Copyright

HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2016 FIRST EDITION © Helena Sheffield 2016 Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016 Illustrations © Sian Tezel 2016 A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library Helena Sheffield asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. Find out about HarperCollins and the environment at www.harpercollins.co.uk/green Source ISBN 9780008165291 Ebook Edition © February 2016 ISBN: 9780008165369 Version: 2015-12-17

Contents
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Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

How to Use This Book

A Brief History of Hats

No.1: Hats to Wear Every Day

The Trilby

The Bowler

The Cloche

GET THE LOOK: The 1920s

The Boater

The Military Cap

The Pork Pie

Wide-brimmed Hats

No.2: Hats to Wear in the Wild

The Beret

GET THE LOOK: THE 1930s

The Beanie

The Riding Hat

The Deerstalker

The Flat Cap

The Fedora

GET THE LOOK: The 1940s

The Cossack

The Trapper

No.3: Hats to Wear to the Palace

Hatinators

The Top Hat

The Pillbox Hat

Hats with Feathers

Hats with a Veil

The Turban

GET THE LOOK: The 1950s

No.4: Tricks of the Trade

Your First Hat

Building Your Confidence

GET THE LOOK: The 1960s

How to Avoid Hat-hair

The Ponytail Problem

What to Wear in the Wind

Spring vs Autumn

Hatcessories

Hatiquette

Popular Hat Terms

No.5: Final Notes

Glossary

Recommended Hat Shops

List of Searchable Terms by Season

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Publisher

Introduction —

The hat is back. Not with a bang or a grandiose flourish, but with a growing murmur as it gathers a dedicated following. It’s cropping up more and more frequently: from weddings and walks, to festivals, holidays and quick nips to the shops, people are rediscovering the trilby and the turban, the pillbox and the pork pie. It’s a quietly quirky fashion revolution.

Do you want to know a secret? The hat never left. While it’s been fading from common use over the past few decades, every now and then someone rediscovers it. Look at Kate Middleton, Cara Delevingne, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams: all lauded for their pioneering hattitude, and all inspiring more and more people to don a hat.

This book is an ode to you – to the person who sees the power of a good hat, whether they wear one or not. If you’re already a hat enthusiast, delve into these pages for ideas to further refine your unique look. If you’re afflicted by The Fear, believing that hats don’t suit you, ask yourself why that is – it’s possible that you simply haven’t found the right one yet.

Catwalking some of the best, most versatile hats around, this book offers advice on how and when to wear them, what with and where to, and lists a variety of shops to buy them from. It suggests which hats suit different face shapes and head sizes, and gives tips and tricks for making the most of each hat. It provides stories from the history of different hats (you might be surprised by some), and will point you in the direction of becoming the hat-wearer you were always born to be.

Wearing a hat doesn’t actually take anything more than confidence, but understanding the true magic of hats – and how they can transform the wearer into a mysterious stranger – can’t always be learnt alone. Using this book will help you uncover their secrets, master them and work out how to wear hats every day.

How to Use This Book —

The list of contents and index in this book can help you determine exactly what kind of hat you’re looking for, with the contents organising them by occasion and the index by season.

Once you’ve decided on a hat of interest, you can find more information on its origin, anecdotes from its history and a list of specific suggestions and ideas for finding and wearing it under the following headings:

WEAR IT When to wear the hat – occasions, weather and season.

OWN IT What face shapes, head sizes or hair styles can really own the hat.

STYLE IT What to wear it with.

FIND IT Where’s best to buy one.

PERFECT IT Top tips and tricks for wearing the hat.

STYLE GURU Which celebrities wear this hat best and why, giving you all the hat-spiration you’ll ever need.

This book is a guide to help you along the path of discovering hats, to encourage you to create your own style and to become an inspiration to the rest of us.

While there are considerably more hats designed for women, this book also provides pointers for those fashion-savvy men who really know how to dress. Many of the hats listed here can – and should! – be adopted by both sexes.

Once you properly start wearing hats, it naturally follows that you’ll become an icon. (I know, it’s a hard life.) There are burdens that come with such responsibility, and the final section of this book covers common issues faced by hat-wearers today, with a few simple solutions. By dipping in and out of these pages you will become a fully fledged hat-wearer, who commands respect and answers to no one.

