Ahhh, somehow we have enjoyed and gotten past Christmas and the New Year! Welcome to 2012! Can I think of another way to enjoy it more than reveling in my winter hats? Winter hats, which will become more and more useful as the snow flies? Perhaps not, and I’ll share them with you. Perhaps you will be inspired to increase your winter hat collection.

Here is another of my “can’t pass it up, must have it – berets.” With its fur pom pom and dramatic color, I couldn’t imagine doing without it. Can you? Now, red is NOT my best color, but I can’t resist the drama of red. And when you can’t resist the drama, I think you should just give in. A better moment will come along later – enjoy this one now.

I call this one my “Mad Hatter” hat. It must be the shape. Alice in Wonderland get out of the way, the crazy rabbit and I are on our way – to somewhere! Actually, you may think I don’t wear this one, it is so “individual”. But I do wear it, and I get comments on it all the time! (Are you surprised?) Mostly I hear, “I LOVE your hat.” I found this hat on Newbury Street, in Boston, and I have loved it ever since the day we met. If John and I hadn’t been married for 26 years, I would say I have a longer relationship with my hats, (but I don’t). {Actually, there is a honeymoon photo of John and me, with HIM in a hat. Very stylish indeed.}

Hearkening back to my mother’s collection of hats, which I now have a selection from, here is one of my favorites. I call this my “Myrna Loy Hat”. Have you ever seen old 1930′s films, and maybe 40′s films, where the heroine wears a hat during most of the movie? I need to get this hat out of its box and floor some people at my next event! It will be almost like the red and black hat that I featured in “winter hats part one”.

Here is a close up on the beading and the feathers.

Just in case you were in doubt – this is a Vera Whistler hat. See the original label inside the hat. Now I suspect there are some hat aficionados out there who know all of Vera Whislter’s products. Please let me know – I could use more education in this arena, and would welcome it.

This is a mink BERET version of the hat I showed in “Winter Hats Part One”. Part of my antique collection, I need to get it out more. It affords NO sun protection, however. Today, I wore my black “favorite everyday hat”, which does offer sun protection. Nothing is as fun, and individual however, as this mink beret. So I say, “Tomorrow is another day!” Like Scarlet.

So, goodbye for now, and tomorrow IS another day.

Best wishes,

I’m a hat and shoe person. I’m also a fashion person in general, although I wore it all better when I was 17. Or 25. Or, at a recent lecture I attended, the NASA space engineer said, “Here is a photo of me 35 years ago, before the ravages of time.!”  I felt he was my best friend already.

It is December and time to talk about winter hats and facing the cold with style! I have new hats and antique hats. (I guess there were some in my family that also were “hat people”.) I have a nice collection of my mother’s hats.

My favorite Helen Kaminski winter hat

I love the burgundy one for its punch, and its broad brim, which protects me from the sun. A very important item for me, and a fantastic reason to collect hats!

My favorite and most used everyday hat

This is a hat I can wear everyday. It is sturdy, has a good sized brim, is black and basic, and has “hidden ear flaps” inside which I find very useful! If I need to dress it up, or feel fashionista, I add a suede ribbon of animal print:

Another favorite, for special occasions is my “Tiffany Brim” hat. Also, black and basic, but sits low on the brow and is quite an eye catcher.

 It has a fabulous bow in the back (or I think you could wear the bow in front!) as you see here:

When the New England wind blows, and I need to protect my head and ears from the cold, I love this black velvet hat I found at one of my favorite New York City shops – Henri Bendel.

I love the fact that it has 3 different fabrics that make up the composition.

Another of my favorite winter fashion statements is “winter white”. I absolutely adore wearing white wool in winter. It is so uplifting, and I remember having white wool dresses when I was in high school in Memphis. Here I am a few years ago in one of my “I can’t resist it. I have to buy it – berets.” And yes, it does have a fur Pom Pom on top.

OK, Maybe just two more, and then we’ll have to continue in another post! Here is one of the antiques – a mink hat with simple brim. I confess to wearing this one not as much, because it offers no sun protection. But think of the warmth!

This antique mink hat would go well with the antique alligator purse that I inherited from my mother. (Now I wonder where those alligator shoes are?) Last night I was out shopping with some new women friends, and one of them bought a very similar look alike to this purse, albeit faux alligator, thank goodness for the animals.

1950 s era Alligator Purse

Here is another of my oldie but goodies. This red brim and black-velvety-felt top is a striking statement with its red and black feathers swooping down toward the neck. I confess to being fearless, and remember wearing this to a Salem attorney’s office and I don’t think they knew WHAT to make of me! A woman in a hat, and THIS hat, and in the provinces, too.

OK, time to go. But there is more in my hat collection, all for another day.  I’m actually becoming inspired now to wear them more!  Best winter wishes,