picture from the Sun

It has long been a tradition for ladies (and men) to get dressed up in all of their finery for a day at the races. Ascot is a very important event for racing enthusiasts and ladies day is not only a day for horse racing but also much eating, drinking and being merry. Ascot ladies day is particularly noted for its fashion and most of all hats. Royalty, celebrities and the rest of us can all just for this day get away with wearing the most over the top and eccentric of hats. It is all part of the fun. For those shy and retiring types who do not want to attract all of the attention, a simple classic and elegant hat is perfect.

For a really stylish outfit for Ascot or any other summer occasion, try choosing a hat that compliments but does not match the colour of your outfit. For example a black and white hat with a bright pink dress, a red hat with a black dress, a cream hat with a green dress. If you don’t like wearing hats, you could also opt for a fascinator.

Floral contrast trim hat

Black and white hat

Basket weave floral hat

Floral and feather occasion hat

Floral fascinator

I was brought up with the notion that ladies always wore hats to weddings. Along with some other rules of etiquette like, no none can remove at the wedding breakfast until the mother of the bride has removed hers. At my own wedding, my mother decided that she would not remove her hat in case of the dreaded hat hair and to my amusement, all of the women in the room sat in their hats as dinner was served, until my father informed her that she must remove her hat.

These days for most people such rules and etiquette don’t seem to apply. Ladies often don’t wear hats to weddings and sometimes they opt for the mush easier to wear option of a fascinator. My personal favourite is the fascinator. It says that you have made an effort and looks elegant and stylish. It is also less likely to blow away in the wind or obstruct the view of those sitting behind you in the wedding and helps to combat the age old problem of hat hair. A fascinator fits securely on your head at  a stylish tipped angle, without the need to fuss about putting it on just right.

Floral and mesh fascinator

Bow and Flower Fascinator

pictures from www.daniellescutt.com

If you have been looking every where for a way to make a real style statement this summer, then look no further. This headwear by up and coming designer Danielle Scutt is perfect. Twisted pieces of material and scarves are intricately woven into and tied around a variety of different hair styles. The great thing about this look is that anything goes. There  is no set way of twisting knotting and tying the material around the head, for a look that oozes urban cool. Sunglasses and large hoop earrings are added for a really glamorous edge.

Black and white coloured scarves are combined with bright colours for a really eyecatching look. For a more dressy look shiny materials and more elaborate up hair do’s are used.

 To create your own version of Danielle Scutt’s head wear, try using this Zandra Rhodes silk scarf and yellow silk chiffon scarf.

picture from www.VAM.ac.uk

I all of the fashion exhibitions at the V & A. I sometimes struggle to find time to make my way to London to see them all but the Hats: an anathology by Stephen Jones exhibition is one that I will be making  aspecial effort to see once the snow and ice is all gone. I love hats for their drama and sculptural like quality. If  ever a hat was a wearable piece of art it was a hat designed by Stephen Jones.

Stephen Jones graduated from St Martins School of Art in 1979 and since then has gone from strength to strength designing hats for some of the most prominent fashion houses and designers of our time, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler, Comme des Garçons and Marc Jacobs. His hats are definitely for those who want to be noticed and not for shy retiring types. They are whimsical, elegant and innovative. His experimental approach to millinery has won him lots of fans and followers.

The exhibition will include a range of hats including 17th-century Puritan’s hat to a 1950s Balenciaga couture piece to hats by Jones and his contemporaries including to the latest creations by young milliners such as Noel Stewart. It explores the work of the milinier, the sale and wearing of the hats.

 The exhibition runs from 24 February - 31 May 2009 in the The Porter Gallery at the V & A.

If you love unusual hats, try this Malloni velour and wool hat, a very stylish way to keep your head warm in the cold weather.

I have noticed a bit of  a trend for turban or wrapped style headwear. I think this is a great trend and I would love to give it a go. Great for adding a bit of height as I am so short. This is definitely not a trend for those lacking in confidence, it has a certain flamboyance about it. Perhaps not suitable for popping down the local pub for a drink either.

 At Paul Smith, the whole collection had a definite African theme about it. The gold and cream clothing and scarves wrapped around the heads looked very elegant, glamourous and cool. The perfect look for a hot sunny day at the races. 

At Ralph Lauren, the head wear took on a sculptural form, with raffia wrapped in a large structure to form a turban like hat and a head wrap made from a stiff crinkled material standing out from the head and wrapping right under the chin in a very dramatic gesture.

At Junya Watanabe - the checked style head wraps were again inspired by Africa. They seemed to incorporate part of a haystack or some bamboo canes - not the most wearable of looks, but a great effect.

pictures from www.style.com

I have been experimenting at home and it is easy to create a turban by wrapping a large scarf, pashmina or wrap around your head.