A Brief History of Hats —

3,300 BC – The earliest known version of a hat is preserved alongside its owner in the ice of a mountain on the border of Austria and Italy, proving that even in the Bronze Age people knew how to dress. Or just keep their heads warm.

3,200 BC – Tomb paintings depict Egyptian men wearing conical straw hats or headdresses.

AD 800 – St Clement, English patron saint of hat-makers, accidentally discovers felt. You could say that this occurrence ranks alongside similar accidental discoveries, such as penicillin and the Slinky.

1571 – An Act of Parliament is passed decreeing that people over the age of six must wear a hat on Sundays. Of course, this only applies to the ‘commoners’.

1597 – The above law is revoked for being far too ridiculous.

17th century – The term ‘milliner’ is first used to describe hatmakers. Milan is already considered a centre of fashion, so the term suggests that only ‘Milan-ers’ make hats.

18th century – The French Revolution makes hats unpopular in France (perhaps for the first and last time), as they’re seen to indicate social status. It’s deemed fashionable – and safer – to appear democratic, so hats drop out of use.

19th century – Women’s necks are considered too erotic for public display, so bonnets are fashioned with frills and ribbons at the back to cover them up.

1914–1918 – During the First World War fabric is scarce, so plumes of feathers and overly adorned hats are frowned upon for being unpatriotic. Hats become much smaller and simpler.

1920s – Women’s necks are apparently still considered erotic, as they’re all being shown off by shocking new hairstyles and hats that accentuate their length.

1939 –1945 – In complete contrast to the First World War, hats are one of the only items of clothing not affected by severe rationing. In France berets are adopted as a symbol of resistance against Nazi occupation, and explosions of feathers and flowers are admired rather than shunned.

Late 1960s – Fashions begin leaning towards the daring young people, and hats gradually fall from grace, perceived as the preserve of older, more conservative dressers.

2011 – The wedding of the century takes place between Prince William and Kate Middleton, bringing the hat back with resounding success. Royalty and guests wear hats with panache, style and unfailing confidence, finally returning them to the public eye.

2016 – A book so brilliant, useful and witty is published, championing the hat and inspiring a revolution of new hat-wearers, that it will later be heralded as the tome that changed the fashion industry for good. (Clue: you’re reading it.)

The TRILBY —

This hat was famously inspired by Trilby O’Ferrall, a character from one of George du Maurier’s novels who, in a stage adaptation, wore an interesting new soft hat that was quickly named after her and adopted by the public in the late 19th century. It has always been more popular in America than in Britain, and because of this is often confused for a fedora – a grave mistake indeed!

WEAR IT: ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE

This hat suits day and night during autumn and winter. Always smart, it’s one both men and women can wear with ease.

OWN IT: BIG HAIR, LONG FACES

As it’s a narrow hat, the trilby suits long faces best. It also works well with big hair as the material is soft and flexible.

STYLE IT: CRISP SHIRT AND TROUSERS

The trilby means business, and it therefore works best with smart outfits – think The Blues Brothers or Marlene Dietrich.

FIND IT: ALMOST EVERYWHERE

Trilbies can be bought in every hat establishment you can think of – vintage shops, high-street shops, milliners and even fancy-dress shops. You now have no excuse not to get one.

PERFECT IT: DON A WAISTCOAT

Whether male or female, this is not only dapper, but authoritative and oh-so-suave.

STYLE GURU

The one and only Justin Timberlake has displayed a wealth of trilbies over the years. The smooth-talking singer often wears them with a Suit & Tie, and that’s Not a Bad Thing.

The BOWLER —

The world’s first bowler hat was made for a gamekeeper in 1849, and the first thing he did when he saw it was jump on it. No, that wasn’t out of disgust, but to check whether it could support his weight and thus be suitable for wearing in all weathers. Although originally meant for withstanding the sharp winds and torrential rain of the British countryside, it was quickly adopted by city workers in Britain and America before falling out of regular use in the 1960s. An easier-to-wear, modern version has recently exploded back onto the scene, making the bowler a distinctly stylish hat once more.

