Vintage Hats: A Must! April 19 2022

Hats, hats, hats…vintage hats.  Is there anything more universal or versatile than a hat?  Throughout history, all types of people—all social classes, genders, ages, cultures—have embraced hats for one reason or another.  Hats have been status symbols, signs of chastity and piety, statement fashion pieces.  They’ve been made out of virtually everything—felt, straw, cotton, canvas, feathers, cork, fur—and embellished with almost anything imaginable—jewels, sequins, flowers, netting, birds, ribbons, and precious metals.

While hats may not currently occupy the prominent place in life they once did, they remain a key fashion item.  Where once hats were worn on a daily basis and men and women never dreamt of leaving their home without their head covered, social dictates nowadays is much more lax.  Just as silhouettes have changed over time, so too have the shapes and styles of hats—but one thing has remained largely the same, and that’s the sun hat. Sun hats have been worn  by people all over the world and in all social classes for centuries, but the basic design has largely remained the same—wide brim, floppy brim, something with a big enough radius to truly protect one’s face from the harsh sun.  Designers today continue to send some great hats down the runway &  this season there were hats that totally translate to an everyday look (think Donna Karan and Badgley Mischka especially).

 Here at Rice and Beans Vintage, we’ve got some great summer sun hats for the season—think about pairing the Christian Dior 1960s black-and-white color-blocked hat with a flirty little summer dress, or the Ralph Lauren straw hat with some clean-cut capris and a sleeveless top (have you checked out the silk Christian Lacroix tank we’ve got in stock?).  The key with hats is to experiment.  Try out different materials, different shapes and sizes, and try wearing them on different occasions.  Before you know it, you’ll have your beach hat, your grocery shopping hat, your trip-to-Martha’s-Vineyard-hat, and your lunch-date-with-the-girls hat.  So great!