British ladies, about those fabulous hats?

G

Geezerette

Senior Member
That come forth on every major Royal and civilian occasion? Delightful to look at. How do they keep those slanted ones on? I guess they have to stay out of the wind too. What’s the history of that custom? Is it because Her Majesty wears hats?
in US hats mainly appear at the Kentucky Derby race, and most women were glad when they were no longer required to wear hats to church. An unpleasant memory of my youth: being dragged around stores to find Easter & winter church hats.
I was watching some clips of the Jubilee events in BBC news. Wishing Her Majesty well. Have admired and also sometimes sympathized since I was a little girl watching her help with the WW II War Effort .
 

The racing is on this week too.. and the hats galore... I love hats, I wear them a lot particualrly in summer

It's part of royal protocol, and that protocol is inspired by the traditional rules that governed propriety back during the mid-century. Royal protocol says that women must wear hats to all formal royal occasions, an etiquette rule that dates back to the 1950s, when it was seen as improper for upper class and royal women to show their hair in public.

"Up until the 1950s ladies were very seldom seen without a hat as it was not considered 'the thing' for ladies to show their hair in public," Diana Mather, a senior tutor for The English Manner etiquette consultancy, tells BBC. "But all that has changed and hats are now reserved for more formal occasions." That explains why you will see both Kate Middleton and Markle wear hats for more special or formal occasions, but then wear their hair down and hat-less for smaller events.

Wearing a hat is also a kind of status symbol thanks to this rule, where you visually show that you are part of the elite and are abiding by the gentry's rules by putting on a cocktail hat to finish off your outfit. That and quality hats are hard to fake, which creates a classist line.

But a little less dark than that, hats aren't just a way for the royals to separate themselves from the masses they rule, or are only linked to an old fashioned etiquette rule they have to follow. Hats are also part of British culture and tradition, and a fun part of getting dressed to go to a special event.

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I love hats and own quite a few. I've always worn a sun hat to protect my face and hair. My girlfriends used to laugh at me because I always wore a hat at the beach. I didn't care and said, "We'll see who's laughing in twenty years!" Yeah, a few of them are pretty beat up, all leathery from the sun. Ha! 👒

I love this type of hat at the beach. It stays on and doesn't get whisked off by the wind.

Summer Women Cool Hats Korean Style Women Outdoor Cycling Sun Hat ...

Bella ✌️
 
Hollydolly, I was very surprised about the custom about upper class women not showing their hair in public. I had no idea! Not at all something I would associate with any western cultures.
 
I can remember when every so often we'd decide we wanted a new hat for one reason or another. We always wore them to church, shopping and other special occasions. I especially loved the ones with a veil for evening wear. They were so classy.
 
Trish said:
Your wife is very stylish (as are you of course). :)
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What a lovely compliment, thank you. My wife has always worn her hair in any number of 30's & 40's hairstyles. She learned to style it in place in about ten to fifteen minutes, that was because in her working life, before retirement, she was a paramedic in the ambulance service. Getting herself ready for work, she wasn't prepared to give up sleep time to spend hours fixing her hair, that's why she mastered the art of the quick fix.

A young lady doctor who worked in the hospital that my wife brought casualty patients to, often admired my wife's hair, she even asked how long it took, thinking it must take hours, she was amazed at the ten to fifteen minutes answer.
 
horseless carriage said:
What a lovely compliment, thank you. My wife has always worn her hair in any number of 30's & 40's hairstyles. She learned to style it in place in about ten to fifteen minutes, that was because in her working life, before retirement, she was a paramedic in the ambulance service. Getting herself ready for work, she wasn't prepared to give up sleep time to spend hours fixing her hair, that's why she mastered the art of the quick fix.

A young lady doctor who worked in the hospital that my wife brought casualty patients to, often admired my wife's hair, she even asked how long it took, thinking it must take hours, she was amazed at the ten to fifteen minutes answer.
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a little off topic but what is very noticeable HC is how you look at your wife. In every picture you look at her with sheer adoration and pride... so lovely to see that... :love:
 
hollydolly said:
a little off topic but what is very noticeable HC is how you look at your wife. In every picture you look at her with sheer adoration and pride... so lovely to see that... :love:
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Thanks Holly, you are right, much as I enjoy the company of our friends, there is always one very special person there for me. She uses her talent to make lovely clothes for me, in return, as well as telling her that I love her, almost daily, I write love poems for her to find.

That last but one photo, where we are dancing, that was an Argentine tango. One fellow said he never seen anything so hot...........dressed!
 
Lewkat said:
I can remember when every so often we'd decide we wanted a new hat for one reason or another. We always wore them to church, shopping and other special occasions. I especially loved the ones with a veil for evening wear. They were so classy.
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It was the same here in NZ, you were not considered dressed unless you wore a hat, I did enjoy wearing them, I was sorry when the fashion was dropped.
 

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