What I Wore Today :: How to Wear a Hat :: A Series

I have lived all over the country.  Los Angeles.  Alaska.  South Beach.  New York.  Austin.  For some strange reason, Angelenos pull off hats better than anyone that I have seen out there.  There is a weird psyche behind wearing a hat.  They are a hard accessory to pull off, but when you see it, you know when it works and when it doesn’t.

Since I can remember, I have worn and adored hats.  I am a hat girl.  The key to pulling it off is thinking that one can.  That’s where it starts.  Sounds pretty lame, right?  But watch the folks who wear one and see if you are or aren’t quite feeling it.  If you aren’t feeling it, most of the time it is because they aren’t quite feeling it; fidgeting with an equivocal stance.

There is a quote in You’ve Got Mail that has always stuck me:

“Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one. It got on at 42nd, and off at 59th, where, I assume it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake – as almost all hats are.”

And I can definitely identify with that sentiment.  There was a period there where I collected unworn hats, almost as if they were bookends more than they were accessories.

Even though I loved them, I didn’t quite know how to work it into my every day wardrobe.  With time, I tried on a lot of different hats {pun intended} and landed on a few great selections.

Which brings me to the series on how to wear hats.  The first is one of the hardest: the floppy hat of the 70s.

It may look amazing on J. Lo on the red carpet or in a photo shoot but how in God’s name is a real person supposed to wear this lovely accoutrement?

{with a statement hat such as this, go neutral with your clothes :: focus on one or the other}

{with that being said :: do a neutral face too :: bronze and nudes}

{when going 70s, make sure it is a hint of 70s, not costumy, kitschy 70s}

{give your hair some texture, flat hair doesn’t balance well with a big hat}

hat :: h&m

dress :: vintage

vest :: h&m

bracelets :: various from Neiman Marcus

booties :: mia

photos by :: elliot smith

Most importantly, have fun and be confident!  I tip my hat off to you…