Crafting An English Wedding Hat: A Step-By-Step Guide

Hats have become a staple in British wedding guest attire. While the classic lady's hat remains an iconic part of British fashion today, it has not always been this way. In the middle ages, a popular style of headdress was the henin, an enormous coned hat sometimes reaching almost a metre in length. In the 1950s and even into the early 60s, an outfit was simply not considered complete without a hat. Nowadays, hats are mostly reserved for more formal occasions.

Fascinators, which are mainly decorative, have become the accessory of choice for royal weddings. They are essentially bits of ribbon and fluff that affix to the head with a comb or clip. While hats typically have functional aspects, such as shielding your face from the sun, fascinators are often chosen for their lighthearted means of self-expression.

So, how do you make an English wedding hat? Here is a simple guide:

- Start with the base: The base of the hat is essential as it will provide structure and support. You can use materials such as sinamay, hemp, or wool.

- Choose your decorations: Ribbons, feathers, veils, and flowers are all popular choices for decorating wedding hats. You can also add a touch of sparkle with beads or crystals.

- Attach the decorations: Use a strong fabric glue or a hot glue gun to attach your chosen decorations to the base of the hat.

- Add a comb or clip: To secure the hat to your head, add a comb or clip to the base. This will ensure that your hat stays put during the wedding celebrations.

Choosing a hat style: wide-brimmed, pillbox, or fascinator

When choosing a hat style for an English wedding, you may want to consider a wide-brimmed hat, a pillbox hat, or a fascinator. Each style has its own unique advantages and can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your wedding ensemble. Here are some things to consider when choosing between these three popular hat styles:

• Wide-brimmed hats: Wide-brimmed hats offer both style and functionality. They provide excellent sun protection, making them ideal for outdoor weddings, especially in the summer months. Wide-brimmed hats can be made from various materials, including straw, felt, or fabric, and can be adorned with feathers, flowers, or other decorative accents. This style is perfect for those who want a more dramatic and eye-catching look. Additionally, wide-brimmed hats can flatter various face shapes and add a sense of elegance and glamour to your wedding attire.
• Pillbox hats: Pillbox hats are known for their sleek and sophisticated design. They are often small, round, and closely fitted to the head, sitting neatly above the eyebrows. This style first gained popularity in the early 20th century and has since become a classic choice for formal events, including weddings. Pillbox hats can be made from various materials such as felt, wool, or sinamay straw, and can be adorned with veils, feathers, or other decorative accents. Pillbox hats are perfect for those who want a more structured and elegant look, and they can complement various wedding dress styles, from sleek and modern to vintage-inspired.
• Fascinators: Fascinators are a popular choice for weddings and other formal events. They are typically smaller and less cumbersome than a traditional hat, often consisting of a decorative design attached to a band, clip, or headband. Fascinators can be made from a variety of materials, including feathers, flowers, beads, and intricate fabric creations. They offer a wide range of styles, from subtle and elegant to bold and dramatic. Fascinators are purely ornamental and may not offer much protection from the sun or other weather conditions. However, they provide a versatile and modern alternative to traditional hats, allowing you to showcase your unique sense of style.

When choosing between a wide-brimmed hat, a pillbox hat, or a fascinator for an English wedding, consider the overall style and theme of your wedding, as well as your personal preferences and comfort. Each hat style has its own unique charm and can enhance your wedding ensemble in its own special way.

Using a headband as a base

Step 1: Gather Your Materials and Tools

You will need a headband, preferably one that is smooth and without any bumps or glitter. It should be snug but not too tight on your head. If you want the headband to blend in with your hair colour, choose a headband in a similar shade. You will also need felt, scissors, a hot glue gun, and decorations such as silk flowers, feathers, tulle, beads, ribbons, or any other creative accessories you prefer.

Step 2: Cut the Felt to Size

Cut an oval out of the felt, making sure it is large enough to hold all your creative elements. You can also cut two small slits about 1-2 inches from the short ends of the oval, for feeding the headband through. Try to pick a felt colour that matches or blends in with your decorations.

Step 3: Prepare the Headband

If you have made slits in your felt, thread the headband through and adjust the position of the oval until you find the right spot for your decoration. Using the hot glue gun, add a small amount of glue between the felt and the headband to secure it in place.

Step 4: Decorate Your Hat

Now it's time to get creative! Layer on the decorations you've chosen, gluing them to the felt base. You can add silk flowers, feathers, tulle, beads, ribbons, or any other embellishments you like. Play around with different combinations and directions until you find a design you love.

Step 5: Secure the Headband (Optional)

If you want to add extra security to your hat, you can glue an additional strip of felt over the back of the headband. This will help to ensure your hat stays in place, especially if you plan on wearing it for a long period or during activities.

And that's it! You now have a beautiful and unique English wedding hat to wear to your next special occasion.

Adding decorations: feathers, veils, or ribbons

Adding decorations to your wedding hat can be a fun and creative process. Here are some tips and ideas for incorporating feathers, veils, or ribbons:

Feathers

Feathers can add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your wedding hat. When choosing feathers, consider the type, size, and colour to complement the overall style of your hat and outfit. Ostrich, peacock, turkey, and rooster feathers are popular choices for wedding hats. You can attach feathers to your hat using stitching, tying, pinning, or gluing techniques. Here are some detailed instructions:

• Plan the arrangement: Start by placing the feathers on your hat to determine their placement and direction. This step is crucial for complex arrangements.
• Prepare the feathers: For medium to large feathers, use a needle and thread to create attachment points on the feather quill. Puncture the quill about 1/2 inch from the end and secure it with a knot. Create additional attachment points along the feather's rachis (shaft).
• Attaching feathers to the hat: Use stitching or tying methods for secure and complex arrangements. Pinning or gluing can work for smaller or fewer feathers.
• Styling: Shape the feathers by manually adjusting their direction or using heat styling tools like a curling iron on a low setting. You can also curl individual feather barbs for more intricate designs.

