“A becoming hat…can hide a droopy hairstyle”  Arlene Dahl, Always Ask a Man

The cloche hat is a magical hat.  It can hide even the worst hair, like when you have to rush to an sudden interview and don’t have time to shower, plus it’s chic and kind of funky and really compliments short hair.

This 1920’s burlap cloche is another hat I’ve never worn.  A friend of my grandma’s gave it to me in high school because she knew I loved vintage clothes.  It had been folded up for decades, and never quite fit right.  So when I started this week, I borrowed a foam head from Ian and tried to reshape it, crossing my fingers that I wouldn’t damage it.  It worked, and now I have a sweet new hat, perfect for summer! (my other cloche is wool, not really summer ready).  And it made me look put together for my interview, even though I’d had to rush out the door when I got the call and didn’t have time to shower (don’t worry, I washed my hair when I got home!)

“The right hat gives a woman a lift…when she adjusts a seductive wisp of veil over her eyes or pins a pert bit of fluff on her head, she not only looks more beguiling, she feels that way too”  Arlene Dahl, Always Ask a Man

I’ve had this little black velvet cap with the birdcage veil forever, but I don’t remember where or when I got it or if I’ve ever actually worn it.  (Best guess: Rags-a-Go-Go in NYC, High School, No).  But what better time to try it out than during Hat Week?

The hardest part was putting together an outfit to go with such a vintage hat. A dress might make it look too costume-y for a Tuesday in the office, but I didn’t just want to slap it on my head all willy-nilly.

Late night and still looking fine!

The birdcage veil caused it’s own set of problems.  It looked stupid over my glasses, and I don’t like to wear contacts on my 13 hour Tuesdays (plus I was out of contact lens solution).  I ended up draping it backwards so that it accented the hat.  I thought it looked awesome, and gave me a way to wear it more often.

Outfit wise, I ended up going with a my favorite red polo shirt and black jeggings, but it was the gloves that tied it all together.  I bought those for my 80s prom ensemble I wore to the Stonecoast graduation dance (Matthew, who went to a born-again high school and didn’t have a prom, was my date). and haven’t worn them nearly as often as I should.  They soften an otherwise boyish ensemble and lend a sweet, but edgy touch to an outfit.  The black lace matched the netting, pulling the whole thing together.  

The problem with this hat is, like the pillbox, it’s not very secure.  The velvet makes it too thick to pin down, and it merely rested on top of my head the whole day, held on only by wills and prayer.  I had to keep adjusting it, and if I moved, it threatened to fall forward.  At least for part of the day, though, it reminded me to sit up straight.

But despite that, I really, really liked wearing this hat.  I’ve held onto it for so long and often thinking about getting rid of it, but finally figuring out how to wear it and what it can do for an outfit means it’s going to get some heavy hat rotation.