How to Wear a Hat

Do you enjoy wearing a hat? Blog follower and lovely friend Joanne looks excellent in her hat and maxi dress.

Blog follower Charlene looks fabulous on her way to race day activities in her wide-brim hat.

A hat can make a fashion statement, keep you warm, keep you cool, and help you avoid skin cancer. 

Women often tell me that they don't know how or when to wear a hat. I learned a lot about wearing hats from my long-ago friend, "The Duchess." When I was in my mid-twenties, she lived across the street from me in a grand townhouse. She wore a hat every day. I snapped this photo on a hot summer day. She was wearing a white linen blouse and a black linen skirt with spectator pumps, and a straw hat with a black satin ribbon. She was about eighty years old here. She knew the world was her stage, and she dressed for her performance every day!

Here are the simple rules "The Duchess" shared with me so long ago. 

1. Never wear a hat on the back of your head like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. It should rest on your forehead so that you can look someone straight in the eye without having to tilt your head back.

2. A lady never removes her hat. (Hat head is not a pretty sight.) Only gentlemen should remove their hats indoors.

3. The brim of your hat should not be wider than your shoulders.

4. Do not wear a large hat to the theatre or any other event where it might block someone's view of an important event. (Manners first.)

5. The crown of your hat should be higher if you have a round face. Avoid styles such as cloches, which will make your face look more round. 

6. If you wear a hat in the evening, it should have a veil.

7. Keep the rest of your look relatively simple. A hat makes a statement on its own, so large earrings, glasses, and a necklace will be too much going on in the same place.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, women even wore hats to cocktail parties!

Try on hats in front of a full-length mirror to make sure the shape complements your face shape and that the fit and proportion are correct for your body. It should rest comfortably on your head, not on the tops of your ears. There should be about a 1/4 inch space above the top of your ear and the hat.

The color can be a different accent color, or it can blend with what you are wearing.

Wear straw or some other lightweight, breathable material in summer. Wear felt or wool in winter to keep you warm.

The fedora style I am wearing below is perfect for my round face because the crown is high, and the brim is smaller. I have owned many hats in my life, but I enjoy wearing the simple menswear-inspired ones most.

If I am outdoors for long periods, I always wear a hat. I have experienced skin cancer and hope never to have to go through that again.

The Blue Plum Festival

We rarely attend a festival, but this one is local and I wanted to visit with one of my clients, so off we go to Blue Plum Festival in Johnson City.

Knowing that we would be walking in the hot sun for an undetermined amount of time, I decided to wear a hat to this event.

There were so many booths and activities it would have taken the whole day to visit all of them. 

As we searched for my client's booth, we ran into my beautiful friend and neighbor, Lori, who was doing volunteer work for the Rotary.

It was a thrill to run into the fabulous Abby Hathorn, who is also a blogger at VintageInspiredPassionista.

Abby has just moved to the area to attend school, so we planned to get together. Even though we had never met in person, we immediately recognized each other and shared a big hug. Mr. Mickey couldn't believe that we weren't already old friends.

At last! We found my client's booth. Jessica Klaaren is the daughter of one of my classmates, so I was really looking forward to meeting her.

Jessica is an acclaimed designer of contemporary jewelry, but her booth and the presentation of her product was also a work of art. It was such an inspiration to see all she has accomplished.

You can see more of Jessica's work at her website JessicaKlaaren.com.

Jessica is shown here with her helper for the weekend, Leigh-Ann Appleton.

I was so happy to get to meet Jessica at last. I have long been an admirer of her talent, and of course, I always look forward to meeting my clients whenever I get the chance. There is a special bond between artists that can't quite be explained. Once again, Mr. Mickey couldn't believe that we didn't already know each other as he watched us visiting with each other like old friends. 

Our busy day came to a close at my sister's beautiful home and her husband for Mr. Mickey's birthday dinner. It is a tradition in our family that my sister prepares a special birthday dinner for the celebrating family member. It is an event to look forward to!

When I put on the hat for the second half of the day, I removed the necklace and bracelet I wore during the garden party earlier in the day. Wearing too many accessories with a hat can make you look very cluttered... as if you wearing a costume. I am also wearing white pants and a tank from the Peck and Peck collection at Stein Mart. The very lightweight sweater is from Chico's last year. The shoes are from T.J.Maxx. The hat is several years old and from Betmar.