Veils

Veils can add a touch of mystery and romance to your wedding hat. They come in various styles, such as birdcage veils, bandeau veils, and chapel veils. When choosing a veil, consider the length, colour, and any embellishments you may want, such as rhinestones, pearls, or glitter. Veils can be attached to your hat using clips, combs, or headbands. Etsy offers a wide variety of veiled wedding hats, including those with detachable veils, allowing for versatility in your look.

Ribbons

Ribbons are a versatile and colourful way to decorate your wedding hat. You can use flagging tape, a plastic alternative to ribbon, which is inexpensive and comes in various colours and patterns. Here are some ideas for incorporating ribbons into your wedding hat:

• Attach ribbons to the hat's base or brim, allowing them to drape elegantly.
• Weave ribbons through the hat's trim or fabric for a textured look.
• Create bows or knots with the ribbons for added detail.
• Combine ribbons with other embellishments like feathers, flowers, or pearls for a more luxurious feel.

Colour-matching with your outfit

Colour-matching your hat with your outfit is an important consideration when crafting your wedding attire. While it's no longer the case that hats are considered mandatory for women's outdoor attire, as they were in the 1920s and 30s, they remain a staple of British wedding guest fashion.

Colour-matching Do's and Don'ts

Annabel Lewis, owner of V V Rouleaux and atelier of custom headdresses, notes the historical importance of colour matching: "In the old days they would not have thought of going to a wedding with a hat without it being exactly the same colour as their dress." While this tradition of exact colour-matching is no longer mandatory, it remains a stylish option, particularly as it is a look often chosen by the Queen.

Nowadays, many women opt for contrasting colours, blends of multiple shades, or matching their hat to accessories instead of their dress. However, it's important to be cautious when matching multiple elements of your outfit. As milliner Beverley Edmondson notes, "Colour matching the exact same tone for your hat, dress, bag and shoes can be too much and although it all perfectly matches, it can make an otherwise interesting outfit become rather bland and boring." Instead, she recommends introducing an accent colour, or different shades of the same colour, to add depth and interest to your outfit.

Choosing Your Hat Colour First

If you want your dress to complement your hat, rather than the other way around, it's best to choose your hat first. This is especially important if you want a statement or patterned dress, as your hat options will be more limited in this case. Be sure to leave enough time for this process, as an awkwardly coloured or overly statement dress will limit your off-the-shelf headwear options.

The Psychology of Colour

When choosing a colour for your hat, it's worth considering the psychological impact of different shades. For instance, if you want to convey a sense of regality, you might opt for regal red, gold, or purple. To convey a sense of happiness, you might choose a hat in magenta or pink. For a more ethereal look, you could take inspiration from Parineeti Chopra's engagement outfit and opt for beige or white.

Season-Specific Colours

You may also want to take the season into account when choosing a colour for your hat. In winter, brown, black, and grey are popular choices, pairing well with woollen hats to keep your head warm. In spring, it's best to opt for very light neutral colours. Summer is the perfect time to wear wide-brimmed hats in off-whites, creams, ivory, and light browns, which look dreamy with your outfit and protect you from the sun. In fall, you can experiment with various looks, such as wearing a fedora, a cap, or a beanie in darker colours like navy.

Following British hat etiquette

British hat etiquette is a complex topic, with many nuances to consider. Here are some key points to follow when attending a wedding:

For Women:

It is customary for ladies to wear a hat to a traditional British wedding. The general rule is "hats on indoors for ladies". However, the timing of when to remove one's hat is a matter of debate. Some sources suggest that ladies should keep their hats on until the Mother of the Bride removes hers, usually after the formalities of the wedding breakfast. Others suggest that hats should be removed during the wedding breakfast, particularly if it is held indoors. Ultimately, it is considered rude for any lady, including the Mother of the Bride, to remove their hat indoors during the wedding breakfast.

For outdoor weddings, ladies should follow the same etiquette as they would in a church, keeping their hats on. When blocking someone's view, it is polite to remove your hat.

For Men:

Men should follow general hat etiquette and remove their hats inside the church and any indoor reception areas. Hats should also be removed when talking to ladies and during the wedding breakfast. For outdoor weddings, the same rules apply as for indoor weddings.

Additional Considerations:

The Mother of the Groom should avoid wearing a hat larger than the Mother of the Bride. The choice of hat style and colour is also important. Traditionally, ladies would match the colour of their hat to their dress. However, modern trends allow for contrasting colours, blends of multiple shades, or matching the hat to accessories.

The location of the wedding is also a factor to consider. For weddings held in churches, it is customary for guests to wear their Sunday best, which often includes hats. For outdoor weddings, a wide-brimmed hat can provide shade from the sun.

A Note on Headbands:

Younger wedding guests may opt for headbands instead of hats or fascinators. Headbands are a comfortable and trendy option but may not offer the same impact and artistry as a hat.

Frequently asked questions