I have always had a soft spot for hats in my wardrobe; as a teen I used to live in baseball caps that relatives who lived in Canada would send over: Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs fitted New Era hats that were – back before the internet had ever been heard off – impossible to obtain unless you happened to be a resident of London.
Thankfully, as I have grown older, and I’d like to think slightly more sophisticated (some of my friends may disagree), my choices in headwear have developed somewhat but I still thank my Canadian family for sowing the seeds of my love affair with hats.
There is something about a hat which makes your whole demeanour feel a little different, a little more sure of yourself, more confident in your stride. The hat helps you stand out, separates you from the masses, adds a touch of spice to what may be your everyday wears.
With winter still very fresh in our minds, the beanie hat is still very much at the front of my sartorial thinking. In recent years the beanie has shrunk in size – a higher turn up, more fitted atop the head, less about covering the ears – and I am huge fan because it not only saves you from a bad hair day but it has a logical purpose as well as a fashionable edge. Warm and cool at the same juncture, you can’t ask for more than that.
Russian Hats
Still very much the domain of female fashionistas, the large Russian hats designed for Siberian winters are slowly making their way into the male fashion consciousness. And about time too. Incredibly warm, if you can pick yourself up an original, resplendent with Russian military insignia, you really will be able to stand out in the crowd.
The Amish
I may be renowned for denouncing all material wealth but if one hat has immersed itself in the psyche of the fashion savvy in recent years, look no further than the wide brimmed black hats. They have become synonymous with brands such as Dior and have found their way onto the high-streets of any leading retailer becoming very much a statement hat. If you are going to wear a wide brimmed hat, I suggest keeping the rest of your outfit sleek and simple and let that hat have its moment. In fact, when I wear mine I’m clad head to toe in black.
The recent rise of street style and its merger with high-end fashion has seen the baseball cap move away from sports stadiums and into the realms of everyday wear. Personally I am not a big fan, may be that has something to do with them conjuring up times of teenage angst, but worn with a good pair of trainers, a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt that doesn’t make you look like a 30-something going through a premature mid-life crisis, the baseball hat looks like it is here to stay.
Savoy London – Top Hats
Image Credits: Maria Scard
