Hat Tricks
Safari, surfer, sunbather, and socialite … most hats up for offer this season seem to fall into one of these categories. I tried on a taupe safari-style number and had to quickly rip it off before I saw myself. Crocodile wrestling is not on my summer agenda. The kowabunga look—yes this is a look—won’t work either, nor will the straw or floral print options, both of which would be right at home in a retro Frankie and Annette beach movie.
I quite like some of the sunbathing-style hats. Some are made with straw, others fabric, and they all have big, wide, floppy brims. One white straw hat in particular makes me want to head for Cancun or St. Lucia. Unfortunately, I’m not beach-bound, don’t plan to be anytime soon, and I’m not sure I can carry this off in a crowded city.
The socialite styles have a certain appeal. They come in a wide range of colors and many of them have exquisite detail achieved with beading, feathers, ribbons, or faux flowers. In particular, I like the cloche-shaped ones. Like the sun hats though, these hats are definitely occasion hats. If someone I knew was having an outdoor wedding, I’d probably use that as an excuse to buy one, but alas, no invitations.
A few days into my hat hunt, I popped into Anthropologie and there I found the hat that tops all hats. If I had to file it into one of my hat groups, it would belong with the sunbathing styles because of the floppy brim, but the brim is shorter, which makes it less conspicuous. And while the sunbathing hats are largely solid white, cream, or natural, this hat has an adorable floral print. It won’t go with everything of course, but it looks entirely appropriate on me when I’m in jeans or something else casual and solid-colored.
I cannot deny the fact that I’m still doing the messy top knot most of the time, but some days I’m jazzing it up with a pretty head band, camouflaging it with my Pucci headscarf(!), or hiding my hair altogether under my new city hat. I feel like I’m cheating and getting some serious hair style without having to actually style my hair.
