Thursday, February 9, 2012

Hats Off!

I was reading Connie  at Farside of Fifty  yesterday where she mentioned men wearing hats.  It reminded me that my 84 year old father has always worn a dress hat.  As soon as fall arrives he starts wearing his hat and doesn't go anywhere without it until the next summer.  He started wearing them in a era when that was popular and he just never stopped. 

It reminded me of the hats I'd seen my mother wear.  I don't have memories of her wearing one very often, but there were moments.


Like Easter 1955


Also in 1955 was this one of my grandmother (Mom's mother) Mattie in hers.


I love ladies in hats.  I wish I could pull them off.  I just can't.  I've got a couple I take to the beach with me now, but they're not cute...believe me.   I watched the "Royal" wedding, in large part, to see the hats.  Weren't they fabulous!   Those Brits know how to wear a hat.   Another hat voyeur location is the Kentucky Derby.  It was somewhere I wanted to go, just so I could wear the big hat! 

When I was working at Gantos (high end women's apparel), back in the mid to late 90's,  we sold hats. I'm talkin" feathers and rhinestones.     Usually they were bought by black ladies that were buying dress suits.  They looked stunning!  Nothing can turn a head like a well dressed woman in a brilliant hat.  They just put the explanation mark on an outfit.

I would have loved the big hat days of the early 1900s.  ( Big hats/ big hair...I'm seeing a correlation here.)

 
When we visited Biltmore a couple of springs ago, I loved this painting of Edith Vanderbilt..  Now, that is a hat!


 

10 comments:

Simone said...

I know just what you mean! I grew up with my mom and others around me wearing hats. At church, it was the norm to see hats and spectacular they were. It was more than an accessory, it was a part of the whole outfit.

Great pictures!

Eat To Live said...

My Father In Law who is 94 wears a hat quite often, especially when the weather turns cool.

I don't remember my Mother wearing a hat, even to church.

Sweet Tea said...

My Dad always loved hats too.
He would not have really seemed the
"Hat type", but there's no explaining taste
is there? I look awful in hats, not to mention
They leave one with "hat hair".

Far Side of Fifty said...

As you know I love old photos of people in hats..the days gone by!
I loved all your photos of old hats..especially that sweet looking little girl..it must be you! :)

Rae said...

You were so cute in your Easter hat. I had one much like that. Too bad the hat tradition is gone.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Yep, that takes me back to my little girl self when Mom would always put a hat and gloves on us both to go to church.

Now I wear slacks to dance 'round my Kid's Church. Ya never know what I might do....gotta keep 'em interested! Heeehehehe!

God bless ya and have yourself a fantabulous weekend sweetie!!! :o)

Anonymous said...

Interesting post. I don't wear hats, but my mother does, even indoors. She has a hat for every occasion. Frankly, she looks best in a hat.

Chatty Crone said...

I don't ear hats but I know my mom did. And she wore gloves to work. No air conditioning. Amazing right? sandie

Kay said...

Oh me too! I love hats though we rarely wear fancy ones in Hawaii. It's mostly sun hats for us. I often wondered how those big hats stayed on women's heads.

Intense Guy said...

Now *that's* an Easter bonnet!

:) too cute!

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