Hats are for wearing.

Nov 1944 McCall's, originally uploaded by myvintagevogue.

When people who collect hats come into the shop I work at, wearing a sweatshirt and tennis shoes, I have the urge to grab all the really great ones and hide them in the back until they leave. Because I know that the hats they buy will only be hidden away in a hatbox, or set on display to collect dust. A woman who came in today was especially irksome in her collectors attitude, wanting a discount on a $12.00 40s feathered hat because she insisted it was dirty and she would have to pay to get it cleaned. It was not dirty, and $12.00 was most definitely low enough for such a gem, so I declined. She still got it but didn't want a bag for it, she wanted a hatbox, since her giant dog in her truck would trample all over it. I told her we sell them, but maybe she could just wear it home and that way no harm would come to it. She looks at me disgusted and says "I can't wear it until it gets cleaned."

Ugh.

This is the exact reason I get so selfish about my hats. I won an amazing 30s hat on ebay the other day (with an actual bird on it!) and was so set in winning it because I just know that chances are, no one is going to actually wear the hat as much as I will. I love hats. They frame the face. They make a statement. They are the finishing touch on an outfit. Unlike todays accessories most women swoon over, like bags and shoes, hats are much more affordable because no one wears them anymore. There is not much of a demand, and while I have seen some over the top styles go for a lot on ebay, really I can find a wonderful hat for under $20 and without it my outfit is not nearly as exiting. The one I got the other day I only paid $30.00 for, and seriously, its way more fabulous than any designer bag out there.

I urge you to try out a hat. Start small if you want. A little black pillbox, or fascinator. Soon enough you may find yourself spotting hats everywhere, and seeing just how inexpensive they are. And if you come into the shop where I work, I will greet you with a smile because you will look fabulous in your darling little hat :)