ELAN
Hats off! It’s wedding season, and the biggest accessory for wedding attire in the west— the hat—is also its most divisive adopted lovingly by some as a polite formality, and dismissed by others as outdated. Anna Heimbichner explores how hats came to be worn at weddings, who makes them and how best to wear them
H
ats have been worn throughout history both as a functional device (the head loses more heat than other parts of the body) and as a fashion statement. Fastforward through the Industrial Revolution to the colonial era, and European women wore bonnets and kerchiefs to ensure their hairstyles stayed put whatever the weather. In the 19th century, women’s bonnets became larger and were adorned with ribbons, flowers, and feathers, and eventually grew a wide brim. The more a woman’s hat was decorated, the bigger the likelihood that she belonged to ‘society’. Milan put today’s notion of hats on the map, and it’s no mistake that the English name for a hat maker is a ‘milliner’, derived from the ‘Milaners’ who were the original importers of the Italian pieces of head art. In Great Britain, the tradition to wear hats to weddings dates back to when the Anglican Church required women to keep their heads covered in Church. But this tradition evolved at a time when wearing hats as everyday attire (and for ladies of a certain standing, wearing multiple hats during a day) was in vogue. This trend has come and gone out of fashion since then, and by and large fashion has tended to move towards informality. Fine gloves, another necessary accessory till as recently as 60 years ago, have nearly 72 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 | G2
become obsolete at formal functions. It was in the 1980s that hats at weddings experienced a revival. In the early years of her marriage, the late Princess Diana began wearing hats to weddings and state occasions to lend an air of sophistication to her outfits. Princess Diana was a style icon to many women, and thus, while some (especially in the upper class and Royalty) never abandoned the wedding hat, hats experienced a popularity renaissance for formal functions which lasts to this day. Hats are now traditionally worn at weddings by women of all ages to symbolise the joy and formality of the occasion.
Who are the milliners? Despite the general trend of being hatless in daily life, some women, regardless of class or social standing, would not dream of attending a wedding without wearing a hat. In fact, the demand for high-quality headwear has increased over the years and there has been a great need for quality milliners across Europe. Hat making has been described by milliners as more akin to creating a work of art than other types of clothing or accessories. It also requires an understanding of physics: the way a ribbon will curl, or how a spray of feathers will be
attached and give an impression of weightlessness. All of this must be done keeping in mind that the hat is to be handled and worn, not just stared at. Hats must thus be sturdy enough, while remaining both comfortable and light on the head. It is no easy feat and such a balancing act usually requires years of apprenticeship to get it right. So exactly who is making the most exquisite and indemand head creations? Philip Treacy, partly credited for the revival of the hat as a fashion statement, is one of the biggest names in hat-making. He has designed hats for members of the Royal family, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker. Owning a bespoke Philip Treacy hat is becoming a status symbol. Treacy’s hats are entirely hand created in his South London studio, and many creations are bespoke or one-offs, ensuring that you’ll have a unique piece of headwear. Before launching his own atelier, Treacy designed for Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, and others. Another milliner-to-the-stars is Stephen Jones, who has counted Princess Diana, Beyonce, Boy George, and Kylie Minogue as his customers. Jones’ pieces are so iconic that they have been given the honour of being permanent exhibits at a number of well-regarded museums, including London’s Victoria & Albert, the Louvre, New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, and the Kyoto Costume Institute. Jones even had a film made about him and his creations, entitled Hats: An Anthology.
Hat etiquette Believe it or not, merely slipping a hat on your head is not sufficient: there are rules relating to hat etiquette (can we call this hatiquette?). If you are invited to a wedding where hats will be worn, it is wise to run your hat choice by the bride if your hat is large or outlandish. That is not to say that you should be discouraged from expressing yourself in any way possible, but this is the bride’s day, and she retains veto-rights on any hat that might detract attention from her. Size also matters: the mother of the groom’s hat should be smaller than the mother of the bride’s. This rule only extends so far as that it is the bride’s family that is hosting the wedding. If both families share in hosting duties, then
both mothers’ hats can be of equal size. While on the subject of size, a hat’s size should typically correlate to the time of day of the wedding. The size should decrease as the day progresses: for an evening wedding, smaller hats are more suitable. There is no sun to keep out of your eyes at night. When being photographed in your hat for group shots, be conscious of whether your hat is blocking the view of anyone else, and stand to the side or back if it is. And finally, only remove your hat once the mother of the bride has. Guests are expected to leave their hats on until the mother of the bride removes hers. This will typically occur when the formality of the wedding meal has completed (i.e. when coffee is served).
The weird and wonderful To most hat-wearers, the hat is a statement piece that does not need to conform to any standards. Some creations I’ve seen at Ascot could hardly pass for what is considered a ‘traditional’ hat anyway, in that the shape resembles certain objects (an ice cream cone, a swan, a peacock’s plumage) rather than a typical hat. And that’s precisely the fun of hats—they can be crafted to suit the wearer’s desires and there are few formal rules to adhere to. A famous, and controversial, example of this is the hat Princess Beatrice wore to the Royal Wedding in 2011. Her Philip Treacy-made concoction was described by some to resemble a toilet seat; by others a pretzel. Photos of the Princess went viral, and the hat was such a hit that its auction raised over £80,000. Hats being sold to raise money for charity? Now that’s a new function of the hat—and one that everyone can get behind. G2
The author (right) at Ascot
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