The Best Hats for Tackling the Cold Snap

It’s official, It’s the dead of winter. The Solstice may have passed and technically the days are getting shorter, but we know that (especially in England) this cold and drab weather has a tendency to drag on for a few more months. If we’re as unlucky as last year then we could be looking at snow running right into April. So, I hear you ask, how do I combat this cold snap and keep my sunny disposition, when I’m surrounded by frost and drizzle?

Well don’t fear, we have an answer! And no, its not hibernate inside with a vat of shepherd’s pie and red wine. Our answer to fighting this cold winter weather means you can get out there, stay warm and look absolutely fabulous doing it. The magical answer on how to do this… Is to wear the right winter hat!

 

It may sound simple and you may be thinking, I already shove on my black beanie under the hood of my parka coat. But this is NOT what we’re talking about. I believe that the right hat can transform your mood and export you from this miserable winter weather into your better self. A hat is the ultimate outfit topper and can literally brighten your day and your outfit.

We’re going to talk you through our favourite hats for the winter and how you take this tip and add it into your daily routine.

The obvious bit, they keep your head warm and in turn they heat your whole body from the top down. More importantly though, they are one of the easiest ways to make an outfit amazing, a hat truly tops off an ensemble and is a symbol of style. Some of the best style icons are hat obsessed, from Kate moss to Kate Middleton, there’s a whole scale of hat wearers. You can keep it subtle and still be effortlessly stylish or you can go bold and stun the crowd. Hats make everyone feel great in their clothes and when you feel great in your clothes you will feel great in yourself, despite the winter weather.

Hats do suit all, we hear so many times that they don’t, but we do believe there’s a hat for everyone (read on to ‘which hat will suit you’). If you have short hair, long hair, dark skin, light skin, a large head or a tiny head, there will be something that will flatter you and compliment your personal style, giving you the confidence to fight and batter the mid winter slump.

 

There are so many types of hats! We are huge fans of them here (being a milliners and all). Winter gives you the opportunity to wear so many shapes, from glamourous fedoras, stylish trilbies, cosy Parisian berets and cool caps to Dr Zhivago fur hats, bowler hats, cowboy hats and so so many more… this year the beret has had a shining moment and we think it may go on strong for one more season. Next year we think the cowboy hat will be breaking into winter as well as the beautiful Russian sable hats having some time in the spotlight. We also are firm lovers of colour for winter (and summer). Our hats are always crafted in beautifully bold shades of pink, electric blue, green, red and yellow as well as many more. A brightly coloured hat will literally splash some brightness into your day. We are also loving the animal print trend at the moment, with leopard print trilbies to zebra print berets we’ve seen some fun and adventurous patterns going on this season. That’s what fashion is all about after all, dressing up and having FUN!

 

We’ve heard so many people say, ‘hats don’t suit me’. We simply think this isn’t true. As well as having a hat that fits beautifully, a lot of the time it’s about finding the confidence to rock the right style. Not everyone has to wear our green wings trilby, you can save that for the Madonna’s of the world and feel beautiful in your beret or your beanie. When you have a hat that fits and a style that suits your personality, you will have the confidence to take on the winter.

However, first you need to identify which hat this is, so how do you decide? Firstly, try things on. Don’t be afraid  to pop into a hat shop like ours and try a few bits on. Milliners will be able to tell you everything there is about wearing hats, from couture to caps there are always small style tips.

For a few of our tips and rules to wearing hats read the following:

• Short hair is difficult to match but you can’t go wont with a short brimmed winter hat
• Long hair is easier to flatter and looks great with Fedoras, Berets and Trilbies
• Paler skin looks great with natural and pastel coloured winter hats
• Dark hair looks great with deep coloured hats
• Darker skin looks great with brightly coloured hats
• Wide brim hats flatter women with broader shoulders and wider face shapes
• Short Brimmed hats flatter women with narrower shoulders
• Couture hats should be worn above the left eyebrow at an angle
• Always ask a milliner for hat advice!

You can also take our Winter Hat QUIZ to find out which hat will suit your personality and where you are on the JCM adventure scale!  For more in detail hat tips and styling do come into our studio where our expert milliner Jess has endless advice on hat life.

Hats give people confidence and also give people something to hide behind, we think it’s a bit of both hat makes them a favourite among celebs. Rita Ora has rocked our Phoenix fedora with a gorgeous floor length coat and leather boots. Cara Delevigne has rocked a flat, wide brimmed electric blue winter hat this year which was another favourite look of ours. Kate Moss often wears the endlessly cool trilby and Sienna Milliner always wears a fedora. Pippa Middleton is an avid hat wearer like her sister and owns our Phoenix Fedora, our summer ‘World Traveller’ and our panama trilby. But however they do it, it’s up to you to find your own way of doing it too, so read over our tips, take our quiz and start trying it for yourselves, we promise it makes a world difference!