Do hats top off your look?
By Saundra Heath
You want at least one piece of happenin' headgear in your fashion wardrobe. Why? Hats are another way to express the unique you. To strut that unique you and make her stand out. Hats call attention. They frame your face. Hats call for all eyes to be on you. Hats are expressive. They're dramatic. They're fun. They're cool. They can be you.
Hats are easy. Easy to buy. Easy to wear. There's a hat that works for everyone. Hats carry loads of fashion punch, come in a dizzying array of color and design choices and can be worn to dress a look up or down. Hats have mood and personality. Pick one that matches yours! On especially bad hair days, a great hat is the perfect cover-up that works double-time as a fashion pick-me-up. Hats are even better than hair; they require no special attention, and they're not prone to acting up. No spray, no gel, no sheen, no barrettes, no headband required. Plop it on, do a mirror check and You're ready to go!!
Hats don't pinch, nor do they squeeze and no special holes are required. Hats are so affordable you can own multiples. They don't hang, jingle or jangle. They don't catch on other pieces of clothing, drop down the sink, break or show up half missing. And if headgear falls outside of your school's allowed dress code - so what! You can still rock your headgear very hard on the weekend.
Consider that hats/headwear may just be the new fashion it. They're everywhere! Its not just Taylor Swift wearing a cowboy hat. The likes of everyone from Beyonce to Pink sportin' a cowboy hat. And the ones we've seen look nothing like their country cousins. These new attention grabbers work the style quotient in fabrics and colors that run the gamut from fake pony suede to hot pink leather to the softest dusty blue felt. If you're a trendy and still don't (GASP!) have your cowboy hat there's still time. This trend may still have some breath left. But remember how we handle trends. Trends in OR trends out - it's all about your personal style and what looks good on you. So YOU decide.
And what about bandannas? We love 'em! They're plentiful! They're way affordable! And come in tons of colors and designs. There's the classic red, white or navy blue patterns that we all know so well and the funkier leopard, neon and fringed designs that we've seen. This look is so simple to wear and to make. So simple in fact, that some enterprising teens have started making bandannas (no sewing required) and selling them to their friends and classmates. Why not grab some fabric, some friends and some pizzas and turn your creative fun into some extra cash!
Would YOU wear a velvet cap?
If you're still not with the hat/headwear thing but you're willing to try something that's new for you, why not start with a baseball cap? The baseball cap has probably been worn on more heads than any other type of headgear out there. The baseball cap like any hat can blend in with your look or accent it. A cotton denim or canvas cap provides a casual accent. Go bold with bright color or stand up and take notice designs. A satin or velvet cap provides a dressier accent.
The baseball cap is one of the easiest to wear to broadcast your affiliation with certain groups, or states of mind. If you love a certain band, let everyone know it by wearing a baseball cap with that band's logo. Logo baseball caps are easy to find. If you're personal message is Girl Power! Find a baseball cap that says so, or make your own. The same companies that custom make T-shirts often also make custom baseball caps. This could be expensive for you alone. But consider custom baseball caps for you and your crew. A great idea for those school trips and school sporting events to let everyone know where you and your crew stand. A baseball cap can broadcast your love of a certain color, music, program, magazine, designer, or depending upon how you wear it (backwards for example) your conformity or lack of. A baseball cap can be used to share with the world, how smart, how cool, how hip YOU are.
Hats provide protection from the sun and rain, keep you warm in the winter and are God's gift to teen girls for those inevitable bad hair days. But don't underestimate the straight-up fashion mileage that you can get from a hat. Hats can and should work with your style and not against your style whether your look is casual, romantic, bold and dramatic, fun and quirky, sleek and ultra cool or all out glam. As with any accessory, you can own a variety of different style hats to work with your different fashion looks.
So grab a friend, head to your nearest hat shop or the hat department in your favorite store and have some fun trying on loads of different hats and the different looks you can get from each. You're sure to find something that you'll love. There's a perfect hat to meet your every fashion whim or fancy. Wear a hat! Be noticed!
It wasn't too, too long ago that hats were required dress for any proper lady when she appeared in public. Ladies had at least one hat for every season and it was not uncommon to own different hats for different times of the day or to have a hat for almost every outfit. Ladies' new spring hats were often displayed in an Easter parade. A custom that lives today in the East. Hat talk has even snuck into our everyday language. Do you know what the following expressions mean?
1. A girl with "a bee in her bonnet" is a very upset.
2. If you tell someone "I'll eat my hat." it means that you are SO sure that something is true that you'll literally eat your hat if you are wrong!!!
3. If you say "My hat's off to you!" to someone you are telling them that you think that they have done something very well.
4. The expression "Put on your thinking cap." is what teachers tell young children to get them to try to understand and learn something new.
5. If you tell someone that they are "Mad as a hatter" what you are really saying is that they are really crazy.
6. If you ask someone to please "Keep that under your hat." you are asking them to keep what you've told them a secret.
7. To "Throw your hat in the ring." means to join in.
8. When you say that something is "old hat" you are say that it is way out of date.
