bits and bobbins

if money was no object…the all-cocktail-hat edition!

cocktail hats are all i can think about at the moment. and well, shoes (when do i ever not think about shoes??)…but really, my mind is primarily occupied with visions of cocktail hats and ways i want to wear them. this obsession with cocktail hats has sort of reached critical mass within my own fashion-addled mind.

i envision cocktail hats with everything…jeans, cute little thrifted dresses (from whatever era, you know i don’t discriminate!), shorts, whatever. dressed up, casual, everything in between. actually, i quite like the idea of wearing them with casual ensembles, because of the visual irony/clash of it all. or like, wearing a cheap chic casual outfit with like, a fancy hat and fancy shoes. that sort of thing.

cocktail hats, or really, any little fancy hats of a similar ilk, are a fun way to explore fashion on another level through the utilization of accessories, another point of visual interest on the map of the moving human form. they are truly indulgences…we don’t NEED to wear them, they don’t have any practical purpose (like shading or protecting the head, for instance) but they add an air of intelligent, sophisticated play to any ensemble.

cocktail hats are absolutely nothing to be afraid of. such hats can be worn anywhere if you *believe* that they can be worn anywhere. simple as that.


(that’s in answer to the inevitable retort…”but where would i wear them??”)

…and actually, that’s my philosophy on anything fashion-related. fashion: love it, believe in it, have fun with it. who CARES what the hell others think of what you wear? be courageous.

and i gotta say, while i am seeing cocktail hats here and there in magazines and on people now and again, they are still a rather rare sight on the streets. it would be nice to change that.

so without any further ado…here are some swanky cocktail hats i’d snatch up, if, of course, money was no object…

***

a fascinating facinator from an ebay seller who goes by the unwieldy name of HAZEL CHURCH HATS LADIES RED HAT (huh?)…her store has a section filled with fancy cocktail hats…packed to the brim with fun, feathery fripperies.

***

katie burley of san francisco is behind the goodly green fun shown here, a hat called “apple martini“…the perfect topper for getting one’s drink on. put it on your crown while you guzzle a beer.

in my fashion fantasy land, that sweet sassy green hat would look mighty fine with an orange or red dress in more of a modern cut…perhaps even something a little 80s in its aesthetic. just sayin’. i think i have just the item in my closet already…!

***

boring sidney makes all sorts of hats, most of which have a gorgeous gothy sort of feel, but the bright hues and exotic peacock feathers (looking a little like antennae?) on this particular topper really get my blood racing:

love it paired with the pink hair (a wig, methinks, but still, so lovely!).

***

the great thing about a lot of cocktail hats is that they are really like sculpture…bits and bobs and feathers shoot off of them, interacting with negative space in an unexpected way. they are also incredibly dynamic, in a static state, as well as when one is in motion. they move as you move, constantly changing shape.

this one by chimerablossom has a lot of movement, as that feather swoops right on back. it has a dark beauty, almost too lovely for words.

***

here are some other places to find super amazingly fabulous cocktail hats that i’ve managed to uncover of late. i am happy to share!:

-artikal
-gena conti custom millinery
-fino fino
-patrick bay millinery
-philip treacy (the favored milliner of the late isabella blow)

i’m going to keep searching around for more amazing cocktails and facinators, and will report back with any particularly stunning finds, but feel free to pipe in if you know of more sources for such!

cheers!

August 10 2007 | Posted in fashion musing, if money was no object..., this inspires me!

1. August 10 2007 at 1:56 pm

   Caitlin

   Hi-
   I am a new reader of your site. I stumbled on here from somewhere. . . Decor8? I dunno.
   I thought you might like the work of this hat maker here in Boston.

   http://www.galvinizedhats.com/hats.htm

   I have a variation of this one for winter. At first I wasn’t sure I could carry off the giant flower, but I decided that if I act like I can carry it off, then I can…

   http://www.galvinizedhats.com/green_side46sm.JPG

   
   

2. August 10 2007 at 3:39 pm

   jennifer

   love that last hat. it’s so rich-looking! i think you could pull that off for daily wear without people doing too much staring (as if you cared, anyway) just because it’s so elegantly simple.

   i’m currently on the hunt for a cloche hat for fall. so divine!

   
   

3. August 10 2007 at 4:25 pm

   Eternity

   Oh my god Tricia, I actually love you. I have an obsession with hats, I could quite happily look at them all day. Unfortunately I have no money to buy them with, so I am in endless torment. Today I went to a vintage shop and fell in love at least twice but I can’t afford them! Oh the pain!

