"Cock your hat-- angles are attitude." -Frank Sinatra

When did hats become so out of every day style? Hats have been ever-present in fashion for decades, but I'm sad to say they really aren't around anymore. Not unless you're a hipster/cowboy/celebrity or a quirky character. The only people I see with hats on are young starlets with their fedoras and beach hair, hip musicians with their knit caps, and those country Stetsons and baseball hats. 

But what ever happened to the romanticism and beauty a hat can evoke? They just remind me of a simpler time when men would dress in tailored clothes, looking dashing and masculine everyday, and when women would wear dresses and curl their hair. (Maybe I've watched Pride & Prejudice too many times... top hats & bonnets swirling around in my head...) 

Don't you just want to go back and live in the time when men dressed in suits everyday? I love those 1920s women's hats that come down low with the band around it, with flapper-short, curly hair twisting along the brim. Then men's classic fedoras, 17th & 18th century top hats, and men's hats of the 1950s. There is Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra dressed in one of my favorite plays, "Guys & Dolls." Everyone just looks so clean-cut and put together!

Perhaps one of the reasons that I am so impressed with hats is it reminds me of Europe. I don't even know if this hat-wearing practice is more prevalent across the Atlantic, but I'd like to think it is. Therefore, when I wear a snazzy new hat, I fall a little deeper into my European dreams. Here are a few collages of the kinds of hats I would wear- depending on where I was:

LONDON: Hats with a menswear twist. I would die for that black bowler with that red coat. What a perfect combo! I'm determined to find one. Then below, wide-brimmed fedora-esque hats paired with long, messy hair. And right, those two incredibly stylish gentlemen wearing grey and tan toppers with a feather for flair. Perfect city hats. Pair them with tailored clothing, dark, rich colors, and blazers... then you're ready for London.

PARIS: Feminine, quirky hats. Wouldn't it be great to have two bowlers-- one black (for London), then one pink (for Paris)! What could be more perfect? Then, of course you need a beret for France, right? Though I think I heard once that if you wear a beret in Paris, you will be laughed at, perhaps for trying too hard... But maybe I'll take that risk. Lastly, look at those top hats! Even though it's those old Brit movies that are full of top hats, for some reason I find it makes more sense to wear them in Paris. (With romantic, wavy hair. Plus those two pictures are from my two favorite French bloggers!)

This one isn't about location, but more like time of the year. These are perfect for summer weather. Riding bikes on an old dusty road, walking the streets of the city, or daydreaming in the middle of the countryside. Straw hats work perfectly for the hot air... I just bought my second one yesterday! But these are all so flirty and cute with eyes peeking out from under the brim. And I love that messy side braid with the straw hat... I'll definitely be trying that out soon.

These photos are from Italian Vogue, March 2008. The hats here are more interesting, unconventional hats. 

Me wearing one of my straw, summer hats. You can't see it
well here, but there is the cutest feather on the side.

What if hats were as obsessed over as shoes?

Well, after finishing up this post I think I've even convinced myself that I need to buy more cute hats for every season! Maybe my collection will become as extensive as the photo above, someday. Time to explore the thrift stores ASAP... 

What do you guys think? Have I convinced you it's time to go hat shopping? 

Which is your favorite type of hat? -Raquel x