Manya's Fear of Hats

Manya in her aunt's Schiaparelli hat

I fell in love with hats at a young age. I had a great aunt who hailed from England, and she was one of those stylish women who never left the house in anything other than a dress with hose, matching shoes and handbag, and a hat. She had an awesome collection of hats from the 40s and 50s, and I managed to acquire many of them upon her death. These are truly wonderful hats, with little veils, and feathers with rhinestones on them, and stuff like that. Some were made of velvet. And there's even a quite amazing one from very famous hatmaker Elsa Schiaparelli, albeit one not as adventurous as ones that made her famous.

Manya's purple summer hat

Nevertheless, it took me many years to become comfortable wearing fun, contemporary hats. I think I associated them with an earlier age, and it felt sort of like putting on a costume to wear something other than a baseball cap (in summer to keep the sun from hurting my eyes) or a fleece hat (in winter to keep my head warm). But I never quite lost my admiration of a nice hat. About 8 years ago, I decided that a very pretty summer straw hat needed to replace my baseball cap. This was made by a local artist whose name I've now forgotten.

Pair of hats by Pandemonium

I confess that I really had to work up some courage to actually wear it as an all-day affair, as part of my outfit. I felt like I had a really big sign over my head saying “NOTICE ME!” Now, you all know that I enjoy wearing beautiful, yet comfortable clothing, so you may find it hard to believe that this was such a stretch for me. But it really was! When I finally did it, that's when the magic began. I got so many honest, heart-felt compliments all day long, that I began to get an insight into contemporary American culture. And the compliments came from both women and men equally, too. There was something in their voices that I can only describe as longing. Was it longing for a simpler age when everyone, both men and women, didn't leave the house without a hat? Or maybe it was a longing for just a touch of elegance to bring a ray of sunshine into their day. It could be a little of both.

Parkhurst's "Column Peak" hat
in moccachino

The thing is, I really enjoyed bringing some joy into the lives of perfect strangers. We all walk about in isolation so much of the time. No one notices anyone else, and if they do, it seems so much more likely that it's for a bad reason than a good one. What a magical thing it is, then, to have smiling strangers look you dead in the eye and tell you how lovely your hat is! You could be the only reason that person smiled the entire day long. Think about that!

Now I try to make hats a much bigger part of my everyday wardrobe. True, I don't wear a hat every single day. But I try to wear one at least once a week. This goal was a main motivator for me to find hat artists who made hats that were simple, yet interesting, and of a type you could really wear all day long. Also, not with a ridiculous price tag. It was a bit of a risk because I wasn't sure if they would really sell or not. After all, I don't see that many people walking around with fun hats on in Edmonds. Lots of bare heads out there.

Parkhurst's "Roz Topper" in Sandstone

To my joy and amazement, I found that the hats I chose were, indeed, exactly what many of you were looking for! My first foray into hats was the wonderful cotton knits from Parkhurst, a Toronto company. These all sell for between $25 and $40, and are quite simple, but with just a splash of style. Perfect for wearing all day long! And they can smash flat in the bottom of your suitcase to become perfect travel partners.

After that, I encountered Seattle designer Leigh Young and her Pandemonium Hats. These are a step up in both quality of materials, as well as style. But they are not so over-the-top as to feel like a costume. A person wearing these is destined to get even more compliments all day long.

"Katherine" hat by Pandemonium

Leigh will be here for a trunk show on Thursday, May 19, from 5 – 8 pm during our monthly Third Thursday Art Walk. It's an excellent opportunity to choose from a very wide selection of hats, and even order a special one. Her hats are all under $75, so it won't break your budget either. But if you can't make it that evening, you'll find a lovely selection at the gallery afterwards – just not nearly as many as will be available during Art Walk.

I hope you'll join us that evening – even if just to try on some hats and get a feel for what it might be like to wear one all day! Just think how amazing it will be to share a moment of beauty with complete strangers. I have to tell you, it is a very humbling and happy experience. I hope you'll try it!

Three hats by Leigh Young's Pandemonium Millinery