Keep your hat on!

"I can wear a hat or take it off, but either way it's a conversation piece"

"" gossip columnist
Hedda Hopper

Hopper's statement truly reflects the impression and gossip a hat can generate when worn. Of course, her own hats generated many a conversation and even led her to an autobiography titled From Under My Hat.

While hats may be the trendiest, most sophisticated piece of accessory in the West, unfortunately, in India they still only come out of the closet during the famous Indian Derby and the much awaited polo season.

So, why are we talking about hats when the polo season has reached its end and the Derby has lived its glory for the year? Because it is summer and because it is time to experiment with a new look, add a new charm and block out the sun... in style.

If you happen to read the history of hats, you'll realise that hats have the distinction of being one of the few accessories that could actually determine a person's social rank and even represent authority. In India, not much has changed... even today hats stand pretty in walk-in wardrobes, most of them having travelled halfway around the world to reach their destination.

But now with designers like Ritu Beri, Delna Poonawalla and Salvatore Ferragamo are creating a market for hats within the country, cutting down on your hand baggage or even check-in baggage, for that matter.

For Ritu Beri, hats are an accessory that can change a whole image. "Everybody can wear a hat. I would like people to wear hats as a part of their daily outfits, like jewellery," she says.

Seductive and appealing, hats have a habit of grabbing attention, making heads turn and generally creating quite a ripple of Chinese whispers. Yet, the biggest dilemma faced during a hat purchase is finding the right fit.

Much like the case of sunglasses, the shape of your face decides the shape of your hat. For instance, a long face would not fit a long hat. In fact, the size of the head and length of hair are also important determining factors.

Poonawalla suggests large, impressive hats with a dash of bling or feathers. Top hats and bowler hats in felt and straw are great choices. She also reccommends colour contrasting your hat. So, if your outfit is black and white, a pink hat could add the glam quotient.

While sophistication is the underlying definition of a hat, it can be a lot of fun too. A cowboy hat with jeans, a straw hat with a summer shopping dress or a hat worn simply to show off the cigar in your hand.

Ritu Beri, one of the few Indian designers creating hats more out of passion than for commercial fashion designs a range of hats for women that start at Rs 3,500 and will even design for men on special request. Ferragamo, on the other hand, has brought to India a hat collection for men that ranges from Rs 6,000-8,000.

Though, in India, not much has been read and written about hats, the accessory is gradually becoming an impetus to getting noticed. So, the next time you step out for a party or a shopping spree... make sure you do it with the drop of a hat.