Photographed by Juankr
After decades in the doldrums, sassy hats in all manner of eccentric shapes are back.
This article first appeared in the July/August issue of Vogue Arabia
At the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May, who would design the dress of the decade was the question on everyone lips. Would she shake things up? The world waited with bated breath. But, of course, genuine fashion aficionados knew there was only one question that mattered: What would Princess Beatrice of York wear on her head? The eighth in line to the British throne enthralled spectators in 2011 at the wedding of her cousin Prince William to Kate Middleton by donning an adventurous Philip Treacy creation. The blush pretzel-shaped tour de force inspired memes, opinion pieces, and even a dedicated Facebook page, threatening to upstage the bride.
Princess Beatrice of York at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Image: Getty
This was not the first time extravagant millinery captured the world’s attention. Headgear has been worn for eons for fashion, protection, rituals, and tradition. Hats can be used to mark out tribes and nationalities, even class distinctions and social status. The 5,000-year-old Ötiz mummy found by archeologists in the Alps in 1991 also wore one of the oldest confirmed hats – a bearskin cap with a leather chin strap. Ancient upper-class Egyptians shaved their heads before covering it with headdresses, and their Mesopotamian contemporaries wore conical hats.
The habit of women wearing hats as fashion statements took off in the 16th century and two centuries later, the best hat-makers in the world were women in Milan – hence the word milliner. Bonnets, wide-brimmed hats, tiny toques… everyone except the poorest of the poor was expected to wear a hat. This habit slid out of use with the coinciding of the two world wars and the mass availability of shampoo (dirty hair no longer needed to be hidden away). It was revived during the 80s, when Princess Diana made whimsical hats popular again. She showed that one kind of headpiece still supersedes all the others – the deliciously decadent, patently pointless formal hat beloved by European aristocracy.
Not everyone gets to break out their fancy fascinator at a royal wedding but that doesn’t mean average heads can’t get in on the action. The latest headpiece to enter pop culture patois is the oversized straw hat, led by Jacquemus‘ SS18 oversized La Bomba straw hat. While trends can be polarizing, this one item has captured a lighthearted zeitgeist like no other, selling out instantly. Bella Hadid wore a creation by Mexican brand Olmos y Flores on the beach with not much else, with influencers far and wide editorializing their summer snaps with the super-sized accessory. It encapsulates a summer feeling, simultaneously hiding and highlighting the wearer. It’s the ultimate “don’t look at me, but look at me” statement that seems to speak to the Insta-generation of 2018.
While the Jacquemus hat makes for a great Insta-prop and definitely shields the sun’s rays, Danish It girl Emma Leth took it a step further by donning one in lieu of a wedding veil. “Getting married is a deeply private thing that you do in front of a lot of people,” she said of her choice, which she paired with a lace gown. “This is why I needed a hat that combined the feeling of hiding and sharing generosity at the same time.” Missoni sent similar jumbo creations in natural straw, black, and white down its SS18 ready-to-wear runways, worn with diaphanous maxi dresses and knee socks. Gucci’s Asian inspired straw creations tie with ribbon under the chin, giving Little Bo Peep an edgy makeover. Outrageous shapes also feature at Delpozo, whose straw creations perch like bows, while AWAKE’s high rise hats are based on headwear from the Arabian Peninsula.
Do fanciful hats still make sense? While fascinators might signal stuffiness, you can certainly add a twist to an outfit with SS18’s chicest headgear: a veiled beret from Dior, an exquisite straw boater from Wes Gordon’s debut collection for Carolina Herrera Resort 2019, or Anthony Vaccarello’s triangular black velvet hat for Saint Laurent. One thing is for certain – if you want to turn heads, make sure yours is wearing a hat.
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Top image:
Photography: Juankr
Styling: Jess Monterde
Hair: Wade Lee for Hair Oil at R+C0
Makeup: Raul Otero at Atelier Management for Max Cosmetics
Model: Stephanie Joy Field at New York Models wearing Jacket, Petersyn; Hat, Celine
