Yay or Nay?
photo courtesy of whowhatwear.com
Move over fedoras, berets, beanies, newsboy caps, turbans and headbands, the latest head accessory du jour this fall is the bowler hat! Yup, that similar hat that Charlie Chaplin famously worn during his glorious days. Keira Knightley and Kate Moss were spotted wearing bowler hat on CHANEL’s Coco Mademoiselle campaign, followed by young trendsetters, Rachel Bilson, Pixie Geldof, Georgia Jagger, Clémence Poésy and Mischa Barton. Several designers from Sonia Rykiel, Marc Jacobs to Limi Feu have been using this classic hat on their fall runways. And a number of mass retailers, like Top Shop, G-star and Urban Outfitters have been carrying bowler hats in their stores.
Originally created in 1849, the bowler (also known as the derby) was created as an accessory for protecting gamekeepers’ heads from hitting tree branches while horseback riding. Read about the history of the bowler hat, here.
The above and below photos are some examples on how to pull off this classic headgear with casualwear. Love how Rachel Bilson rocks her bowler hat with an Ikat print skirt and slouchy white tank! I also saw a couple of fashion editorials and ad campaigns that have been pairing bowler hats with T-shirt and jeans. Since the hat itself is somehow formal and conservative, pairing it with something casual or quirky would definitely make a great chemistry. Although I won’t have enough guts to wear this trend, BUT it totally gives me an idea of my Halloween costume this October!
l-r: Rachel Bilson, Clémence Poésy w/ Karl Lagerfeld
So, is it a Yay or Nay?
Sources & images courtesy of: whowhatwear.com, refinery29.com, sparkleshelf.com, thefashionpolice.net, sugarscape.com, wikipedia.org