With the bank holiday almost upon us, thoughts are quickly turning to all things Easter. As children anticipate gorging on chocolate eggs, and dream of giant bunnies laden with gifts, parents scramble for last-minute train tickets and sprint to the supermarket to grab the last Lindor. So with thoughts firmly fixed on the secular spirit of spring’s first holiday, it seems only fitting that heads should be topped off with a festive bonnet.
Luckily, things have moved on from the days of Sunday-school art attacks and the hats seen around the capital have branched into far more sophisticated territory. Seen in all manner of guises — from fedoras, to trilbys, to berets — this season’s infatuation with the humble hat began at the autumn/winter couture shows, as Karl Lagerfeld pioneered the It hat. An accolade usually reserved for a new season bag or shoe, the Parisian designer instead focused his attention squarely on the noggin, and, from veils in delicate silk to straw boater-style numbers trimmed with ostrich feathers, every model on the Chanel catwalk had her distinctive headgear.
Similarly, at the recent autumn/winter ready-to-wear shows, it seemed there were more hats than ever before: Kinder Aggugini’s giant cowboy hats sat alongside Louis Vuitton’s oversized bucket hats and the large-scale bows at Moschino. The rule: anything goes — as long as it draws serious attention.
And while the sun may not have had its hat on these past few days, it seems Londoners certainly do. Here’s our pick of the best bonnets on the streets.
Pictures by: Miyelle Karmi - www.me-elle-you.com