WEAR IT: IN THE DRY OR THE DAMP

Because bowler hats are tight-fitting, the wind can’t blow them off your head (a common and harrowing problem that will be addressed in Chapter 4), and their tough felt material isn’t bothered by a bit of rain.

OWN IT: SMALL HEADS AND ROUND FACES

Modern incarnations of the hat are fashioned to rest primly atop your head, suiting round faces in particular. They’re not big hats, so smaller heads benefit from this.

STYLE IT: BLACK SKINNY JEANS, A STRIPED TOP AND A BOWLER

This look is not only embarrassingly easy to put together, but also gives a classic twist to a popular outfit.

FIND IT: HIGH STREET

Bowler hats are everywhere. You’ll find one in most big high-street shops from autumn through to spring.

PERFECT IT: ALL NIGHT LONG

Swap trainers for smart shoes to go from a stylish daytime to a polished evening look.

STYLE GURU

Fearne Cotton, a respected hat champion, often nails the bowler, teamed with a simple, ‘thrown-together’ look and a dash of lipstick.

The CLOCHE —

The 1920s is perhaps the only era defined by a hat. The cloche – chic, stylish and simple – was created by French milliner Caroline Reboux. By 1924 the cloche had transfixed the continent, even inspiring novels such as The Green Hat, which became known as the book that encapsulated the frenzied hysteria of the decade. Snuggly skimming the nape of the neck, the cloche creates an elegant, elongated line that evokes nostalgia for a time long past.

WEAR IT: DAY OR NIGHT

One of the most versatile of hats, it never fails to deliver a final splash of panache to every outfit.

OWN IT: CROPPED HAIR

On account of its structured shape the cloche is fairly rigid, and it might be difficult to wear one if you have big hair. A cropped haircut is neat and will peek out from beneath like a secret begging to be discovered.

STYLE IT: FULL SKIRTS AND FLOATY DRESSES

Although originally worn with the slim-fitting, scandalous dresses of the 1920s, the cloche is great for balancing the flare of big skirts with its graceful shape.

FIND IT: INDEPENDENT HAT SHOPS

While high-street shops are starting to adopt the cloche, independent hat shops have a real variety of colours and styles to help you find your unique hat.

PERFECT IT: THROW ON A CAPE

It might sound strange, but instead of putting on a coat in the winter try wearing a cape, letting it lend that extra element of dignity that the cloche completes. It’s also particularly fun to swoosh around in ...

STYLE GURU

Check out Angelina Jolie in The Changeling for hats that will change your world for the better.

GET THE LOOK: The 1920s

For setting the world on fire with fierce cropped hair and unapologetic lifestyles, women of the 1920s are still idolised today. Draped in beads or furs, their look is not now a practical one, but it can be tweaked to help you achieve that dazzling aura.

THE HAT Any cloche hat will work for this look, but pay attention to detail so you find one that will match one other element of your outfit – be that colour, design or fabric.

THE OUTFIT To achieve the full style, aim for a loose-fitting, drop-waisted dress. This doesn’t need to be smart or formal – the beauty of this look is that it’s meant to seem like it’s simply been thrown on in a slapdash manner.

THE ACCESSORIES A string of pearls and dark red lipstick are all you really need to complete the outfit, but incorporating fur into it will finish it off to perfection. This could be in the form of a coat or cape with fur attached, or a simple fur collar. The latter in particular can be found in various vintage shops.

The BOATER —

The boater’s first foray into fashion was as an informal hat, heralding a new age of wearing hats for leisure. It was worn by men during the summer months in the early 20th century, having previously served as an item of uniform for Victorian schoolchildren (how delightful if that could still be enforced!). It’s now most often seen during the famed Henley Royal Regatta every summer, as well as remaining popular in many European countries.

WEAR IT: SUMMERTIME

As an exclusively straw hat, stick to wearing this during the summer. Don’t worry about getting caught in the rain, though – the thick straw can easily withstand the wet.

OWN IT: WIDE BRIMS FOR WIDE FACES

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