Moira McDonald, Seattle Times Movie Critic, recently interviewed Jenny Beavan, costume designer for The King’s Speech and nine-time Academy Award nominee. In the interview, Beavan shared many insights into the use of vintage clothing in films, but I was most struck by her comments about how hats extended the film’s limited budget. She said:
“We couldn’t afford huge amounts of different outfits, but changing the hat changed the look.”
Which made me wonder whatever happened to women wearing hats anyway? Not utilitarian, keep-you-warm kind of hats. I’m talking about the dazzling, smashing, sophisticated, talk-of-the-town hats that were once all the rage.
You’d think an accessory this powerful would have had a longer shelf life in fashion!
While you can still spy some amazing hat creations on the runways or adorning the occasional celebrity, it seems that American women, for the most part, have abandoned the tradition of leaving the house with a hat on.
Perhaps the lovely Kate Middleton, who announced this week that the Irish milliner Philip Treacy will be designing hats for her wedding party, will be the gal who re-ignites a hat frenzy.
Until then, there are plenty of interesting and fashionable vintage hats to be had and you can use them to stretch your wardrobe budget just like Jenny Beaven used them to stretch hers on A King’s Speech.
Take today’s VPOD for instance. This vintage 1940s felted wool creation can help transform a ho-hum contemporary black dress or suit into something simply marvelous and very fashion-forward.
It’s a heady find for a vintage fashionista!
Available at Dorothea’s Closet Vintage.
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