The
clock has been moved ahead, and the weather's warmed
up. Now it's time to freshen up your wardrobe for
spring. Here are a few words of advice: Don't forget
the hat.
Hats
can be functional or fashionable, comfortable or chic.
They can be as cozy as a knit beret or as classy as a
wide-brimmed straw hat with silk and flower trim.
The
classics will define headwear this spring, says Joey
Pauline, who co-owns The Laundry Room, a fashion
boutique in Fresno, Calif. Many hats, however, will
sport a modern look. "It's pretty much classics
redefined. It's a look that's already happened, but
it's funked up a bit," Pauline says.
An
array of colors, from bold to earth tones, will be
trendy this spring, says Susan Lee, merchandise
manager for The Village Hat Shop, with stores in San
Diego, Long Beach and Sacramento, Calif.
Here's
a look of some of the hot hats for spring.
FEDORA
A soft
hat with a brim and lengthwise crease in the crown.
It's named for Princess Fedora, the heroine of an 1882
play by Victorien Sardou who wore a similar hat.
Fedoras often are made of a cotton/polyester blend,
but lightweight, breathable material such as straw is
popular when it's warm, says Kristi Bigelow, co-owner
of Invee Karma, a fashion boutique in Fresno. The
trend: brightly colored and print fedoras with satin
linings.
NEWSBOY
A soft
fabric cap with a round, puffy, paneled crown often
with a button on top. A small bill or visor is sewn or
snapped onto the crown. The newsboy, or
"newsy," has been trendy for about five
years, says Susan Lee of The Village Hat Shop. The cap
was worn by children (newsboys) around 1920. Now, it's
favored by golfers. This spring's version will have a
more contoured shape, making it less flimsy.
TRILBY
A soft
hat with a narrow, flexible brim and deeply indented
crown. Trilbys are similar to fedoras but have a
narrower brim. The name comes from a play based on
George du Maurier's 1894 novel "Trilby," in
which the title character wore this style of hat.
Trilbys traditionally were made from rabbit hair felt,
but tweed or wool is common. A new style is the Arnie
Trilby, a bamboo cotton/polyester blend named after
golfer Arnold Palmer. Inspector Clouseau, the
character played by Peter Sellers in "Pink
Panther" films, wore a Trilby.
MILITARY
This
hat has a roomy crown, squared top and sharp, curved
bill. They're made of various fabrics, including
cotton, wool and polyester. Traditional colors include
khaki, olive and brown. For women, the trend is
bright, bold colors with glitter and embellishments.
The cadet-style by Faith is a popular choice among
women.
TRUCKER
It's
similar to a baseball cap but has a mesh back,
adjustable strap and button on top. These sometimes
are called "gimme" or "feed" caps
because they originated as promotional giveaways to
farmers and truck drivers from feed and farming supply
companies. While the original caps had company logos,
today's styles often feature slogans or graphics. Bold
designs are hot, and rhinestone and glitter accents
are popular among women.
WIDE-BRIM
These
have a low crown and wide, stiff brim that frames the
face. Straw is the preferred material, but organza
cotton, grosgrain ribbon, cotton twill, cotton pique
knit and nylon also are used. "From the runway to
the beach you'll see more and more wide-brim hats that
offer both sun protection as well as classic
elegance," says Susan Lee of The Village Hat
Shop. Hot colors: blood orange or teal accents.
SUN-CONSCIOUS
Hats in
many styles (ball caps, Panamas) that are suited to
outdoor activity. Most have brims at least 2 inches
wide. Cotton, hemp, straw and nylon are popular
materials. Many offer an Ultraviolet Protection Factor
of 30-50. Sporting goods stories, including REI, sell
sun-conscious hats, including a Tilley with a UPF 50.
Tilleys have a molded crown, wide brim, tuckaway cord,
secret pocket and foam liner (to keep them afloat).
They are made of various fabrics, including cotton
duck, nylon and hemp.
WALKER
A soft
cloth hat with a center dent and narrow brim that
originated in the British Isles and also is known as a
"walking hat." They traditionally were made
in the British Isles from Harris Tweed. Although straw
walkers are popular in spring, all types of fabric,
including tweeds and cottons, are worn in temperate
climates.
"These
hats are pretty classic and most everyone - young to
old - purchases them for their traditional
style," says Susan Lee of The Village Hat Shop.