Creating A Vintage Wedding Hat: A Step-By-Step Guide

Creating a vintage wedding hat is a fun project that can add a unique touch to your big day. Whether you're the bride, groom, or a guest, a vintage wedding hat can be a stylish accessory and a way to round out your wedding theme. If you're feeling creative, you can make your own vintage wedding hat by choosing a design that suits your face shape, hair, and eye colour. You can also join a hat-making party to benefit from the expertise of professional milliners who can guide you through the process. When it comes to materials, less is more—a few feathers, some beading, or structured sinamay can be very effective. You can also add a personal brooch for a unique touch. If you're not feeling crafty, you can always work with a milliner to create a bespoke vintage bridal hat, ensuring it captures your style and vision for your wedding.

Design: complement your face shape, hair colour, and style

When designing a vintage wedding hat, it's important to consider the wearer's face shape, hair colour, and style to ensure the hat complements their features and creates a harmonious look.

For face shapes, the goal is to balance and soften the wearer's features. For instance, those with a square face shape, characterised by a broad forehead and angular jawline, should opt for hats with softer, rounded brims to offset the angularity. Round-faced individuals can add height and definition with structured hats like fedoras or Panama hats. Diamond-shaped faces benefit from hats that sit close to the head, like flat caps and bowler hats, to provide definition without adding width. Long face shapes can be balanced by hats with wider brims and medium to low crowns, while heart-shaped faces can be flattered by medium-brimmed hats that add width around the jawline.

When it comes to hair colour, the right hat colour can enhance the wearer's features. Warm skin tones are complemented by earth tones and warm colours like oranges, reds, and yellows. Cool skin tones, on the other hand, are flattered by cool colours and pastels. Consider a burgundy hat for someone with blonde hair or experiment with analogous colours, such as various shades of blue.

Lastly, for hair styles, the hat should work with the hair's length and volume. For short hair, a newsboy cap is understated yet classy. Medium-length hair pairs well with the versatility of a bucket hat. Long hair can be managed with a baseball cap, which offers styling options. Full hair can benefit from the smoothness of a satin-lined knit cap, while thin hair can be complemented by the lightweight choice of a straw hat.

Materials: use a couple of feathers, beads, or sinamay

If you're looking to make a vintage wedding hat with feathers, beads, or sinamay, there are a few different ways you can go about it. Here are some ideas for using these materials to create a beautiful and unique headpiece:

Feathers

Feathers can add a soft and whimsical touch to your wedding hat. You can choose from a variety of colours and sizes to find the perfect feathers for your vision. One idea is to create a feather and bead headdress. Start by cutting a teardrop shape out of felt, using a hair clip as a size guide. Then, layer feathers onto the felt shape using craft glue, starting from the outside and working your way towards the centre until you achieve the desired fullness and shape. Cut a small piece of felt to cover the bare feather stems, sew or glue beads onto it, and then glue this piece onto the back of the feather piece to hide the stems. Finally, glue a hair clasp to the back of the headdress and you're ready to wear it!

Beads

Beads can add a touch of sparkle and elegance to your wedding hat. You can sew or glue beads onto a felt base, as in the feather and bead headdress tutorial, or you could try creating beaded flower stamens. This technique involves curling and knotting biot feathers and adding beads to create a floral effect. Beaded flower stamens can be attached to a headband or hair clip, or they can be wired together to create a unique hair vine.

Sinamay

Sinamay is a stiff, woven fabric often used in millinery. It can be shaped and moulded to create a variety of hat styles, from elegant wide-brimmed hats to fascinators and headpieces. Sinamay is a versatile material that can be dyed, painted, or decorated with feathers, flowers, or beads to create a truly unique vintage wedding hat. For example, you could create a sinamay fascinator with a curled sinamay hat decoration, or a sinamay headband with a sinamay flower. If you're feeling more adventurous, you could try blocking a sinamay hat to create a custom shape, or even combining sinamay with other materials like leather or straw to create a one-of-a-kind hat.

Colour: avoid clashing with your outfit

When making a vintage wedding hat, it is important to consider the colour of your outfit. The right colour combination can make or break your look. Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect colour for your vintage wedding hat:

Firstly, if you have dark hair, avoid choosing a hat with a dark base or fabric as it will blend into your hair. Opt for bright colours or bold hues instead. On the other hand, if you have very fair hair, stay away from pale colours. If you are the bride, however, you can break this rule and wear an ivory-coloured headpiece to match your dress.

