A Return...to Hats

The days when women (and men) never left the house without a hat are long gone. Hats are no longer de rigeur; they are now associated with uniforms and eccentric English ladies who top their heads with feathery confections at weddings and Ascot. 

As the days grow colder, you might jam a fleece something-or-other over your ears to stay warm. But the concept of hat-as-fashion-accessory has been increasingly seen as difficult, or well-nigh impossible, to pull off. Fortunately, hats have been slowly making a re-appearance.

 The stand-out on last fall's Proenza Schouler runway was not the gorgeous 1920s-inspired clothes, but the stunning cloche hats designed by Albertus Swanepoel, one of this year's CFDA runners-up. Swanepoel was recently featured, along with his confections, in a New York Times article which suggests that "there has clearly been a resurgence" in the popularity of hats. 

The times followed this article with a slideshow of a Fifth Avenue milliner's parade, featuring our very fashionable friend Tziporah Salamon. 

Why not try your very own hat on for size, in honor of the holiday season? Some of your many stylish options at Off Broadway Boutique include:

a red gathered felt cloche

a black coque evening hat

a violet evening headpiece