Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Testing your hat-iquette

Last month (Feb. 21 to be exact), I was thrilled to see hats on the catwalk of DC Fashion Week (www.dcfashionweek.org). Not only do I think hats still have a place in our fashionable society but I believe they are one of the last few symbols of elegance and grace in a world that allows jeans and sweat pants to be used as evening gala attire. But how much do you know about hats? Take this quiz to see if you truly have a "hat head".

1) Which milliner (hat maker) was considered the first celebrity fashion designer?
2) Name the Queen of England's favorite milliner?
3) Which famous clothing designer had humble beginnings in millinery?
4) What was John Batterson Stetson's claim to fame?
5) Where would you see people wearing a hat named a "mortarboard"?
6) What is the French equivalent to the Scottish "Tam O 'Shanter" hat?
7) What does the Ascot Racecourse (in England) say about women's headwear at the races?
8) What is the difference between a hat and a fascinator?
9) Which style of hat is immortalized by Jackie Kennedy when she was the first lady?
10) At what time in history was the "cloche" hat (think Downton Abbey fame) invented and at its peak of popularity?


Answers:
1) Marie-Jeanne Rose Bertin, milliner and costumer of Marie Antoinette.
2) Philip Somerville, who died at age 84 in possession of many personal letters from the Queen.
3) Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel.
4) He invented the cowboy hat in the 1860s, he was also a philanthropist who gave most of his money to charities, built schools and donated to the community.
5) At a college graduation.
6) The beret (FYI, the Tam O 'Shanter hat is named for a character in a Robert Burns poem).
7) There are rules at Ascot that state: "Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of four inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat."
8) A fascinator is a small headpiece that attaches to the head via a comb, headband or clip while a hat is a full head covering with a brim (can be small or large) that extends from the forehead and was originally intended to shield the eyes from sun and the elements. 
9) The pillbox, a type of fascinator (some say its a "hatinator" or a cross between a hat and fascinator).
10) The 1920s.

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