Hat Hunting
Tue Sep 28 2004

Doesn’t the wedding procession always look lovely? And the bride – the fairy princess;And the guests…oh, how nice – gents in black ties, ladies – in elegant hats…Well, now – has anybody ever thought how painful the hat experience could be for women?!

I don’t know if there are those ladies, who managed to find that special “hat-you’ve-been-born-in”. For me hat hunting for the next weekend’s friend’s wedding has been a trip down to Frustration Lane.

I have always enjoyed looking at the other women in hats. There is something very stylish about them. Very posh and very smart. But I have never worn a hat in my life and never really noticed that I missed out on this terribly.

Well, this time all I needed – just to buy me a little decent hat for our friend’s wedding for next weekend...And how difficult do you think this might be?

After a plundering raid on the shops and hours of trying on all conceivable models of lady’s hats – a few philosophical notices:

1.Trying on hats could be fun…for all those who happened to be around. It is nothing but sheer embarrassment for the “model head”.
2.On some the hat could be a stylish fashion accessory. A beautiful supplement to natural elegance. A character feature to accentuate style. On others hat is just a monstrous excrescence of sinamay on top of a poor wretch’s head.

I’ve seen so many unrecognisable appearances of me while trying on stacks of hats that almost lost myself among those surreal images…
I’ve tried on Mushroom hats, Mad Hatter hats, Scarecrow hats, Frivolously Plumaged hats, hats with Extremely Wide Brims that seemed to grow straight from the scalp, Gambler hats and Rodeo Queen hats, finally, Lampshade hats…Oh, and Panama hats as well…And none of those hats was anywhere closer to the look that I’d fancy or at least could’ve put up with…[*sigh]

I wish there would be a good explanation why on earth should women wear hat to the wedding?! Especially, if it is only for some 45 minutes of the ceremony itself, and then – off you go – you can safely lose your head…or hat for that matter…

Oh, and also – add to this hat-wearing ordeal the embarrassment of misshaped hair-do after removal of a hat for the evening reception! Do you really believe that you can be careless and comfortably relaxed wearing a stunning hat, when for all that time deep inside you are aware of that dreadful moment you will need to take your hat off and reveal sleeky locks of what cost you a fortune at hairdresser's the day before…

Anyway, after long run around all shops in town, I’ve managed to find a more-or-less suitable head gear, that I can live with for 45 mins. And if it will be out of style, I certainly can't care less - I’ll probably never see these people again anyway.

Sometimes I think that weddings could be a way for bride and groom to put their friends in embarrassing situations and mock at them during the wedding. Can easily imagine them laughing up their's sleeve...

3 Comments
  • From:
    InStitches (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Sep 28 2004
    Oh, I sooooo understand. I love hats. I have a collection of hats. I would love to wear hats.

    There is just one little problem or possibly two; hats just do not like me and quite go out of their way to look bad on me so I have given them up and shall remain hatless until the end of my days.

    Gone is the fantasy of the fem fatal in the wide brimmed hat with the netting that just hides the eyes or the fedora that sits at that jaunty little angle. How did Audrey Hepburn pull it off? *sighs*
  • From:
    Labyrinth (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Sep 29 2004
    Lol. I aint sure if am gonna laugh aloud or cry when you said you think I am one of those in the people pic. No. I am not. Waaaahhhh! But I did post a pic of Ayla earlier on the last pic which I now replaced with the cute babies. Please do picture me as you do now. Thank you. I aint that pretty but I know am not detestable-looking either. Lol.

    I dont wear hats. Not in this kind of tropical climate. My head sweats. But I would wear one at the beach to avoid sunburn and sunglare. :)

    Orient:)
  • From:
    IKnowHer (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Sep 30 2004
    Thank you so much for your encouraging comments.