Mad Hats: Let's Talk Headgear

Want this whole outfit.

Confession: I may be watching Downton Abbey for the hats.

Actually, it's for the amazing writing, compelling performances, and the ability for almost every single episode to elicit tears. Sometimes incessant weeping and refrains of "why, why?!?!" Also, of course, the wonderful costumes, of which hats are paramount.

As the series evolves and we see the times a-changin' and have to say goodbye to a certain way of life my first thought is always "no, not the hats! Anything but the hats!" Luckily, I've watched through to the end of Series Four and the hats are still fabulous.

It's not just the elaborate, laced, feathered, and flowered women's hats either; the menfolk are sporting some amazing headgear.

Love a man in a bowler with a furrow.

I could easily devote an entire blog post to swooning over each and every hat, and how they evolve throughout the series, in relation to changing trends and fashions (Downton Abbey hat timeline? Next time) but others have already carefully captured the wonder that is Downton headdress. 

The matriarchs wear their power on their heads.

 
There are some great blog posts capturing the Best Of in the hat department, such as this one on Anibundel: Pop Culturess. 

For more insights on royal hats and styles generally (like, in the so-called "real" non-Downton world), check out this blog Royal Hats. 

This site also has a tremendously useful "types of hats" section that I WILL NOW SET OUT TO MEMORIZE.

Since I really love hats, I thought I'd devote this post to some of my own much beloved hats. I have accumulated quite a collection, so decided to make a collage of some of my favourite hats (and hat-wearing moments):

It's worth noting that very few of these hats were, at the time, worn to achieve a secondary purpose, such as, you know, shading from the sun or providing warmth or what not. 

I'm going to try to classify the type of hat of each one (with the help of the Internet) as a couple are a bit ambiguous / hat hybrids.

Top (left to right): this burgundy beauty is a fedora; next, a green wool beret with a fun fabric flower embellishment; deerstalker! (aka Sherlock Holmes); finally, a big purple velor masterpiece that can only be called a Mad Hatter hat (depicted here in a Mad Hatter costume.

Middle (left to right): This leopard concoction is best classified as a cloche although it is tricky. Many cloches have a bib or lip and flare out/ extend further over the ears; this straw hat is sort of like a porkpie meets a boater - I have both a true boater and a true porkpie and this is something in between. One resource suggested is could be a "bumper"; oh one of my favourites - I purchased this hat at a vintage sale in London, England (la di da!) 

*To the Royal Hats glossary* - well, I can't find anything to quite capture what this is. Is is definitely a fascinator, but also a bit more than, as it has a quite substantial actual hat part; this wide brim felt hat has similarities with the fedora but is rounder and stiffer. Maybe a felt Panama?

Bottom (left to right): Panama hat; beret; plaid patrol hat (think Castro); finally, a straw porkpie.

Here's another of my favourite (and most special) hats I own not included above:

I don't know why I'm not wearing it everyday, really.

This is a Tyrolean or Alpine hat - I call it my Bavarian mountain hat. I bought it in Munich, Germany in 2008.

Finally, here's a mortarboard - I actually love these. Maybe that's why I've been in university for nine years.

It's really important to match your purse to your mortarboard.

Wishlist: top hat with lace veil, as shown on Downton here:

"I Don't Believe in Go-Together": Fashion Philosophy

This blog isn't just for outfits of the day and the like. At Fickle Frippery, I'm going to talk about fashion philosophy from time to time. Yes, that's a thing!

In style discourse, there's this myth that certain things go together and certain things do not and that these rules are static and fixed. I don't believe that.

I definitely think some things "go" really well together and some things less so but these judgements aren't based on colours and patterns. Rather, for me, it's an assessment made on a case by case basis and is dependent on many factors, including shoes, accessories, and where I'm going to be wearing any given outfit.

I love putting outfits together based on colours that I think look great together (pink and black, purple and yellow, green and pink, navy and red...I pretty much think every shade of every colour has several great colours to pair with) but I'll also try any colour combination.

Black, white, and orange aren't just for Hallowe'en. See below a surprisingly summery outfit consisting of these colours (including two different colours on the orange spectrum):

I've also worn red and pink not on Valentine's Day, and have done some nice pairings of brown and black.

More so than colour, people can feel very limited by patterns. Oh how I love patterns: leopard, plaid, polka dot, stripes, floral, argyle, houndstooth, paisley, the list goes on. A patterned piece can really enliven a solid, and colour blocking is great, but I also enjoy pairing two (or more!) patterns. This is especially easy to do if one pattern has a limited colour palette (such as black and white).

Today's outfit features a black with white polka dot skirt plus a white lace tank top and a teal and tan patterned blazer. I don't know precisely what the pattern is but I like it. The best description I can think of is "honeycomb."

Paired with black tights, black shoes and simple jewellery, this outfit wasn't all that bold after all. In other words, wearing different patterns together is awesome and opens up all kinds of new and fun possibilities. It doesn't always have to be with the main articles of clothing either - perhaps try a patterned skirt with a differently patterned purse or scarf. Or wear solids for the main outfit and accessorize with patterns.

It's always useful to rethink assumptions about what "goes together."