Summer Easy to Wear

No matter how many hats I own (and at current count, well over 100), I could never have enough. There is just something about this most practical and most frivolous accessory that never ceases to delight me.

These two straw hats, one modern, one vintage 60s, are both fairly recent acquisitions – I bought them this last spring from separate Melbourne op shops (or thrift stores), each for about $5. Constructed from natural straw in neutral colours, they don’t look entirely frivolous – but they are not exactly practical either.

On the left is an open-weave mannish Homburg style, which does not at all keep off the sun … but then, neither does the little white Breton hat that perches on the top of the head.

The Breton has been more of a wardrobe success for me as I have worn it far more often as it seems to be more in keeping with my style. Possibly the woven Homburg makes me feel an uneasy twinge of boho or festival fashion, neither of which hackneyed looks I wish to emulate. But perhaps I haven’t yet found the right ensemble to top it off with.

Simply, some hats are easy to wear and seem to go with everything; others need exactly the right outfit to make them work. That’s the real difference between practicality and frivolity.