What Happens When You Wear a Hat

From time to time, I encounter people who say "I wish I could wear hats".  They might then explain that they lack the confidence to do so.  Modern society is not as accustomed to hats as a century ago, when you were odd if you didn't wear a hat.  I was slow to venture into different hat styles from across the eras, preferring to stick to classic styles like berets and fedoras.  Such styles are more likely to be recreated (sometimes not very well) on the high street.  I had a hat comfort zone, and I was sticking to it.  So, I too, was lacking some confidence, and thinking "I wish I could wear that kind of hat".

Branching out into different types of hat has crept up on me.  My starting point with every era seems to be a simple little black hat.  I am now convinced that a little black hat - from any era - is pretty indispensable.  I have a growing collection!  In my last post I showed you my 1930s' little black hat.  Today's hat is extra gorgeous, because it's velvet.  The label states "A Woolsand Model", and I'm guessing from the turban style that it's from the 1950s.  I wasn't at all sure about whether it suited me in the shop, but it was practically free, so I took the chance.  I'm glad I did.

I kept the rest of the outfit fairly simple, but with some splashes of hot pink to cheer up a grey month.  The sky then obliged with a little pink blush to match.  The coat was another lucky find.  It's from the 1960s, with no brand label.  It's a really lovely ribbed fabric.  I've tended to wear it so far as a coat for evening, but on this occasion a local park was the destination.  Black, and velvet, do not photograph terribly well, so you'll have to take my word that the hat is inky black and doesn't look as worn in real life as it does in these photos.  We literally were out for a walk, not to do a photoshoot, so half of these photos are taken on a phone.  I debated about whether to share them, but then decided you'd all definitely want to see a velvet turban and wouldn't care so much about having exceptional photo quality!

 

Everything charity shopped, except the tights (M&S), and the pink dress (I made it).

So, what happens when I wear a hat like this out in public?  Absolutely nothing!  People don't stare, children don't point, and old ladies don't draw their curtains as I pass their houses.  The outfit I wore here is actually a fairly modern silhouette - you'd get the same silhouette with skinny jeans and a beanie hat.  Not so outlandish after all.

Now that I am used to wearing a black velvet turban out in public, the next step is the fabulous bright green velvet one.  What hat is outside of your comfort zone?  And be brave - when are you going to wear it?

Linking up with: #iwillwearwhatilike, Visible Monday, Fancy Friday