‘A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armour, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothes and wearing a costume; it’s the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it’s the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat.’ ~ Martha Sliter
I adore hats. I don’t wear them nearly as often as I’d like. I think Mr. LA gave me a bit of a complex years ago when he pulled a series of unimpressed faces at me while I sampled an array of toppers in front of the mirror at my local branch of Accessorize. But hey, what does he know, right?!As with all things sartorial in my life, my true passion is for hats with a generous nod to the past, particularly the 1930s through to the 1950s. I have long admired the millinery collections of some of my favourite vintage loving bloggers, Vixen Vintage and Tuppence Ha’penny to name but a few, all the while dreaming of amassing my own assortment of glamorous hats. The wedding, and more specifically my hunt for the perfect going away outfit, finally provided me with an opportunity to indulge my ultimate hat wearing whims.
My prayers were answered by the delectable Kitty and Wanda of Hello Strumpet.
‘Having had such fun with scissors as children, Kitty DuBois & Wanda Von Wink continue their love affair with all things lacy, frilly, tweedy and delicious. They long for the days when hat wearing was de rigueur and ladies made a real commitment to glamour on a daily basis. Bespoke cocktail hats for all occasions – weddings, bar mitzvahs, cruise liner launches or indeed, all day, everyday, using beautiful, lovingly sourced, vintage fabrics and trimmings or made to order incorporating your own chosen fabrics.’
Just after Christmas, a mere 3 weeks before the wedding, I approached the talented milliners about the possibility of them creating a bespoke cocktail hat to compliment the LK Bennett suit I had already purchased. A swift email exchange ensued and in no time at all I found myself the proud owner of this beauty…
I felt fabulous wearing this at the close of my wedding day. It definitely added something special to my going away outfit. Not going to lie, my husband didn’t want me to take it off, if you know what I mean 😉 He will actually kill me for typing that, I believe his Mother reads my blog! Moving swiftly on…
Hello Strumpet also have a divine wedding collection which would be perfect for any brides looking for something a little different. Can you imagine a gaggle of gorgeous bridesmaids in floral 50s style prom dresses and a pretty pillbox hat? Fabulous! I’m certainly looking for an excuse to order myself another millinery masterpiece. The craftsmanship is faultless, the service impeccable and the prices affordable. I highly recommend.
Are you a lover of hats? Tempted by Hello Strumpet?
Loveaudrey xxx
I’ve loved hats since I was in about year 3 and had a fabulous velour hat with red and green rosettes on it. Oh that hat… and then I liked to wear kangol flat caps haha. Now I favour berets but I adore these pillbox style hats too.
I’m a great lover of berets. My current favourite is a red one with 2 huge felt flowers on the front. I remember the kangol caps being ‘in’! I do think you’d look lovely in a hat in this style too, perhaps you should investigate the bridal range for your wedding day 🙂
xxx