I make no secret of the fact that I LOVE a fedora! You can throw one on and instantly make an outfit a little more special and polished. They turn heads in all the right ways, and can be dressed up or down. They'll see you through all seasons, keeping your face shaded in summer and helping to keep out the chill of winter.
In fact, was one of the very first styles of hats I made when learning millinery back in 2013, and that hat is still a key part of my wardrobe.
However, a big question I get asked all the time, and something I see clients grappling with, is what colour should I pick? With occasion hats and fascinators your outfit for an event will help to narrow down colour choices, however, for an everyday hat like a fedora you might have a bit of blank slate to start from. The felts I use for fedoras, and so many other hats, come in a veritable rainbow assortment of tones, so you can be a little spoilt for choice. And that's before you even think about bands and any extra trims you might like!
One of my top pieces of advice is to have a think about the colours and tones you love to wear. Are you like me, and you have a favourite brown leather coat you live in? Do you always reach for a classic navy blue? Maybe you're a fan of the depths of tones in a timeless tweed? Or perhaps you're a lover of a bold colours in the darker months? Your favourite coat or jacket gives you a great starting point to think of possible colours of a hat to wear with it. I made myself a warm russet coloured wool felt fedora with a brown ribbon to wear with that leather coat.
The same could apply to your favourite winter shoes or boots - it's no surprise that first fedora of mine is bright red, as are many of my shoes. The bright red also ties in beautifully with other staple accessories of mine such as some of my favourite glasses and my trusty satchel, making it easy to look effortlessly co-ordinated.
If you're still stuck with which colour to pick, or want something subtle, perhaps opt for a shade of classic grey, brown or black, or near black. These colours never go out of style, and can be great as a first step into wearing fedoras. Plus you can always add a pop of colour with your choice of ribbon or trims such as feathers, either when you first commission it or later down the line when you want to give it a freshen up or to co-ordinate something in your wardrobe.
I have a range of swatches, and a few examples, here in my millinery studio in Chatham in Kent, so why not get in touch and make an appointment to pop in and see how I can make your perfect hat come to life. And if you have any questions, just drop me an email on info@MissAvasMillinery.com
Here's to hat wearing!
Sarah
