Hat Attack

I must admit, I'm kindof having a hat moment. It's spring, the sun is shining, and we're planning to go to the Kentucky Derby this year (very excited for my first foray into everything Derby). My vision of relaxing in the stands as a perfectly groomed southern belle sipping my mint julep has made my search for the perfect hat go from happy shopping to borderline obsession...

Sidebar: Some girls maintain that "I just can't wear hats," "my head is too small" and "they just don't look right on me." I actually used to feel the same way, but as time has gone by and I've gotten more comfortable with myself and how I look, I've come to realize that ANYONE can wear ANYTHING. You just have to have the confidence and the attitude to make sure that YOU are wearing the hat, and that the hat is not wearing YOU.

I began my search for the perfect hat with the king of all millinery, Phillip Treacy. You simply can't talk hats unless you include his couture designs- worn by the likes of only serious fashionistas (see: Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga). From cooky to haute, I envision the woman in a Phillip Treacy hat strolling the streets of Paris or on her way to a major gallery opening like le Centre Pompidou.

Not wishing the good folks at AMEX to begin harassing me for my first-born child, I continued my search onto something a little closer to my price range. Note to future Derby attendees- anything called a "derby" hat is immediately $200-$300 more expensive than it needs to be. I knew I wanted something with an extremely large brim- you gotta own it!- and I mentally referenced the large brims as seen on Kim Kardashian in the opening frames for Kim & Kourtney Take New York.

Just taking a peek into some of the high end shops in our town featuring my coveted Tory Burch flats led me to a gorgeous hat- sleek, large-brimmed, black and decorated with flowers to match my dress- not old lady looking at all, and very chic. All for the low low price of $325. DISLIKE.

At first I was hesitant to buy something without trying it on (my head really IS small), but since I was not pleased with any of the local options, I hit the web. www.hatagories.com had some fun, affordable options, but as I continued my search, I quickly realized that I couldn't allow myself to buy something so pricey I could only wear once - cost per wear is a mathematical barometer that I live by! Eugenia Kim is another favorite hat designer of mine, but her expertise is city-chic fedoras and newsboy caps, not the oversized, lady-like look I was going for.

I finally settled on a plain black number from zappos.com for a very reasonable price (inset). My plan is to head to Michaels for ribbon and flowers and to use very strategically placed pins so that after the derby, my new favorite hat can double as beach protection. Now all I need for the derby is the perfect open-toed black shoes, gloves, and clutch! Check back for a future post to see the entire look!

But now that I've opened Pandora's hat box, I'm a woman obsessed- cadet hats, skoodies, fedoras, even the classic sporty ballcap for Saturday afternoons running errands have entered my vernacular. What are some of your favorite hat styles for spring?