Hats are cute: they look cool and keep you cool. A hat is sun smart: summer’s UV rays have already climbed to 8 and higher this year. And, most importantly, a hat covers all manners of evils where hair is concerned.
But perhaps it’s time we say goodbye to the calling card of unwashed hair everywhere: The Baseball Cap.
A cute baseball cap was considered trendy when we were in high school and the big brim does go a long way to protecting our faces so we don’t leather-up like an old catcher’s mitt.
Unfortunately, clinging to an outdated and juvenile style ends up making us look - *gasp* - older. While I’m not suggesting any of us run out and dress like a 20 year old, a good place to refresh your wardrobe and make you look current is with accessories.
Unless you are actively participating in a sport, you should leave the baseball cap at home and top it off with one or two of the following styles. Good hats are available anywhere, from Winners to local boutiques to farmer’s markets to kiosks at the mall. Don’t spend more than about $25 on one and by choosing something in a neutral colour without a busy pattern or contrasting details, you’ll likely get the most wear out of it. Fedora Style
This is the hat of choice with celebrities everywhere, and its structured style shows no sign of slowing down. I love a fedora because it has a short brim that goes all the way around, protecting not just my face but my ears as well. Straw or linen styles are great in summer.
Military Style
Join the revolution and pop on a Che-style military cap. This is my favourite for the beach or pool because the cotton canvas or rip stop can get beaten up and wet and it actually looks better! The perfect pair of aviator sunglasses looks amazing with this style of cap and it looks best in cream, tan, army green, black or grey.
Newsboy-meets-Engineer Style
This style of hat is actually a bit of a hybrid and combines the great look of the newsboy with a bit of height and brim of an engineer cap. I love these hats with feminine details like buttons or other appliques. Washed out shades of taupe or peach or goldenrod would look best. This hat can be found in the piperandpaisley Etsy store.
Floppy Sun Hat Style
Wide-brimmed and usually straw or similar woven material, it looks great with really feminine looks like caftans and tunics. If you are a little bohemian or beachy in your style, this is the perfect hat for you. If you’re dying to try colour, bright shades or a nice pattern works well on the underside of the brim.
Headscarf
Sometimes, just covering the root line of your hair makes all the difference! It doesn’t do much to shield you from the sun's rays, mind you, but it quickly pulls a look together. Not unlike the floppy sun hat, this has a boho-vibe but depending on the scarf you choose and how you tie it, it can also look edgy or even a little sporty.
She’s a rich girl
She don’t try to hide it
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes
Paul Simon Graceland, 1986
For centuries and across all cultures, shoes have often been an indicator of wealth and status. Handmade shoes, usually from England, Austria and other parts of Europe, are considered an ultimate luxury. In everyday North America, the red soles of a Christian Louboutin stiletto are an enviable possession.
The most coveted and instantly recognizable shoes in the business were a happy accident intended merely to highlight where the arch meets the stem of the heel. A happy accident that has catapulted Mr. Louboutin to the top of the Luxury Brands Status Index more than once.
Other luxury shoe brands include Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen (Lady Gaga and her penchant for the extreme have helped this along) , Yves St. Laurent (think snub-toed with thick hidden platforms and a super skinny heels) and Gucci (a fave of logo lovers with their branded fabric collection).
But with many of these shoes in the $500 to $900 range, at what point do we consider it outrageous to spend that kind of money on shoes? Shoes with red soles that you technically aren’t even supposed to see? And what does a luxury shoe really say about you as a person? Are these diamonds on the soles of our shoes?
Fans of Diablo Cody certainly seemed to think we’re going too far. In a famous expensive shoe backlash, the Oscar-winning screenwriter decided to forgo her plans to wear a pair of million-dollar, jewel-encrusted Stuart Weitzman shoes on the 2008 red carpet in favour of no-name golden flats. Seems her fans questioned her Indie credibility once they heard she had been selected to wear the gorgeous diamond dressed pumps.
Taking it one step further, could a shoe conceivably give back and still be considered stylish? Consider footwear makes TOMS, whose One For One movement gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need with every shoe purchased.
In many countries, shoes mean an education. Even my own grandfather did not attend university in Ontario in the 1940s because he didn’t have shoes he considered “good enough”.
My first argument against TOMS was that I wasn’t keen on the amount of branding on the shoe itself, with it’s funny little tag on the side as well as emblazoned across the back of the heel. But isn’t that the same branding as a pair of red soles or the Gucci logo woven all over the shoe? Perhaps a company like TOMS could benefit from some instant recognition of their own.
It turns out, these shoes are comfortable and lightweight with wedge styles and colours that are totally on-trend. You can find them online or at Aritzia stores nationwide. I’ll be sporting this pair of Coral Cork Wedges, you can be sure.
I’ll have to save the red soles for another season.
"
Printer-friendly version