From the red carpets of Hollywood and Cannes, to the catwalks of fashion weeks in London, New York and Paris, to high streets worldwide, Winter 2011 has seen a monumental return from one of the simplest, and longest forsaken of fashion accessories. For decades, any hat seen to surpass the strictest guidelines of chic understatement has faced sartorial exile, but the return of old-school, high-octane glamour - 2011's signature style and the driving force behind almost every trend this winter – has reinstated them at the fashion for this season.
There is no doubt that the accessory has long been reserved for mother of the bride wedding or funeral attire, or considered to be a misplaced possession of pop superstar Lady Gaga and her legendary Haus of Gaga, who design and produce her infamously outrageous costumes for her equally raucous stage shows, with further pieces commissioned as one-off from haute couture fashion houses, ladieswear wholesalers and wholesale clothing manufacturers internationally.
However, designers such as Irish milliner Philip Treacy have pushed hats into the fore of this season’s hottest trends. Treacy has received a slew of awards for his work, including five separate British Accessory Designer of the Year wins at the British Fashion Awards, but has only recently found international fame, after his designs for the British Royal Wedding granted monumental media attention. Considering his credentials, it's no exaggeration or surprise that he's influenced everyone from fashion critics, wholesale ladies clothing manufacturers and ladies wear wholesalers across the world with his millinery.
Head-wear literally covered the catwalks of New York Fashion Week this year, featuring strongly in collections of both menswear and ladieswear, produced by everyone from the most legendary of continental fashion houses to the most modest of independent designers, wholesale ladies clothing manufacturers and ladieswear wholesalers. Stylized fedoras in this season’s hottest colour trends; neutrals, metallics and striking jewel tones, were the name of the game at Gucci and Christian Dior, featuring a variety of different fabrics, textures and twists. Such pieces were paired with classical furs, another major trend for winter 2011, and the colour-blocking of a veritable feast of rich, winter shades. On the catwalks of Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren, it was all about the vintage millinery, with pill-box hats paired with outfits bearing the elegance and sophistication of sixties glamour, likely the single biggest trend for winter 2011, and another major factor in just why hats are so hot this season.
