Wedding hats and fascinators were once only sported by the rich and famous, or seen at the race course on Ladies Day – but not anymore. The Royal Wedding in April of last year did wonders to help bring glamorous and extravagant headwear to the forefront of British wedding fashion.
As much as the Mother Of The Bride and Mother Of The Groom have traditionally been the main wedding guests to sport a hat or fascinator on the big day, more and more guests have been opting for a fancy headpiece to finish off their outfit – and many brides are now swapping the traditional veil and tiara for a modern and show-stopping fascinator to ensure that all eyes are on them on their special day.
So let’s get to grips with the range of wedding hats and fascinators on the market today, and let Coco Fashion help you choose the right headwear for you for your special event.
Types Of Hats & Fascinators
Perched Or Angled Hats – This style is very modern, with a rounded rim pulled up away from the face. The rim is also angled up on one side, revealing one side of the face more than the other.
This style can be tricky to pull off, as angled hats are often very extravagant and over the top. You will find a lot of styles which are piled high with feathers and flowers, so if you’re looking to make a statement then this is the style for you.
The beautiful lilac creation opposite is from the Nigel Rayment range at Coco Fashion, and will look simply stunning on those with heart-shaped and rectangular faces, as you have a narrow face which will balance out the angle of the hat.
Low, Wide-Brimmed Hats – This style tends to be a tall hat, with a wide rim which comes low over the brow and is the most traditional style of wedding hat on the market.
If you’re opting for a wide-brimmed hat you should go all out and choose a brightly coloured and ornate design. After all, these hats were made to stand out. Try the Vivien Sheriff range at Coco Fashion for some really eye-catching designs.
Those with square and triangular faces will really suit this style, as you have a strong jaw line to help balance out the size of the hat.
Ornate Fascinators – Fascinators are smaller headpieces which you simply pin into the side of your hair, rather than wearing a full hat. These have become more and more popular over the last couple of years, and younger brides have taken a particular shine to them as they are a much more up-to-date way to finish off your bridal outfit if you are not keen on wearing a full veil.
Round and oval shaped faces will usually find fascinators most suitable as full hats tend to swamp your smaller face shape and make you look very round in the face. Coco Fashion has a wide range of fascinators in store to suit both Mother Of The Bride and Bridal outfits. View our full range online here: www.cocofashion.com
How To Style Your Wedding Headwear
Once you’ve chosen the style of hat or fascinator you want to opt for on the big day, you need to understand how best to style it in order to make sure that you really look the part. Here are my top tips to remember when working you wedding headwear on the special day:
1. Don’t always choose an identical colour hat or fascinator to match with your wedding outfit – sometimes a clashing or contrasting headpiece can really set your outfit off a treat.
2. If you’re going to wear a full hat, focus on building body and volume in your hair as the full hat will flatten your hair down much more than usual and you don’t want to end up looking like you’ve hidden a bad hair day under that fantastic hairpiece!
3. If you’re wearing an angled style, pulling all of your hair to the one side that isn’t covered by the hat is a good idea as this will help to balance out the weight of the hat and make your face look more in proportion.
4. If you’ve got short hair under a hat or fascinator make sure you pull it forward around your face so that you avoid looking like the hat is taking over your entire hairstyle.
5. Fascinators look particularly striking with a well styled up ‘do, as they become a combined feature of the hair style rather than looking like you’ve simply pinned it in the side as an after-thought.
6. Always try your hat or fascinator on with your wedding outfit before you buy – you might think you’ve got the style right but until you can see the outfit as an overall look you can’t be certain you’ve made the right choice.
Happy hat shopping!
Best Regards,
Alice
Alice Cox
Boutique Owner
Coco Fashion