This organic pashmina is perfect for achieving this summers head wrap.

Fashion 156 is my secret indulgence. The place where I go when I am supposed to be working but need a bit of creative stimulation. The photography is amazing and the fashion unique and interesting. I can never wait until the next edition comes out to see what delights they have in store.

This issue is all about hats which is quite topical considering the freezing cold weather. But hats aren’t just about keeping warm they can also be a huge style statement. They can create a really dramatic look that perhaps not everyone can carry off, but if done right then the effects can be stunning.

This hat has a bit of carnival style to it. It is defintely for someone with a big personality and would look more at home in Rio than a trip down the local Tesco’s.

Hats are not the only dramatic headwear. This is actually a necklace made into a headpiece. I love the colours.

Perhaps inspired by a scorpian, this hat has a very stylish sting its tail.

pictures from www.fashion156.com

This Caractere Ladies Hat is a great easy to wear hat for when you want to add a bit of drama to an outfit. 

Hats are big news this year with beanies at Alexander Wang and Burbery Prorsum. berets at Marc Jacobs, snoods at  Alexander McQueen, caps at Dolce and Gabanna, all sorts of hats at Richard Nicholl and pointy witches hats at Luella.

Hats are a great way of making a real style statement and also keep you head and ears warm (you know how much body heat you can lose from your head?). The key to wearing  a hat with style is putting it on just right and looking like you haven’t tried too hard. This seasons beanie is a really easy hat to wear and goes with anything, just about. Here are some of my favourite hats for keeping your ears warm in style this winter.

This Miss Sixty  hat is a simple design but the warm orange colour will definitely make you stand out in the crowd.

This North Face Memphis Bell Womens Beanie looks great with dark hair and has a lovely delicate design.

I love this velvet rose corsage beanie. It is so pretty and has a lining for additional warmth.

If you want to add a bit of designer style to a plain black coat, this Missoni hat is just what you need.

This bobble hat has real character.  A great stylish option for a walk in the countryside.

I have previously posted about the Paul Smith and D & G collections for Fall 08. I couldn’t help but notice a new (well not entirely new) trend for head wear. This season the new (old) look for head wear is the head scarf. Those with open top cars are going to love this trend- no more messed up hair.

At D & G navy, red and gold headscarves were teamed with tartan, plaid and argyl for maximum effect.

At Paul Smith, a prim and proper look of pencil skirts and mohair jumpers, in earthy browns and oranges, was finished off by a headscarf tied under the chin. The look was pure Parisian chic and I just love it.

pictures from style.com

• The headscarf is the perfect way to keep your hair looking neat and tidy in the Autumns wind and gails. Here are my tips on wearing a headscarf for Autumn winter 08.
•  Choose a  large square scarf (preferably silk)
• Opt for a bold pattern in dark colours eg navy, grey, browns and reds.
• Fold the scarf into a triangle and tie under your chin .
• Leave an inch or so of hair or fringe at the front. For the Paul Smith look, you could backcomb a bit of volume into the front of your hair.
• If you have long hair, tie it back so that it does not effect the shape  of the headscarf.
• Ensure that the scarf is big enough to cover your neck and a fall onto the top of your back.

This large bold monochrome print scarf is perfect for achieving next seasons headscarf look.

Hats have always been a bold style statement that highlight the face and get you noticed amongst a crowd of people. For Spring Summer 08, hats are again big news on the trend list. But hats are also very practical in winter for keeping your head warm and in the summer for keeping the sun off your face and maintaining a youthful complexion. I love hats as they can cover up my bad hair day hair and also really make an outfit.

 This summer hats were seen on the catwalk at Jean Paul Gaultier, Oscar De La Renta, Marni, Marc Jacobs, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Michael Kors, biba and Joh Galliano. So whether it is protection from the sun, a bold style statement or both that you are looking for there are plenty of hats to choose from. You will know you have made the right choice when someone asks you ‘Where did you get that hat?’

At Hermes, there were turban style hats everywhere. This is a very elegant hat to wear and great for covering up sun damaged hair after a day on the beach.

At John Galliano, the romantic and frilly clothes were complimented beautifully with large floppy hats. This style is great for wearing on holiday or on the beach to avoid a sunburnt face.

At Oscar De La Renta, I love this gorgeous hat with feathers on it. This would look amazing for a special occassion like a summer wedding or a day out at the races.

At Moshino Cheap and Chic - Sun visors were teamed with sports wear for a really cool and retro look.

 For summer the best choice of hat has to be a natural straw sun hat, it is versatile and will go with anything, protects you from the sun and looks chic.