Once everyone wore hats – rich or poor, it was considered a scandalous breach of etiquette to even leave the house without a hat. But after World War II, wartime employment, practicality and a change in attitude and lifestyle saw the demise of the hat. But now the hat is back!

Sadly, for me, wearing a hat has always been something that other people do. I’ve never felt that I could pull it off. I’ve always feel like a fool and end up chucking the hat at the last minute. I’m horribly jealous of those hat-wearing women so I’ve done some delving into what it takes to really pull off wearing a hat.

What I’ve learnt is that the look has to be effortless, effortless, effortless! It has to be natural, like you’ve made no effort at all, just walked past the hatstand on your way out and shoved it on your head. There actually are those lucky women who can get away with that but as age creeps up it’s not so much of an option. We have to make more of an effort with our appearance as we get older, especially if we’re going to be a hat-wearer.

And I want to be a hat-wearer. After all, besides the fashion thing, there are heaps of advantages to wearing a hat - hiding a bad hair day being right up there on the list. And, of course, a winter hat will keep us warm - apparently approximately 85% of our body heat is lost through our little head!! So, anyway, after much research and observation (staring at women in the street), this is what I’ve discovered.

Choosing the Right Hat

1)    Match your face – your hat should match the proportions of your face. The general rule is small face, small hat / wide face, wide hat. If your jaw is square or full, tilt the hat to the left or right. The angle will help reduce the squareness or fullness. Tall hats look good on round faces but make a long face even longer. 

2)    Skin and Hair tone – this is an obvious one but it’s easy to get carried away with a beautiful coloured fabric that really isn’t complementary to our colouring – especially hair colour since the hat will be right there next to it.

3)    Complement your outfit – notice I didn’t say match because this is one of the big no-no’s with wearing a hat.  Avoid matching your hat's material with the material of your jacket. Don’t wear leather with leather or tweed with tweed. It will look too much and ruin the look of the whole outfit. Use contrasts, too, when it comes to colours and patterns. So mix an outfit in solid colours with a printed hat and vice versa.

4)    Fit the occasion - Choose the right hat for the occasion. For instance, wide brimmed winter hats are best only worn outdoors. Also the fabric of the hat will also govern where it should be worn. A beautiful velvet cloche could be worn to a special occasion but a hand knitted cloche would look great with hippie-style casual clothes or jeans.

5)    Wear the correct size - If your hat doesn’t fit properly you won’t feel comfortable and you won’t feel or look confident.

Once you feel you’ve got the right hat to match your skin and hair tones, the proportions of your face, your outfit and the occasion, and it’s the right size, it’s time to practice at home. Yes, wear it around the house to get accustomed to actually having it on. Get used to the feel of it and how you look. Sounds mad, but the more you wear one the more you’ll be confident to go out in public. And once you feel confident, you’ll easily pass it off as an ‘effortless hat-wearer’.

Hat Tips

• Hats should always be worn forward, either tilted to one side or square on the head

• For we baby boomer women, a crinkly little face poking out of a beanie isn’t a good look. Soften the look by pulling out some hair around your face and at the back.

• Look at the whole picture. Check yourself out in a full length mirror to make sure your hat suits the total look.

• Try different angles till you get the look that suits you best.

• Decorate your hat with a fancy pin, feathers, flowers or ribbons.

• Wear a brimmed hat to frame your face.

• And sadly, if you don’t feel right, dump the hat.

Six Hottest Hats This Season

1. Beret

Berets can be worn by all facial shapes. It is usually worn on the side but also looks good worn on the back of the head and pulled to one side. It can be dressy or casual, depending on the style, materials and trimmings.

2. Fedora

Only ever worn by men, the fedora has now been adopted by women. It’s a stylish, more tailored rather than feminine look. The fedora is usually made of felt or tweed and has a curled brim which is creased along the length of the hat. It should be worn down over the eyebrows.

3. Felt

Felt hats are soft, comfortable and hold their shape. Worn down close to the eyes, it will set off your eyes as well.

Beanies are an old favourite but the old daggy look has been replaced by the slouch beanie. It’s floppier with the flop bit worn at the back or the side. It’s a great casual look with jeans and vests. If you can knit or crochet, you can easily make your own.

A cute hat with a close-fitting crown. It’s a lovely shape that frames the face setting off the eyes in particular. A remnant from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco eras between 1900 and 1930, it can be worn day or night.

6. Newsboy Cap

Another hat that’s a blast from the past, is the newsboy or Baker Boy hat as it’s often called. It’s an actual replica of the caps worn by the newspaper boys of the 1940's. It’s actually very similar to a flat cap but fuller and usually with a button attaching the front of the brim.

By Virginia Scott