What's The Allure Of A Wide Brimmed Hat?

Fashion bloggers and stylists are really talking up wide brimmed hats. I've been on the fence about this hot millinery trend until I spied a luscious chocolate velour hat at a friend's consignment boutique on Sunday. Having not worn the broad brimmed style for many a moon, I had forgotten how it softens and adds fullness to angular, thin faces like mine. If that wasn't enough of a selling point, the hat made me feel so  daring and self possessed.

Of course I bought the hat and have had visions ever since of movie and television icons who carried off their wide brimmed chapeaus with incredible panache.  Faye Dunaway wore wide hats in the Thomas Crown Affair; Gene Tierney donned spectacular feather adorned ones, and Mod Squad's Peggy Lipton fought crime in her floppy suede number.

Hats off to my friend, Rafiah Jones, for turning me into a wide brimmed hat devotee. Her store, Clothesline, is located in Washington, DC, and it offers an eclectic collection of contemporary, classic, retro and vintage clothing, jewelry, shoes and handbags. The hat wasn't my only purchase. I also picked up a gorgeous pair of tall, buttery brown Papagallo boots in mint condition for a song. Clothesline is on Facebook (Clothesline-A Uniq Consignment Boutiq) and you can also contact the boutique by email: rafiahjones@yahoo.com.






Me In My New Hat and Boots
(scarf with pockets waiting to be adopted) 



The Wide Brimmed Hat Maven,  Faye Dunaway 



The Fabulous Gene Tierney



Last On The List Of 2011 Style Ins and Outs

I saved the best for last. Here is #5:

What's Out - Jeggings  Let's bid adieu to these legging mutants!
What's in -  Leggings (still in) and all variety of textured tights

As I conclude my postings on style ins and outs, I thought I'd leave you with these thoughts:

"It is fancy rather than taste which produces so many new fashions". Voltaire

"Fashion is made to become unfashionable". Coco Chanel

Adding to Corey's List of Style Ins and Outs

Do you hear the drum roll? Here is #4 on my list:

What's Out - 1980's inspired boyfriend jackets
What's In - Modern boyfriend jackets with a narrower, more feminine silhouette
See the link below to view a gem of a boyfriend jacket that was featured in Harper's Bazaar.

GUESS by Marciano Clothing for Women Shop The Winter 2011 Collection: Laurette Boyfriend Blazer

Another 2011 Style In and Out

Here is #3 on my list of fashion ins and outs:

What's Out - Wearing white athletic shoes when you are not working out
What's In - Work boots, motorcycle boots, cowboy boots, chukka boots, sneakers, athleisure shoes (stylish shoes that you can work out in)     

More 2011 Style Ins and Outs

The countdown continues. Here is #2 on my list.

What's Out - Harem pants (Thank-you fashion gods.)
What's In - Wide leg trousers

Click on the link below to read about the wide leg trouser trend.

7x7.com: Love It or Leave It: Fall's High-Waist, Wide-Leg Trousers

Corey's 2011 Style Ins and Outs

As the famous designer Yves Saint Laurent once said, "fashion fades, style is eternal". True style withstands the test of time, bad fashion ends up on the clearance racks  before you can say "designer apparel". Inspired by the Washington Post's annual New Year's day list of Ins and Outs, I've created my own list of outgoing fashion forgettables and  incoming trends with staying power.  

Number 1

What's Out - Wearing pajama bottoms as street wear.
What's In: - Wearing pajamas to bed.

Stay tuned for #2 on my list tomorrow.