A big heads-up on hats

TIMES change, fashions change, but although dressing down has become the norm these days there is still one staple event where you still have the opportunity to dress up to the nines and wear a hat with impunity — the summer wedding.

However, there can be a fine line between sartorial success and fashion failure, and there are so many choices to take into consideration.

Should you go for a hat or a fascinator? Or even a hatinator, a cross between the two? When you get it right a hat can really complement your outfit, but it’s a risky business, and takes a certain amount of courage, which means many ladies are reluctant to wear a hat to a wedding. And there are other dilemmas to take into account, too. Will you be seen as trying to outshine the bride or her mother? And what do you do if you have kitted yourself out with a beautiful hat, and on the big day it’s blowing a gale?

Louise Walton, owner of Louise Claire Millinery in Wallingford, says there are a few unspoken rules to choosing the right headgear for a wedding. While at some events an extravagant hat can be a head-turner, she advises that it is generally a good idea to go more low key at weddings.

“People who go to Ascot or the Regatta tend to go for large, extravagant hats that make a bold statement,” she says.