If your wedding outfit is flashy and colourful, choose a hat with neutral colours like beige or grey to tone down the look. For a summery feel, go for a straw hat such as a fedora or a boater. These hats also work well with warm-coloured braids. If you want to exude elegance and sophistication, a black felt hat like a floppy hat or a fedora is a safe choice.

On the other hand, if you want to stand out and be the centre of attention, opt for a hat with large brims and eccentric patterns. However, be careful not to go overboard and look like a clown. Pair such a hat with a classical and timeless outfit. If you are the mother of the bride or groom, it is important to remember not to overshadow the bride. Opt for a simple and elegant headpiece that complements your dress and the overall wedding colour scheme.

Lastly, if you are attending a wedding as a guest, be mindful of the dress code. While you can make a hat work for most dress codes, you might want to avoid wearing one to a black-tie event. Also, ensure that the colour of your hat does not clash with the colour of your outfit.

Size: avoid obstructing the view of guests behind you

When creating a vintage wedding hat, it's important to consider the size of the hat and how it will affect the view of guests sitting behind the wearer. While a large, flamboyant hat can make a statement, it's crucial to avoid obstructing the line of sight for those around you. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Opt for a smaller hat: Instead of choosing an oversized hat, go for something more proportionate. A smaller hat can still be elegant and stylish without blocking the view of those behind you. Consider a guest hat like a floppy hat, panama hat, boater, or cloche. These options offer a range of styles while being mindful of the sightlines of other guests.

Choose a discrete headpiece: If you're concerned about obstructing the view, you might want to opt for a more subtle headpiece. A bibi, for example, is a type of ceremonial hat for women that partially decorates the hair and can be placed on either side of the head. It's often more discrete than a full hat and can be secured with barrettes or a headband. This option allows you to accessorize without worrying about blocking the view of guests behind you.

Avoid large brims: While large-brimmed hats can be eye-catching, they can also be cumbersome and obstructive. To avoid this, steer clear of hats with oversized brims. Go for a smaller brim or no brim at all to ensure a clear view for your fellow guests.

Consider the venue: Take into account the venue and setting of the wedding. If it's an indoor ceremony, a large hat might not only block the view of guests but also be uncomfortable and impractical. Opt for something more compact and elegant that complements the venue without causing any visual obstructions.

Keep it classy: While it's fun to stand out, avoid choosing a hat that is overly extravagant. A sophisticated hat with tasteful patterns and a moderate brim size can strike the right balance between making a statement and maintaining a respectful size. You don't want your hat to become a distraction or hinder the experience of other guests.

By following these guidelines, you can create a vintage wedding hat that is stylish, unique, and considerate of the viewing experience of other guests. Remember, it's important to strike a balance between making a fashion statement and ensuring the comfort and enjoyment of those around you.

Etiquette: don't overshadow the bride

When making a vintage wedding hat, it's important to remember that weddings are a serious ceremony, and your hat choice should be appropriate for the occasion. Here are some tips to ensure your vintage wedding hat doesn't overshadow the bride:

• Avoid wearing white or any colour that can be construed as white: This is a big no-no and considered a faux pas. As a guest, you don't want to be seen as competing with the bride.
• Consider the level of formality: The wedding invitation and the time of the wedding are your best guides to how formal the event will be. For a formal wedding, a long evening dress or a dressy cocktail dress would be appropriate, while a dark suit with a conservative shirt and tie would be suitable for men.
• Take into account the nature of the service: Is it secular or religious? Are there any specific requirements for head coverings? You should also consider whether bare shoulders, arms, or open-toed shoes might be considered offensive in certain religious or cultural contexts.
• Be mindful of local customs: Some regions are more conservative than others. Hats or head coverings may be optional, but it's important to respect local traditions and norms.
• Choose a hat that complements your outfit: Your hat should enhance your overall look without stealing the show. Remember, the focus should be on the bride.
• Don't go overboard with accessories: While it's fine to dress up your outfit with accessories, too many sparkly or attention-grabbing additions might take away from the bride's special moment.

Frequently asked questions