The Ascot Hat Thing
Dec262008
I love hats. I don’t have the nerve to wear them unless it’s freezing outside and I put something warm on my head, but I love them anyway. Which is why the whole Ascot hat thing makes me deliriously happy. Like these:
And of course the mother of all Ascot hats:
For dozens more go here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/image_galleries/ascot_ladies_day_2006_gallery.shtml?25
and here:
http://www.thevine.com.au/fashion/photos/ascot-hat-brigade.aspx
A good resolution for the new year: More hats.
Filed in Pictures
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19 Comments to 'The Ascot Hat Thing'
On December 26, 2008 at 4:33 pm Chelle said...
And I thought we here in Kentucky wore strange hats for the Derby!
On December 26, 2008 at 6:01 pm RfP said...
Ohhhhhh! What an excellent resolution.
On December 26, 2008 at 7:42 pm Rakisha said...
Those are ridiculously fun to look at. I don’t think I have the ovaries to wear anything that beautifully outlandish.
On December 26, 2008 at 10:18 pm Susan D said...
I dunno, Jenny, any of those bobbleheads sit in front of me at the races and block my view of Dover as he moves his bloomin’ ascot, and a few hats might roll.
However, I have a fondness for modest, modish hats to keep my head warm in winter, including the nice little beret I bought the other day, to which, typically, I added a garage sale pin from the 1920s.
On December 26, 2008 at 10:36 pm Jill said...
Kinda puts the Kentucky Derby Hats to shame.
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=AMGA,AMGA:2005-18,AMGA:en&q=Kentucky+Derby+hats&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=7&ct=title
On December 27, 2008 at 12:16 am sharon w. said...
Aren’t they fun? Don’t know whether I’d have the moxie to wear one, though. My head shape isn’t conducive to making a hat look chic, or cute.
Jenny, you find the best sites to get us lurkers to have a fun, and interesting visit to your site. Thankyou. Keep you and the crew warm.
On December 27, 2008 at 8:14 am Micki said...
Oh, let’s all grab the ovaries to do this in 2009! The best reason to do this is the impractical reason that it “makes me smile.” Heaven forfend we do everything that makes us smile, but, there are practical, boring reasons to grab a hat, too.
A good hat prevents sundamage, which is more and more important in these days of thinning ozone. Also, it’s a lot easier to deal with than a parasol (parasols have been making a comeback, too).
A good hat can be hidden behind when needed, or a tool to flirting, or just a nice backdrop to a face.
But boy, that hat with the red flowers sure makes me smile, and it doesn’t look terribly practical (unless maybe one is a hummingbird researcher or something).
More whimsy in 2009. That’s my resolution. Even better, look for more whimsy that is actually very practical and level-headed, but makes people giggle nevertheless. (Oh, my kids are going to disown me next year!)
On December 27, 2008 at 11:26 am robena grant said...
Oh I say, back to the old days when a woman would get mad with her husband and go shopping for a new hat.
Did you notice the look on the guys face as he walks down the stairs ahead of his lady in the pink bedroll of a hat? Now that’s a hat! Ha ha. Sourpuss still matched his tie to her outfit though, so I suppose all is good.
On December 27, 2008 at 11:40 am AgTigress said...
I think it is quite difficult to wear most hats well unless one has excellent facial bones, very short or completely upswept hair, and no spectacles. Any clutter on and around the face – long or bouffant tresses, earrings, glasses – tends to detract from the effect and balance of the hat, especially if it is large and/or wide-brimmed.
On December 27, 2008 at 5:48 pm Louis said...
The “rolled up rug” and the “cigaret” are a bit much.
On December 27, 2008 at 6:00 pm colognegrrl said...
Basically, I love hats, too, but the problem is once you put one on, you must wear it until you can retire into the privacy of your own room. At least my hair will always look awful after wearing hats, no matter whether it is a winter hat for warmth or a summer hat for shade. So my poor hats – I have a few nice ones – mostly sit on top of my wardrobe shelf instead of my head.
On December 27, 2008 at 7:59 pm Susan D said...
Bedroll, eh? I thought it was a giant napkin in a napkin ring. In case she spills her G and T.
On December 27, 2008 at 8:46 pm RfP said...
I thought it was an enormous clutch purse. Except if it’s not clutched, it’s not a clutch. So it’s a head purse… or a hurse.
On December 28, 2008 at 2:06 pm Stephanie said...
oh, i love hats! i spent more money in college on hats than i should have. i like the idea of wearing more hats. it’s the hat-head that is hard to get around. i don’t pay a lot of attention to my hair as it is but hat-head is not attractive.
On December 28, 2008 at 4:45 pm Kira said...
I wear hats in public always, for socio-religious reasons, and believe me, there’s a hat shape for every set of facial features. If it fits well, and isn’t too heavy, it won’t give you hat-head, either.
I prefer medium-brimmed sun hats, but now that it’s winter, I’m happy that berets are back in style.
I wore a super-wide Ascot-style hat at my sister’s wedding 10 year ago, and looking back at the pictures, there’s a bit of “what was I thinking?” But maybe it just needed MORE oomph
On December 28, 2008 at 7:24 pm Jenny said...
That’s true. With hats it’s either veddy-good-taste or what-the-hell. The middle ground ones just look frumpy.
On December 30, 2008 at 1:55 am Egads said...
I love the bedroll hat. She looks so prim except for the hat, which says she has one hell of a sense of humor.
On December 30, 2008 at 10:58 am Victoria said...
Kira is right about there being a hat for every kind of face. Hats are like any other piece of clothing — you have to find what fits and flatters and looks good with the clothes you normally wear. (They’re a lot like shoes in that respect.) Different kinds of hats are made for different kinds of faces. The right size of hat will not give the wearer hat head — unless they wear it all day.
I’ve been wearing hats for years in public because I like them. The key to successful hat wearing is to be comfortable with your choice then forget about it. (In that respect, it’s just like dressing the rest of your body.)
Victoria
On December 30, 2008 at 11:53 am Mary Stella said...
Given those hats, which are marvelous and outrageous all at once, I guess we can’t mock the guys in the beer-can-holder-ball-caps.