritable on you, and whether there is a lining that would prevent this.

3. ACCESSORISING WITH A HAT

Lynn advises her clients to minimise the jewellery when wearing a hat, so as not to detract from the hat, and says that some simple ear-ring studs, such as pearls, look very elegant. She also advises against wearing dangly ear-rings, as they will detract from the hat, especially if the hat adds height. Fiona agrees, but would discuss options and like to see the whole outfit before deciding what exactly might be best for the overall look, plus considering that the hat may be taken off at some point.  (Jewellery could be changed after a hat is taken off, and jewellery can usually easily be carried in a small handbag.)

Ladies who wear glasses with a hat often prefer elastic to keep the hat on, rather than a headband. (Elastic, by the way, is worn at the back of the head, not under the chin, and can be matched to hair colour to disguise it more.  It is worn under the hair, though.)

(Having an elastic fixing generally applies to button hats, hatinators and fascinators.  A brim and crown type hat wouldn’t have any fixings as it would be made to fit the head size, with the exception of some shallow crown boaters or cartwheel type hats that would need the assistance of elastic and maybe a comb for attaching.)

4. WEATHER

The weather (both temperature and sun or rain) will need to be factored into your choice of headwear, and whether you will be able to use an umbrella.  If it is too windy for an ordinary umbrella, for example, you may also need to think about how secure your hat will be, never mind what happens to it when it gets wet!  (You can get see-through umbrellas which are less prone to being blown inside out as they lower more around the head and upper body.)

Plus, if it is going to be hot, you may not want a heavy-based material (like thick felt) that will trap in the heat.

5. FACE SHAPE AND HOW TO WEAR THE HAT (SEE ALSO BELOW)

Oval face shapes suit any kind of hat really.  If you have a square face, you would be advised to choose something with softness to counteract the distinct edges of your face. Feathers on a soft small base, preferably worn to one side, will look best.

Again, with a round face, you should wear something smaller and to one side, but you could choose something that gives height to make your face look longer as an oval face is considered the most appealing shape.

If you have a heart-shaped face, it may be better to steer clear of wide brims or the hat will look like it is perched on the top and your face descends to a point.  In other words, it will look unbalanced.

You may like to think about how the hat is fixed to your head if you wear glasses too, and about keeping the hat clear of your specs.  Maybe, for the day, you could try contact lenses to save complications with the hat.

Formal ladies hats are generally better worn at an angle on the head.

6. TRANSPORTATION

A formal hat will need to be properly protected during transportation.  It is possible to get a suitable hat box or carrier, and to have sufficient tissue paper to protect it from being bashed around inside the box. Beware that hat boxes are usually quite big, if you are travelling abroad for example.

7. ETIQUETTE / RULES

There are rules about when to take your formal hat off if you are a male or female.  Males should take their formal hats off indoors generally speaking, but whilst in a public place such as a train station waiting room, or hotel lobby, it is not so important to take it off, unless you are in the presence of a lady.  Hats should also be removed during weddings, funerals, playing of the National Anthem, photographs and when being introduced to someone.  Ladies, on the other hand, are not considered rude when wearing their hats anywhere indoors.  The exception is where you may be blocking someone’s view, or it would cause inconvenience to someone else.  Ladies can keep their hat on during a National Anthem, or when being introduced to someone.

If you do want to remove your hat at a wedding, ladies etiquette is to wait for the mother of the bride to do so first.

When a hat is removed it should be held so that the inner is not visible to others.

Another rule is that ornaments (feathers, beads etc) on hats should be on the left side of the hat for men, and on the right for women.

When men and women used to wear hats often, it was accepted that men would wear their hats more on the right, and the lady would tip it to the left, as when they were promenading the male would be able to see the lady’s face.  Nowadays, that doesn’t seem such a consideration, but Lynn would recommend wearing the hat on the parting so there is plenty of hair that can be styled up on the other side.  Button hats are usually worn on the front of the head about an inch above the eyebrow.

Remember that Ascot has its own rules about the size of hat, especially in the Royal Enclosure, so be sure to acquaint yourself with the rules to ensure you’re not prevented from attending!

If you need assistance deciding on your hat, please contact Fiona, Your Colour & Style Consultant on 07469 246722.

LYNN LEACH, Portsmouth Milliner, can be contacted on 07803 316146.

Filed Under: Blog, Shopping Blog Tagged With: Accessories, hair, Hat, Wedding

7 CONSIDERATIONS TO WEAR A HAT OR NOT (Part 1)

1st June 2019 by Fiona Mobbs

JOINT BLOG, THANKS TO LYNN LEACH, Portsmouth Milliner, “LMJL Millinery” Facebook page. Telephone number 07803 316146

As you may imagine, there are some similar and some different considerations for men and women when deciding whether to wear a hat, what type will suit, and hat etiquette.  This blog post, in two parts, aims to cover all of them – for formal headwear.

