On wearing hats
I never wear hats. I always want to, but I don’t. I admire men and women who wear nice ones–ahh, such panache. Whenever I put one on, I feel loud…then self-conscious. One of my best friends is getting married this year, and for her bridal shower, she asked her guests to don hats for a lovely Sunday lunch. While I did have a subtly nagging sense of dread that I wouldn’t look quite right, those thoughts were crowded out by the pleasant idea of seeing my best friends in hats.
Perhaps in order to pay homage to the high pressure all-nighters of my school days, I procrastinated with my headpiece assignment. After hitting a few stores unsuccessfully, and feeling slightly panicked with less than 48 hours left until the shower, I texted my besties for advice on stores, materials, and styles. All responded immediately (because they are the greatest friends in the world) with ideas and reassurances. 24 hours before the party, I headed to Burlington Coat Factory where I found a slew of hats. Some reminded me too much of a church service. Some were too warm for outdoor Florida weather. Some looked nice hanging on the hat rack, but absolutely ridiculous on my head. I took a few different hats to a fitting room along with some dresses. After frantically changing in and out of ten different outfits and hearing pieces of bizarre conversations from fitting rooms next door, I went back to the hat rack, eyes fully peeled. My eye settled on a fun green one with a flower; I swear it hadn’t been there before. I grabbed it and ran back to the clothing racks and found a springtime-is-here halter dress covered in a violet, blue, and green flowery pattern. I walked to the fitting room, confident that this combination would be the answer to my silent prayer.
Come Sunday, I arrived at the shower, turned off the car and sat there staring at the hat on the passenger seat, all at once in love with it, yet loathe to put it on. A few moments later, I walked onto a patio filled with behatted ladies, each one all the more lovely and unique thanks to those expressive accessories adorning their heads. There were all kinds–there were straw hats and fascinators, there were ones made of linen and of raffia, some had feathers galore. Each woman’s hat was a compliment to her personality and style. While all of us experienced certain obstacles when searching for and choosing our hats, we all agreed that we’d like to wear them more often. My friend’s shower was wonderful, and I won’t forget that I wore my first real hat for her.
Thank you, dear Olivia, for sending me pictures #6, 7, and 11!
Olive
March 8, 2011OMG…I am tickled pink about your post! We look soo fabu! Let me tell you that you are one who can pull hats off the best!!!!! Again, thank you for including me in your blog! I’m totally honored!!! xoxoxo
Olive
sunnyglobaldiva
March 8, 2011You’re so welcome, m’dear! 🙂 XOXO
Monica
March 8, 2011Maybe we should all do Sunday brunch one day so we can have another excuse to wear a hat 😉
sunnyglobaldiva
March 8, 2011I’m liking the brunch idea….now that I’ve worn the hat once, the fear has subsided!
Elena
March 8, 2011I’m glad you enjoyed the task of finding and wearing a hat. I agree with Olive, I find that you really pull off hats well. As for me, shortly after finding my ‘shower hat’ I visited Burlington again with my future in-laws, and bought myself another hat! This one I look forward to wearing on my honeymoon 🙂
sunnyglobaldiva
March 8, 2011Thanks, chica! I think now when I pass the hat racks in department stores, I won’t just admire from afar anymore… 😉
Helen
March 8, 2011I loved your post! It’s funny how I saw your hairstyle and hat and thought, “She really knows how to wear her hair with a hat- she must do it all the time!” I had to laugh whgile reading your blog! I was actually going to go to Burlington to get mine, but just happened to find one that looked like me at DSW. Overall, the hats at the shower were gorgeous and I agree, we should wear hats more often 🙂 Olive-never got to meet you, but wanted to tell you everything was absolutely fabulous! Hats off to you:)
sunnyglobaldiva
March 8, 2011“I saw your hairstyle and hat and thought, “She really knows how to wear her hair with a hat- she must do it all the time!”
Helen, you’re too kind! Thanks for reading 🙂
elena hernandez
March 8, 2011Beautiful I can’t express how gorgeous all the ladies look, I have a hat for the country, a hat for tea party, a hat do my garden, a hat for the beach, hats, hats, hats absolutely fabulous, if some day you do a brunch I will like to be invited and I will wear a hat too.
sunnyglobaldiva
March 8, 2011Elena, I admire your occasion-appropriate hat collection! I see myself going a similar route now…
Yamie
March 8, 2011You all looked LOVELY in your hats! Yes, I agree, wearing a hat out and about for the first time is a rite of passage– and you did it with flair! 🙂
sunnyglobaldiva
March 9, 2011Thanks, Yamie! I agree that we all did quite nicely =)
Kristina
March 9, 2011Wow, you all look fabulous with your beautiful hats! A hat makes a big statement and shows a lot of confidence! Bravo!
sunnyglobaldiva
March 10, 2011Thanks, Kristina!
Olive
March 9, 2011Girls, I say we rock them at Panera Bread for book club!!! LMAO!!!!!! Lets start the campaign to bring back “everyday hat wearing” like they used to do….
PS Know I know what to get you for your birthday!!!! 😉
sunnyglobaldiva
March 10, 2011OK, I’ll show up with one next time! 🙂
Anthony Kimber
March 13, 2011I think you look hot in the hat. Nuff said.
sunnyglobaldiva
March 14, 2011Merci, my friend!
TAF
February 13, 2012I am giving a bridal shower next month and putting the invitations together now. The bride would like everyone to wear hats so I am trying to figure out a clever way to incorporate it into the invitation. While everyone may not do so, I would like to encourage it. Any suggestions?
BTW – you all look fabulous!
sunnyglobaldiva
February 16, 2012Thanks, Tracy! As far as asking people to wear hats, just be direct and polite in the way that you word it, and be clear: something along the lines of “Please wear a hat for this lovely/special occasion,” or something like that. To be honest, you don’t want to be too cryptic or too clever with your wording, because then guests might think it’s optional, when in fact, the bride for whom you’re throwing the party seems to really want all the guests to wear hats. By stating the request politely and directly, all invited guests will make the effort of finding and wearing hats for the shower (at my friend’s party, no guest showed up without a hat, and I believe that’s because the invitation was clear about the request from the get go 🙂 ) I wish your friend the best of luck, and I hope you have lots of fun with the shower!