Hats are so trending right now! Just look at the Instagram accounts of fashionastas and famous models and you will see them in all colours, shapes and styles, combined with everything from dresses to knitwear, jeans and skirts, boots, high heels and sneakers and even swim suits! After all, hats are not just life-savers in the days when your hair is a real mess, but are also the accessory that can break the monotony of the otherwise boring outfits. If combined tastefully and worn properly, hats have the power to direct all eyes on you: wide-brim hats, short-brimmed ones, baseball caps, fascinators, fedoras, cloche hats and even sporty beanies.
You can wear them any way you like, it is the 21st century and breaking the rules is what creates new styles! However, as ladies, we should know the official etiquette of wearing a hat, which believe it or not, goes long way back in history. But first, rule number one: whenever you buy hats online, think of the occasion you are planning on wearing it. Then, follow the etiquette.
According to the hat
Different hats – different occasions to wear them at. For example, baseball and trucker hats should not be worn in restaurants, as well as beanies with propellers, cowgirl hats and some fedoras. These all fall under the category ‘outdoor hats’ and their place is definitely not on your head while eating in a five star restaurant. Or any restaurant. However, there may be exceptions in different countries, so do your research before you buy hats online.
In the restaurant
Back in the days, women were not forced to take off their hats when entering a restaurant. According to the etiquette, the hat was considered a part of woman’s ensemble. That explains why women in the mid-century never dared to go outside in public without a hat. On the other hand, men are always required to take off their hats when entering a restaurant or eating at a table.
Special events
During evening events, a woman may wear a fascinator if she prefers and the same rules applies -she is not required to take it off. However, if she’s wearing a gown, or a very elegant dress, fashion rules state it best: no hats! While the national anthem is on and everyone is standing, women are also not required to take their hats off, while men are. This refers only to elegant hats, like fascinators, cloches and very elegant fedoras; not to baseball caps or trucker hats.
Listen to logic
Sometimes, there needs to be some sense in style. Never in the history of fashion, has anyone been praised for looking like a clown just because they wore all the trending pieces in an inappropriate manner and time. When it comes to hats, wide-brimmed hats should not and are not allowed to be worn in restaurants for evening events or dinners because there is no sun and therefore, the wide brim is not needed at all. Simple as that.
These few rules were strictly respected back in the days when women were expected to look like real ladies – in a dress, with hair and makeup perfectly done, high heels and certain body parts discreetly showing off. Today, with all the street sub styles that have emerged as a result of the overall evolution, some rules simply do not apply anymore. However, it is always good to know some basic things when you buy hats online for your next outfit idea.