Similar considerations for men and women:

  1. THE OCCASION

150 years ago, a hat was an essential item for most people, whether it was a daily accessory or just for Sunday best.  Fiona remembers 50 years ago being in London’s Financial Square Mile and seeing lots of men in bowler hats and pin-striped suits.  Times have changed, and hats are now more of a rarity (albeit a great fashion accessory as seen on catwalks), and there are still occasions when they can, or even should, be worn.

The main occasion these days is at a wedding, which could be one of the most formal situations that some people find themselves in.  Wedding formality varies, and so if you are invited and want to know what the protocol is, it would be best to check with whoever sent the invitation.

  1. YOUR OUTFIT

Asking about the formality of the wedding, and your role there, will guide you to the type of outfit that would be suitable, and once you have an idea of that, the hat accessory (if appropriate) will need to suit the outfit and you, both in terms of colour, size, material and so on.

  1. COLOUR AND THEMES

Should you match the outfit colour so it blends together, or use a contrast colour?  That may depend on the colour, availability of hat options in your price bracket, and what you feel looks good and is comfortable for you. If you have been “colour-analysed” you should know the most flattering shades of colours for your skin-tone, and that would be helpful for your decision.

Another consideration for colour – especially at a wedding – is what the wedding party will be wearing. If there is a colour scheme, or the bridesmaids are going to wear a particular colour, you may want to avoid matching in with them.  Also, the bride may not be wearing white or cream.  It would be bad form to wear the same colour as the bride, unless that was sanctioned by the bride, but that doesn’t mean to say that you couldn’t choose a cream or white hat, if the rest of your outfit were a different colour, if you knew the bride was wearing white or cream.

There may also be a theme which dictates the colour, for example “Gothic”.

  1. BUDGET & STORAGE

A hat can be an expensive item.  You may want to think about whether you will need to use the hat again (in other words it may be worth buying it), or whether to hire (this would save you having to keep it somewhere, as some hats take up a lot of room).  Hiring is often a less expensive option.

  1. QUALITY & DURABILITY

Another consideration with your budget is the required quality.  How substantial does the hat need to be?  Is it something you would wish to bequeath perhaps?  A hat is an unusual item and could be passed on – even if for “dressing up” by future family members, who may like such a keep-sake from you!

  1. MATERIAL

There are lots of materials and adornments for hats: felt, straw, feathers, ribbons, beads, and so on. What will suit your requirement will be dictated by your outfit, any rules/protocol, your personality, what will suit you, and possibly the weather or circumstances.

Beware of summer straw hats of poor quality – those that are more paper-like will not keep their shape, especially if squashed in a suitcase!

  1. HAT SUPPLIERS: BUY OR HIRE?

What options do you have locally or maybe further afield?  These days it is easy to search the internet and find suppliers that you may not have found in the past.  However, are they still a going concern?  If you’re looking to source one on a lower budget, perhaps consider borrowing from family or friends, visiting charity shops, second-hand/vintage clothing shops, markets or local “bring and buy” or swishing events that could be a source of a fantastic, suitable bargain.  And, if you are in a different area (or abroad) you may find something really terrific, but beware buying without your outfit if you’re trying to exactly match the colour.

Lynn says to beware of buying hats pre 1920s, as they were made using mercury and will still be unsafe if worn today!  (That’s where “mad as a hatter” originates from as it literally turned milliners mad back in the old days!)

The middle ground is to find a hat in a department or specialist hat store.  There are still some very good stores around with lots of choice.  The downside with this is that you just may find someone else at the same event with the same hat (or something very similar) if it is the current fashion.

If you have plenty of time, and money is not a big factor, you can consider having a hat made just for you.  It might be easier, though, to have your outfit sorted first in this case and get the advice of a milliner (and/or personal stylist) on what would suit you and the outfit.  The best thing about having one made is that it will be unique, and you can choose everything about it (colour, style, material, fixing), AND it will fit your head perfectly.

Not only that, a good milliner who is making several hats for a particular wedding or event will make a note of the colours and styles for guests, so that there will not be any embarrassing similarities.

Another consideration would be to have a current hat altered by a milliner, which may reduce the time-frame and price of the finished item.  The result could be just as suitable as if it had been created from scratch.  Depending on the material, there may be scope for dyeing too, if the colour needs altering, but do find this out before deciding to have one altered, if colour is important.

Look out for Part 2 of this blog, which will cover similarities and differences for men and women under these headings:

  • Size – of hat and your head
  • Hair (or no hair) and hairstyle
  • Accessories with a hat
  • Weather
  • Face shape and how to wear the hat
  • Transportation
  • Etiquette / rules

 

If you need assistance deciding on your hat, please contact Fiona, Your Colour & Style Consultant on 07469 246722.

LYNN LEACH, Portsmouth Milliner, can be contacted on 07803 316146.

Filed Under: Blog, Shopping Blog Tagged With: Hats, Wedding

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