   
   

4. August 10 2007 at 4:38 pm

   ally

   There’s a small vintage shop near me that had lots of cocktail hats back in the spring. I’m sure she still has them. She insisted I try several of them on, but I was after gloves and they seemed like a splurge I couldn’t afford at the time.

   But now that I think about it, they are the one kind of hat I could actually wear, perched on my dreads. Nothing else will fit over my hair.

   If I buy one I would wear it out, as you say, with random casual outfits. I will let you know if I find one!

   
   

5. August 10 2007 at 4:46 pm

   jen

   you may be interested in this website, the orange one in particular is very much your style! : ) x

   http://www.sheenaholland.com/headbands/

   
   

6. August 10 2007 at 5:33 pm

   blingblingkitty

   These hats are little jewels for the head. I love hats and it is so fun to see your choices. Loving that your wearing them. They really can be for everyday wear. I might have to put one on tonight! thanks for sharing.
   Cheers!

   
   

7. August 10 2007 at 5:58 pm

   kore

   i really like cocktail hats too. my favorites: 1940s tilt hats, like this. or this. hats hats.

   
   

8. August 11 2007 at 12:13 am

   akb

   I like hats, and have inherited a few from my grandmother, i just cant figure out how to do my hair with some of them, any ideas for shoulder length hair? how does one do those hairstyles?

   also, any ideas on fixing hats? some of them may not have been stored properly

   
   

9. August 11 2007 at 12:19 am

   Annika

   There is a crocheted hat in the spring issue of Knitscene that I think you would love. The designer is Regina Gonzalez of Monster Crochet, who I know from Stitch ‘n Bitch. There’s a picture of the hat here: http://monstercrochet.blogspot.com/2006/05/miss-kendras-cabaret-chapeau.html

   
   

10. August 11 2007 at 9:05 am

    Eileen

    Ah! You have such luck finding wonderful hats! I haven’t been able to find any cocktail hats, even though I have wanted one for ages. I definitely agree with you, cocktail hats should be worn with everything.

    
    

11. August 11 2007 at 10:48 pm

    jessica

    oh my gosh! i had no idea that isabella blow was dead! i just read all about it. how sad!

    
    

12. August 12 2007 at 12:07 pm

    eireann

    http://www.ruby3.com/photos/hats/hats.html

    

    
    

13. August 12 2007 at 2:48 pm

    Jessica

    Oh my god! I have been looking for tiny hats for the longest time because I am going to wear one to the big launch party of The Shiny Squirrel. I am on the prowl for one of these babies so I have to check through every site. Thanks so much for the heads up!!

    
    

14. August 13 2007 at 10:21 pm

    sushi zume

    You and I are sharing very similar visions!
    http://www.sawavaughters.com/FH_Archive.html
    Check out Sawa and her special treats!
    Great post

    
    

15. August 14 2007 at 10:39 pm

    tricia

    THANKS for all the links everyone!! this will definitely warrant another post, thanks to you all.

    
    

16. August 15 2007 at 1:59 pm

    bits and bobbins » archives » (used) stuff + finished (knits)

    [...] this flower facinator from the ebay shop i mentioned in my recent cocktail hat post: [...]

    
    

17. August 17 2007 at 7:50 pm

    Offbeat Bride | Instead of a veil

    [...] Try a cocktail hat [...]

    
    

18. August 19 2007 at 9:39 am

    Ashley

    [...]And maybe, just maybe, if you’re a blogger, you don’t write about them JUST YET, because that may increase the chances of someone buying that coveted and desired item?

    Well, Tricia from Bits and Bobbins recently ousted one of those designers. I was trying VERY hard not to post about them here or on Miss Malaprop, despite peeking at my favorite items at least once a day[...]

    
    

19. October 11 2007 at 8:59 pm

    Katie

    YAY! Thats ME!
    Thanks for finding me and my hats! Check back often…I’ve been busy in the studio!

    XO,
    KatieBurley

    
    

20. November 1 2007 at 1:29 am

    bits and bobbins » archives » (not so) random links

    [...] -hats are haute. told you so! still don’t believe me? see old hat? not any more… from the telegraph, and this hat-positive missal from the ever so stylish styleista, the vintage society. *** [...]

    
    

21. December 8 2007 at 3:58 pm

    jill

    I have been cocktail hat obsessed for a couple of years now; have merrily made several and yes, wear them with jeans, dresses, suits…
    Why for the love of adorable, doesn’t anyone throw fun cocktail parties anymore?

    
    

22. March 10 2008 at 11:27 am

    bits and bobbins » archives » (not so) random links

    [...] -not couture asks, is millinery back? i say ‘duh’!!! see these old posts (one, two, three) of mine about vintage hats and making your own hats in general way back in early 2007. the more hats, the better, i say! *** [...]