Hat Styles and Headwear

From Turbans and Trilbys to Fedoras and Panamas

Jan 12, 2008 Gill Hart

Hats are back in the chicest of ways. A perfect fashion accessory to fluid trouser suits and floaty dresses. On-trend styles to wear are fedoras, trilbys and panamas.

Celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Keira Knightly and Kate Moss can take much of the credit for the reinvention of the hat.

Sienna Miller first pioneered the wearing of the floppy wide brim ones but these have now given way to more masculine styles like the fedora or trilby, in line with this season's boyfriend fashion trend. Kate Moss and Keira Knightly are both big fedora supporters.

As the weather gets warmer and the maxi dresses reappear we will also see a re-emergence of the wider brimmed straw hat – the Panama.

"Classic is best when it comes to hats right now," according to fashionising.com, in their article, "Hat Trends, Part 1." Rather than keeping a hat for a special occasion, wear it out and about in a funky, saucy style as part of Spring and Summer's hot trends.

Hat Styles - How to Tell Them Apart

The Fedora Hat

This hat looks set to be one of the key note accessories for 2008 and can be found in Spring statement colors as well as black and brown.

Favored by such celebrities as Kate Moss and Keira Knightly, this season's edgy fedora smacks of mystery and a touch of manliness. Along with the trenchcoat, this hat was the staple uniform of detectives and spies from the '40s and '50s, but it fell out of fashion in the later part of the 20th century. This season’s re-emergence is due in part to "boyfriend dressing," bringing an air of masculinity into the women’s world of fashion.

Recognize it by the crease down the middle. It is pinched in at both the sides and front, and its flexible shape can be customized to a certain degree. Initially made of soft felt, fedoras in 2008 can be found in straw, twill and other textiles. For added individuality, the brim can be turned down at the front.

According to “What is a fedora?” from wisegeek.com, this classic and timeless hat was first produced in its current style in the 1910s. The fedora was named after the title character, who wore a similar hat in Victorien Sardou’s 1882 play of the same name. These hats quickly became popular with both men and women for their practicality and style.

The Trilby Hat

This hat is similar to a fedora in style but has a narrower brim. The brim starts out wide at the front and then narrows at the back. Trilby wearing celebrities are Justin Timberlake, Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton and Victoria Beckham.

Popular with jazz and soul musicians and recent Indie fashion, the trilby is based on a character from George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby.

The Panama Hat

Originating from Ecuador, the panama represents everything tropically South American, according to wisegeek.com in their article “What is a Panama Hat?”

Made of straw, the panama is stylish and extremely practical and looks great with a maxi dress. With a wide enough brim to keep off the sun it is perfect for co-ordinating with this season’s wide choice of feminine dresses.

In Style fashion director Lizzy Shepherd says "the Panama it the one hat style you can invest in with confidence. It's a classic style which suits most face shapes." in the article "20 Best Kept Secrets in Fashion", November 2007 Australia edition.

Embellished Headbands and Mini Tubans

If you are not a hat person then you can still be right on trend by wearing one of this season's jewelled or floral headbands. Wear it over the hair rather than underneath it for an updated look.

The copyright of the article Hat Styles and Headwear in Shoes & Accessories is owned by Gill Hart. Permission to republish Hat Styles and Headwear in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.