Tuesday, September 1, 2009

THE HEADWEAR ASSOCIATION REVEALS STYLISH AND AFFFORDABLE HAT TRENDS FOR FALL/WINTER SEASON

Retro hats prevail as stingy-brim fedoras and cloche make a comeback

Need something to spruce up you fall and winter wardrobe during this gloomy economy? Hats are the most practical accessory to refresh your style and update your look without breaking the bank.

Placing a hat as the centerpiece of your wardrobe allows a cost-effective way to modernize your attire; to get noticed, and to transform a rather ordinary look to one that is memorable.

“As consumers continue to worry about the economy, men and women are looking for something special to give them a lift. A hat can be that unique piece, injecting color, texture or a new style,” said David Goldman, president of The Headwear Association.

While hats used to be a sign of conformity – it now viewed as a sign of individuality. Some of the current hot trends include the stingy brim hat, fedora and the cloche hat.

For the fall and winter season there has been a revival of the stingy-brim fedora, which is a brim of 1½ inches wide. This style offers a cool-factor; a laid back, and smart look. Fabrics range from wool flannel, to traditional herringbone, plaids, and wool felt.

Fedoras in all styles continue to top the hat trend with winter fabrics like wool and tweed. Between Johnny Depp donning a fedora in the recent movie “Public Enemies” and Don Draper (actor Jon Hamm) sporting one in AMC's dramatic series “Mad Men” – it has been a widely popular year for this type of hat.

A fedora has been around for more than a century and it was the signature hat style of movie legends like Humphrey Bogart as well as gangsters, private eyes and newspaper reporters. A fedora can totally transform your look and is compatible with suits to jeans. It comes in every color imaginable – with black, grey, tan and brown as the most popular.

When wearing a fedora, it is important to have the correct size, so that it doesn’t fall down over your ears or leave a red mark on your forehead when it’s removed. A fedora looks best angled slightly to one side and titled forward so the brim rests right above the eyebrows.

Even though a fedora is seemingly menswear-inspired, it can still have a feminine touch by adding a hat band, beads, flowers or feathers. Some hats can be trimmed to fit women’s smaller frames by making the brims shorter – which can look more flattering.

Cloche hats, a fitted, bell-shaped hat made popular during the 1920s, are a great way to add sophistication to women’s fall and winter outfits. This versatile hat is worn during the day or night and should be worn pulled down over the head falling right above the eyes. Recently, the cloche has been seen on actress Leighton Meester on the TV show “Gossip Girl” and on Angelina Jolie in the movie, “The Changeling.”

For more information about The Headwear Association: contact Susan Weiss, SWPR 312-222-1337 or susan@swpr.biz.

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