PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS: TOP 3 WINTER HATS AND HOW TO STYLE THEM

When you see someone wearing a hat do you think "I wish I could do that"? I know a lot of my clients feel like the styles of hats available can be either the perfect fit for their style or, more often, can be out of reach for them to try!

Autumn and Winter are a great time to try adding this great accessory to your outfit, as the weather asks for an additional option to keep us warm and dry.

If you want to try out wearing a hat this season, then you’re in luck! In this article I will be sharing my top 3 stylish hats to add to your wardrobe, and how you can style them for Winter.

Beret

The classic French girl hat (created in 1889 for the Mountain Infantry!), and one that works beautifully any time of year, really! The beret is a round hat with a flat crown, with a bulb-like form when you wear it.

This hat can be worn dressed down, in a classic Parisian style, with a trench coat, jeans and a striped long-sleeved jumper, or why not change it up and wear it with a leather jacket and midi dress.

This style of hat can also work with many types of hair styling. Whether you have a low pony tail or bun; a cropped or bob-style, or a beachy waved long hair look. The beret can work beautifully for your outfit, particularly if you perhaps fall into the Classic, Dramatic, or Creative style personalities.

As it is available in so many colours and styles, you really can find a beret to suit your personality and colours. A simple cashmere beret in light blue or berry; or even an animal print beret to add a real eye-catching piece!

Fedora 

The fedora feels like the coolest of the cool hat options. With a wide rim, well-known shape, and coming in a selection of fabrics and styles, you can upgrade your look with a fedora. 

The caveats here are that a fedora can work for most face shapes, but you need to consider the rim and the height of the crown. The fedora is, in fact, a great hat if you have an oblong face.

For heart-shaped faces, look for smaller brims so you can complement your jawline.

Some of my favourite ways to make an outfit with a fedora as your accessory is by going full-on rock chick! A leather coat over a pair or black jeans (or a mini skirt and tights) with your combat boots, layered necklaces, and rings, topped off with your favourite belt.

If this is out of your personal style, then why not go romantic or bohemian? A floaty midi dress, with a brown or tan fedora, with knee high suede boots, and cross over body bag.

Baker boy 

If you want to work the androgenous look and mix that with an almost vintage feel, then the baker boy hat is a perfect option for you. 

With its small brim, and puffed out crown, this hat is best for those with an angular face such as a heart or square. 

These hats work beautifully with neutral suiting with a classic navy or black option and your hair down.

You could also style this hat with a thick roll neck knitted jumper tucked into a midi skirt with tights and knee high leather boots, with a belt to pull you in at the waist.

You can also add a little extra edge with a leather or even a velvet version, while this may not be best for the rain.

With these three hat options for your outfits, I hope I’ve inspired you to try out one of them if not all three! If you want to add new accessories or styling to your wardrobe, I specialise in helping people like you find their personal style and how to reflect this in their wardrobes. Find out more about my Style Masterclass for image consultancy to see how you can transform how you create confidence through your style.

PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS – HOW TO LOOK AND FEEL “WOW” IN WINTER, WITH HANDMADE SEASONAL COLOUR HATS

I was delighted to have been taken part into a very special project of the women in business community WoW – Women on Women in collaboration with Italian hat designer, Vitrizia: the WoW hat Capsule, which was conceived as Urban artwear. The beauty of this collection was to showcase that fashion can be art, and specifically in this collection that the hat can be an artistic object to be showcased on the street as an artistic expression for the everyday woman.

The aim of these creations is to be WoW on every woman and Marianna, the CEO of WoW – Women  on Women, together with the designer, realised that working on the colour element was essential to achieve that result and in order to enhance each woman’s beauty.

Being part of the WoW community, and colour analysis expert, Marianna asked for my support in identifying the different seasonal colours for the capsule, to complement women belonging to each of the colour seasons. Each of the four handmade designs can be realised in colour combinations from the 4-seasons colour palettes (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) and has special features to truly help the wearer feel confident and empowered.

Woollen hats are worn during the colder months so this is fantastic time to enhance the beauty of each woman, from day to night, with the headpiece accessory. And getting it right with the right shape and colours is so important to feel unique and confident.

The Diva Headdress

This is a truly standout piece which can work beautifully with a similarly Avant Garde outfit – think oversized coats or more masculine cuts. The piece will definitely help you to stand out among the grey backgrounds of this season, so consider finding the style in your colours and truly go with it!

While it will keep you warm with its open balaclava style, you will also take the stage with its unique styling. Let the hand sewn jewels add a touch of femininity to your masculine outfit, and pop on a pair of heels with wide leg trousers to continue the masculine/feminine look.

The Diva hat in a winter colour combination

The Mimosa Cake Hat

A classic style with a unique edge, this almost beanie-like style gets a dramatic touch of artistic flair with the double topper. I love that this brings a truly unique addition to a classic look, so while it feels the most simplistic of the designs for this capsule collection, you know you will be showcasing your individuality & supporting hand-crafted creations.

I recommend wearing the Mimosa to complement a monochromatic look, as it already is reflected in the hat. You can either add the layered pop of colour to the remainder of your outfit, or let that part shine and complete your look with an outfit all in the colour of the main hat. Monochromatic looks are excellent for keeping a professionals and easy to put together look, and when you know your colours, these should be easily accessible in your wardrobe. Put on a classic-cut coat such as a trench coat or blazer to complete the winter-ready styling.

The Mimosa hat in a Spring colour combination

The Big Kiss

I love this piece so much I had to get it for myself – it’s incredibly unique and you can even add ostrich feathers to make this hat almost like a bejewelled head piece or fascinator. Inspired by early twentieth-century designs, this hat has a rosette to the side of the garment with hand-sewn crystals, you won’t need any jewellery with this to stand out!

The Big Kiss in a summer colour combination

With this hat, I like to wear it with a structured coat for formal meetings, or with a leather or denim jacket to relax the look. Then pop on my favourite cropped jumper, a pair of black or dark jeans and high heeled boots – mixing together the elegant styling of the hat with a more informal outfit.

The Ruler

A fun, quirky, and unique design, this hat brings together a scarf and a hat together in one! I absolutely love the additional textures in the neck piece that transform this hat, that truly is a piece of art for the modern woman to wear. It uses inspiration from the eighteenth century, framing the head and the neckline, you’ll truly feel like Queen Elizabeth I with a contemporary colour twist.

The Ruler in an Autumn colour combination

I love to play with the inspiration of this outfit and truly go full-romantic styling. Think long floaty dresses, that encompass the feeling of a royal queen. If that’s a little too feminine, then consider the fabrics that feel royal such as satins, velvets, and suede! It would work beautifully with a velvet suit, or perhaps a square-necked long sleeve jumper, long overcoat and midi skirt that continues to be a go-to piece for this season.

As an Italian personal stylist in London, I love supporting fellow Italian designers create pieces that help women stand out from the crowd, and continue to support independent, hand crafted creations that are sustainable. It was a real pleasure to be a part of this project, and you can get your own pieces from this collection by going here and if you want to learn all about the colours that work for you so you can confidently curate a wardrobe you love, please get in touch to book your colour consultation.